NSIDC scientists study aspects of snow and ice, topics that are one important focus of IPY. Funding for scientific proposals has not yet been determined, but NSIDC scientists have submitted the following proposals:

Climate Variability on the Antarctic Peninsula (APICS)

APICS will address the changes taking place on the Antarctic Peninsula through multi-disciplinary field research. An international team of glaciologists, climatologists, oceanographers, marine geologists, and biologists will study the effect of climate variability on the stability of ice shelves, the movement of glacial ice into the Weddell Sea, and the response of marine organisms to a changing environment. Read about Ted Scambos and his research.

Ice Shelf and Glacier Dynamics on the Antarctic Peninsula (ISGD)

ISGD, a component of APICS, seeks to characterize the mechanisms of ice shelf breakup and glacier acceleration. The team will perform survey traverses and install automated observation systems on Antarctic ice shelves and glaciers. Using satellite up-links, the systems will take ongoing measurements of weather, ice motion, crevassing, and ice thickness over the full IPY. The team will supplement the field data with remote sensing analysis. Read about Ted Scambos and his research.

Sea Ice DATA: Data Archive of Thicknesses in the Arctic

Sea Ice DATA seeks to improve understanding of changes in Arctic sea ice thickness and related changes in ice mass balance. The science team will develop a central archive of in-situ sea ice thickness measurements for use in conjunction with ice draft, satellite data, and model output to better quantify shifts in sea ice thickness over time. Read about Walt Meier and his research.

UAV-Based Observing System for Long-Term Monitoring of Sea Ice Roughness, Mass, and Surface Conditions in the Arctic

This project seeks to initiate the routine, sustainable operation of low-cost uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs) to observe sea ice properties over a variety of ice conditions. Read about Jim Maslanik and his research.