NSIDC scientists study aspects of snow and ice, topics that were one important focus of IPY. During IPY, NSIDC scientists participated in several collaborative research projects.

Igliniit Project

The Igliniit Project combines Inuit knowledge of the Arctic environment with technology and science, outfitting Inuit hunters with logging systems that record weather conditions and allow the hunters to track observations of animals and environmental conditions in their own language. The research team hopes that the new technology, once fully developed, could help Inuit and other northern communities with environmental research and monitoring programs, land use planning, hazards awareness, and search and rescue activities. For more information, visit the Igliniit Project Web site.

Larsen Ice Shelf System, Antarctica (LARISSA)

Ted Scambos is a principle investigator for the LARISSA project. LARISSA is a National Science Foundation initiative to study environmental change in the Larsen Ice Shelf region. The project brings together an international team of researchers in a variety of scientific fields, to examine ice shelf stability, the movement of glacial ice into the Weddell Sea, and the response of marine organisms to a changing environment. For more information, visit the LARISSA project Web site.

Norwegian-U.S. Scientific Traverse of East Antarctica

In the winters of 2008 and 2009, NSIDC scientist Ted Scambos and graduate student Atsuhiro Muto traveled more than 1,000 miles across East Antarctic with the U.S.-Norwegian traverse team. During the two legs of the traverse, researchers conducted research on climate variability, snow accumulation, and the chemical composition of snow and ice in the largely unexplored region of Antarctica. NSF and the Norwegian Polar Institute sponsored the traverse as part of IPY. For more information, visit the Norwegian-U.S. Scientific Traverse of East Antarctica Web site.