News

"Report from the International Permafrost Association: Increasing regional activities on a global scale" was recently published in Volume 30, Issue 2 of Permafrost and Periglacial Processes. The report covers our past two conferences (ACOP2017 and EUCOP5), ongoing core activities, and future events. Access the report at: https://rdcu.be/bzUo8

The ESA GlobPermafrost project (2016-2019) recently completed the Permafrost Information System (PerSys), an open access data portal for GlobPermafrost products and related results and data sets. The thematic products include global mean annual ground temperature and zonation for permafrost areas, Landsat trends (1999-2014; 10% of Arctic permafrost covered), local to regional maps on landcover, vegetation height, ground fast lake ice, subsidence rates, and rock glacier activity. A dedicated interface f…

Frozen Ground 42, which details IPA activities in 2018, is now available as a PDF! This newsletter demonstrates the diversity of interests and high level of involvement among our members. Thanks to those that have participated in the highlighted activities and/or contributed material for this volume of Frozen Ground. If you are curious about IPA happenings in other years, all Frozen Ground volumes are available via the "Publications" tab.

The IPA Senior Vice-President, Chris Burn, has been awarded the Canadian Polar Medal. Prof. Burn is being honored for his contributions to permafrost science based on his work in the western Canadian Arctic, productive partnerships with stakeholders in Canada's North, and dedicated training of the next generation of northern researchers. Prof. Burn is also on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Permafrost Association. The Polar Medal was presented to Prof. Burn in Ottawa on November 5th. The list of…

The IPA currently has an open call for new Action Groups. Action Groups are meant to fund targeted groups working towards the production of well-defined, permafrost-related products. Action Groups are funded on a competitive basis at up to 2500€ per year (maximum of 5000€ over the life of an Action Group). These groups focus on clearly defined research outputs, such as maps, science plans, or databases, that can be supported through the organization of workshops, management support, technical suppo…

Registration is currently open for the inaugural annual meeting of the Canadian Permafrost Association (CPA)! The IPA encourages those working with permafrost in Canada to consider attending this meeting at Yukon College in Whitehorse. We are pleased to see this growing national network.

The 5th European Conference on Permafrost officially began this morning at the Opening Ceremony at Le Majestic Congress in Chamonix. Participants were welcomed by Philip Deline on behalf of the Local Organizing Committee, the mayor of Chamonix, and IPA President Hanne Christiansen. During the ceremony, the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Wilfried Haeberli, a prolific permafrost scientist and general cryosphere expert with extensive experience studying and working in the Alps. The IPA w…

The Council of the International Permafrost Association convened in Chamonix, France on 24 June as part of the 5th European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP5), an IPA regional conference. Council members reviewed the IPA’s activities over the past two years (when the Council last met), and had a number of discussions related to our Regional and International Conferences on Permafrost, which are a priority of the IPA. The IPA was pleased to gather today as the governing body of the association and look…

Frozen Ground 41, which details IPA activities in 2017, is now available as a PDF! This newsletter demonstrates the diversity of interests and high level of involvement among our members, especially PYRN members. Many thanks to those that have participated in the highlighted activities and/or contributed material for this volume of Frozen Ground. If you are curious about IPA happenings in other years, all Frozen Ground volumes are available via the "Publications" tab.

Congratulations to our collaborators and friends at AWI with their EU-funded project, Nunataryuk, which kicks-off this week. Nunataryuk (an Inuvialuit word roughly translating to coast) will focus on the degradation of coastal permafrost and its implications in the climate system. The IPA supported this proposal and are happy to see it funded, and look forward to the opportunities and insights it will bring to the permafrost community. Read more about Nunataryuk in this AWI press release: https://www.a…

The IPA Executive Committee currently has an open call for new Action Groups. Action Groups are meant to fund targeted groups working towards the production of well-defined, permafrost-related products. Action Groups are funded on a competitive basis at up to 2500€ per year (maximum of 5000€ over the life of an Action Group). These groups focus on clearly defined research outputs, such as maps, science plans, or databases, that can be supported through the organization of workshops, management supp…

The Frozen Ground Cartoons team has recently made a website that provides digital access to the informative and beautiful cartoons produced for the project. The cartoons are a unique, approachable, and fun way to communicate science, and represent approximately two years of collaboration between permafrost scientists and professional illustrators. A complete booklet with all the cartoons and information about the project will be available at the end of the year. The Frozen Ground Cartoons project is fu…

Earlier this afternoon, the 2nd Asian Conference on Permafrost came to a close at Hokkaido University. The conference was a definite success and covered a wide range of permafrost research and engineering topics through a total of 141 presentations (86 oral presentations and 55 posters). In total, there were 178 participants from 17 countries. Though the conference was located in Japan, many participants came from elsewhere in Asia – including 62 from China and 6 from Mongolia. Japan and Russia were th…

The IPA has been enjoying a productive and fun week in Sapporo, Japan for the 2nd Asian Conference on Permafrost (ACOP 2017). The conference officially opened on July 3, and will end later today, July 6. Our Japanese colleagues have been gracious hosts, and there have been multiple excursions and dinners in addition to the scientific program of oral, poster, and plenary sessions. After the conference concludes, another post will provide an overview of attendees and activities. Photo: Conference Chair, …

We hope you are excited about the 5th European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP 2018) in Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France, an IPA Regional Conference. Consider contributing to the conference by submitting session proposals; the deadline is quickly approaching on 15 April. Below is the official call from the EUCOP 2018 organizers. _____ Dear colleagues,The 5th European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP 2018) will be held in Chamonix-Mont Blanc, France, 22 June – 1st July 2018.This IPA Regional Conference on Per…

Frozen Ground 40, which details IPA activities in 2016, is now available as a PDF! This newsletter demonstrates the diversity of interests and high level of involvement among our members. Many thanks to those that have participated in the highlighted activities and/or contributed material for this volume of Frozen Ground. If you are curious about IPA happenings in other years, all Frozen Ground volumes are available via the "Publications" tab.

31 January is the final deadline for submitting abstracts for the 2nd Asian Conference on Permafrost (ACOP2017). This is also the deadline for early career scientist travel grant applications. Further information, abstract submission, and travel grant application can be found at: http://acop2017.arc.hokudai.ac.jp/ The IPA is looking forward to this conference and hopes to see many of you in Sapporo in July.

The International Permafrost Association (IPA) and The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) are pleased to announce that the IPA Secretariat will be officially located and hosted at UNIS from 1 December 2016 until 2020. The IPA Secretariat was previously hosted at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam, Germany, where Karina Schollaen served as Executive Director of the IPA. Professor Hanne Christiansen, Arctic Geology Department Leader at UNIS, became President of the IPA in June this year. Sarah Str…

"The Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) is an annual meeting of national and international organizations focused on Arctic research and exploitation, which include academia, government agencies, local communities, industry, non-governmental organizations and others." More details, including the complete session list, are available online: http://www.assw2017.eu/ Abstract submission is currently open and will close December 16, 2016. Registration will remain open until March 15, 2017, but early registrat…

We would like to call your attention to two conferences relevant for permafrost scientists being held in Russia in 2017. Earth’s Cryosphere: Past, Present, and Future June 4-8, 2017, Pushchino, Russia In addition to covering permafrost, geocryology, and physio-chemical properties of frozen ground, this conference will also feature research regarding paleoclimate reconstructions and cryosphere ecosystems. XI International Symposium on Permafrost Engineering September 5-8, 2017, Magadan, Russia The aim…

Registration and abstract submission are now open for the 2nd Asian Conference on Permafrost (ACOP2017), on the conference website. The conference will be held July 2-6, 2017, in Sapporo, Japan. Abstracts are due by December 31, 2016, while advance registration remains open until March 31, 2017. After this, participants can still register at an increased rate. We hope to see you in Sapporo!

In 2015, a symposium was held at the 7th Canadian Permafrost Conference to honour the memory of the life and work of Professor J. Ross Mackay. The Proceedings of the symposium are available for download (free) at: https://carleton.ca/permafrost/symposium-honour-professor-j-r-mackay-1915-2014/ Nineteen papers were presented at the symposium and prepared for publication after review. The titles and authors are: Part 1. Reflections on the life and work of Professor Mackay The geocryological bibliography o…

Deadline: October 31, 2016 Funding: Up to 2500 €/year More information:IPA Action Groups The IPA is pleased to introduce a new call for funded Action Groups. Action Groups are an element in the IPA structure and are meant to fund targeted groups working towards the production of well-defined products. Action Groups will be funded on a competitive basis at up to 2500 € per year (maximum of 5000 € over the life of an Action Group). Up to 10 000 € per year of the IPA total budget will be devoted t…

APECS is hosting a Figure Competition as part of their International Polar Week. Two of the entries come from the IPA Action Group "A Frozen-Ground Cartoon;" the illustrations are by Heta Nääs and Noémie Ross. Check out all the figures and vote for your favorite by this Sunday, September 25 at midnight!