August 14, 2007

Major International Conference on Antarctica to Be Held at UC Santa Barbara This Month

Gail Gallessich

More than 400 scientists from over 35 countries will come to the University of California, Santa Barbara from August 26 through 31 for an international scientific conference on Antarctica.

The International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences (ISAES) is the major international Antarctic geoscience meeting convened once every four years. This 2007 conference, titled "Antarctica: A Keystone in a Changing World ISAES-2007," is the 10th such symposium since the first one was held in 1963, inspired by the success of the International Geophysical Year (1957-58).

This weeklong symposium, sponsored by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), will address major topics in Antarctic Earth science. Symposium topics will include:

· Antarctic Climate Evolution –– Global Linkages from Records in Ice Cores, Geological Cores, Outcrops, and Models

· GeoCryoDynamics –– Feedbacks and Coupling between the Geosphere, Cryosphere and Climate

· Antarctica in the Global Geodynamic System

· Antarctic Earth Science in the International Polar Year

· Polar Education and Outreach Initiatives

· Antarctica's Impact on Global Biosphere Evolution

· New Frontiers in Technologies and Polar Databases

The Symposium program will include oral and poster presentations, field excursions, exhibits, workshops, and social events.

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.