Meetings / Workshops

IDP Hosts Successful Town Hall at 2023 AGU Fall Meeting

IDP organized and convened the AGU Town Hall on Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions at the AGU Fall meeting in San Francisco (December 14, 2023). The session attracted a large audience who heard brief presentations from IDP (Mary Albert), International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS; Christo Buizert), Ice Core Young Scientists (ICYS; Jennifer Campos Ayala), Hercules Dome (Eric Steig), GreenDrill (Jason Briner), and Rapid Access Ice Drill (RAID; Shuai Yan).

IDP Education and Public Outreach Workshops Increase Impact

The results of the pilot Train the Trainers Workshop held last summer at the NSF Ice Core Facility in Denver, CO, have been very exciting. Seven participants have already planned outreach activities that broadened IDP education and outreach impact. In addition, about half of the fifteen participants have either completed a professional development outreach project or have one planned.

Participants of the Train the Trainers Workshop pose for a picture outside of the NSF Ice Core Facility.

ICECReW 1.5-day workshop before US Ice Core Open Science Meeting

The third Ice Core Early-Career Researchers Workshop (ICECReW) will be held on May 14 and 15, 2024, at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland, Maine, ahead of the US Ice Core Open Science Meeting (May 15-17). ICECReW is an opportunity for early-career researchers to meet and discuss ice-related science. The theme of this year’s workshop is exploring career opportunities within and outside of academia. The workshop will focus on developing and receiving feedback on application materials such as CVs, research statements, teaching statements, and cover letters.

ICECReW is intended for early-career researchers whose work contributes to polar sciences or paleoclimatology. We broadly define “early career” as someone within three years of PhD (before or after completion), although exceptions are certainly possible.

Please join the Hercules Dome mailing list to ensure you receive all the meeting announcements.

More details for the workshop will be announced in early 2024. We anticipate supporting the cost of an additional two nights’ lodging for US participants. Travel to/from the US Ice Core Science Meeting may be partially supported depending on need.

The deadline for submitting the ICECReW application is February 9, 2024.

Dates: May 14-15, 2024
Location: Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Portland, Maine
Application (deadline February 9, 2024): https://forms.gle/5KzkvKkXy8AYfG3v8
Convener: NSF Hercules Dome Ice Core Project
Organizing Committee: Ursula Jongebloed, Julia Andreasen, Drake McCrimmon, Jacob Chalif, T.J. Fudge, and Bess Koffman
ICECReW website: https://herculesdome.org/icecrew-2024

Announcing 3rd US Ice Core Open Science Meeting

The third annual US Ice Core Open Science Meeting will be held May 15-17, 2024, at the Portland Public Library in beautiful Portland, Maine. The NSF-funded Hercules Dome Ice Core Project is convening the meeting.

This meeting is intended for anyone interested in ice core science or related fields, including ice-core analysis, ice or subglacial drilling, glacier geophysics that supports or depends on ice core records, paleoclimate, and contemporary climate and ice sheet change.

The goals of the meeting include:

  1. Sharing the latest science.
  2. Discussing future ice core and related science projects in both polar regions and alpine environments.
  3. Providing career development opportunities.
  4. Improving communication about ice-core and related science within and beyond the scientific community.

We hope to attract a diverse group of participants, including those who may not have extensive experience working with ice cores.

While this meeting is primarily oriented toward researchers in the US, international colleagues are welcome to attend.

The meeting will begin midday on Wednesday, May 15, and end in the late afternoon on Friday, May 17. The meeting will be preceded by an Ice Core Early Career Researchers Workshop (ICECReW) for early career researchers focused on applying for academic and alt/ac jobs.

Details on hotel rooms, travel support, and other aspects of the meeting will be publicized in February.

Please join the Hercules Dome mailing list to ensure you receive all the meeting announcements.

Dates: May 15-17, 2024
Location: Portland Public Library, Portland, Maine
Convener: NSF Hercules Dome Ice Core Project
Organizing Committee: Seth Campbell, T.J. Fudge, Kaitlin Keegan, Bess Koffman, Peter Neff
Meeting website: https://herculesdome.org/us-ice-core-open-science-meeting-2024

School of Ice Applications for COLDEX Workshop

School of Ice applications for the COLDEX workshop, July 21-25, 2024, are now available at https://icedrill-education.org/school-of-ice/. School of Ice is open to faculty at US Minority Serving Institutions and Community Colleges. Please pass this on to eligible colleagues. Questions: louise.t.huffman@dartmouth.edu.

Group photo of participants from the 2022 School of Ice. For more information about the program, visit https://icedrill-education.org/school-of-ice/.

Registration Now Open for Climate of HOPE Conference

Registrations are now open for middle school and high school teachers in DuPage County, IL, to join us for the IDP, in partnership with Downers Grove North High School and the Regional Office of Ed, Climate of HOPE (How Our Planet is Evolving) conference. The conference will be held on March 1, 2024, at Downers North High School as part of the countywide professional development day. For additional information, visit https://sites.google.com/view/2024scienceinstitute/home.

IDP’s education and outreach program is leading a professional development climate change science day in partnership with the DuPage County Regional Office of Education (Wheaton, Illinois), the National Center for Science Education, Downers Grove North High School, and the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) on March 1, 2024, in DuPage County, Illinois. The Climate of HOPE Conference will bring a combination of cutting-edge climate research and engaging classroom-ready activities to Illinois science teachers.

New IDP Virtual Field Lab at AGU 2023 Fall Meeting

Two of IDP’s 2023 Train the Trainers workshop participants, Susan Rubert and Marc VanKeuren, are presenting IDP’s newest Virtual Field Lab featuring Drs. Karen and Richard Alley at the Fall 2023 AGU Meeting on Tuesday, 12 December 2023. Virtual Field Labs are unique interactive education and outreach products designed for students from late middle school to college. Virtual Field Labs are designed for students to watch with a teacher present (virtually or in-person) or independently on their own computers. Each Virtual Field Lab takes students along with a climate scientist as they collect and analyze data to answer a different climate question.

Title: ED23A-07. Virtual Field Labs: Facilitated Investigations for Middle School to College Students Led by Climate Scientists
Date: Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Time: 15:20 – 15:30 PST
Location: MC, 203 - South
AGU Link: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm23/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1325529

IDP at the 2023 AGU Fall Meeting

The following 2023 AGU Fall Meeting presentations have IDP leadership, engineers, or drillers as authors or co-authors.

Poster C11D-1073 Unique IDP Sub-Ice Drilling Yields Success for Science in Greenland
Mary R Albert, Elliot Moravec, Tanner Kuhl, Richard V Erickson, Forest Harmon, Kristina Slawny, Jay Johnson, Joerg Schaefer, Jessica Ackerman, Allie Balter-Kennedy, Jason P Briner, Caleb Walcott and Nicolas E. Young
Monday, 11 December 2023, 08:30 - 12:50, Poster Hall A-C - South (Exhibition Level, South, MC)
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm23/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1418963
Poster C11D-1072 Holocene ice-sheet history at the Prudhoe Dome margin, NW Greenland: Samples for exposure dating (CRN and OSL) beneath and beyond the ice margin
Jason P Briner, Caleb Walcott, Elliot Moravec, Alexandra Balter-Kennedy, Nathan Brown, Nicolas E. Young, Tanner Kuhl and Joerg Schaefer
Monday, 11 December 2023, 08:30 - 12:50, Poster Hall A-C - South (Exhibition Level, South, MC)
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm23/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1284195
Talk PP13B-08 The basal zone beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet as new paleo-archive to constrain ice sheet vulnerability in space and time– early lessons from the GreenDrill project
Joerg M Schaefer, Jason P Briner, Allie Balter-Kennedy, Caleb Walcott, Nicolas E. Young, Benjamin Andrew Keisling, Sridhar Anandakrishnan, Nathan Stevens, Tanner Kuhl, Elliot Moravec and Kristina Slawny
Monday, 11 December 2023, 15:22 - 15:32, 3024 - West (Level 3, West, MC)
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm23/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1360466
Talk C14A-07 First Results from GreenDrill: Exposure dating in sub-ice material from Prudhoe Dome, northwestern Greenland
Allie Balter-Kennedy, Joerg M Schaefer, Jason P Briner, Nicolas E. Young, Caleb Walcott, Tanner Kuhl, Elliot Moravec, Benjamin Andrew Keisling, Sridhar Anandakrishnan, Nathan Stevens and Nathan Brown
Monday, 11 December 2023, 17:00 - 17:10, 2005 - West (Level 2, West, MC)
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm23/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1314764
Talk ED23A-07 Virtual Field Labs: Facilitated Investigations for Middle School to College Students Led by Climate Scientists
Marc Vankeuren, Louise T Huffman, Bill Grosser, Kristen E Rahilly, and Susan Rubert
Tuesday, 12 December 2023, 15:20 - 15:30, 203 - South (Level 2, South, MC)
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm23/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1325529
Town Hall TH43E Town Hall - Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions
Mary R Albert, Tas D van Ommen, Jennifer Campos Ayala, Joerg Schaefer, Heidi A Roop, and John W Goodge
Thursday, 14 December 2023, 13:00 - 14:00, 2004 - West (Level 2, West, MC)
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm23/meetingapp.cgi/Session/189573
Poster ED53C-0571 Analysis of the 2023 COLDEX Research Experience for Undergraduates Applicant Pool
Melyssa Fenton, Kristen E Rahilly, Louise T Huffman, and Stephanie K Jarvis
Friday, 15 December 2023, 14:10 - 18:30, Poster Hall A-C - South (Exhibition Level, South, MC)
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm23/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1369736

AGU Town Hall: Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) will hold the AGU Town Hall on Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions on Thursday, 14 December 2023, from 13:00-14:00 Pacific Standard Time (PST) in room 2004 – West (Level 2, West, MC) of the Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA. We hope to see you there!

Abstract: Ice sheets, glaciers, and the underlying bedrock, sediment and permafrost hold crucial evidence of past climate, ice sheet dynamics, and cratonic geology. National and international collaboration for drilling in the remote Polar Regions requires strategic coordination between science, technology, and logistics. This meeting will provide the scientific research community with brief updates from IDP, Ice Core Young Scientists (ICYS), International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS), GreenDrill, Hercules Dome, and Rapid Access Ice Drill (RAID). Opportunities for community involvement will be showcased, and input from the audience will be solicited.

Date: Thursday, 14 December 2023
Time: 13:00 - 14:00 PST
Location: 2004 - West (Level 2, West, MC), Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA
Moderator: Mary R Albert, Dartmouth College
AGU Link: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm23/meetingapp.cgi/Session/189573

IDP Train the Trainers Workshop Extends the Reach of IDP Resources

IDP piloted its Virtual Field Lab (VFL) Train the Trainers workshop at the National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility July 26-28 with fifteen in-person participants and one on Zoom due to COVID. Evaluation responses indicated that 100% felt they understood the VFLs and had gained a solid understanding of ice core and climate science. Three participants have already submitted an AGU abstract, while four others are tentatively planning to present at the Climate of HOPE conference next spring.

Participants of the Train the Trainers workshop participated in activities including (left) processing ice cores at the NSF-Ice Core Facility, (right, top) developing ice sheet models, and (right, bottom) conducting albedo fieldwork.

IDP Holds Successful School of Ice at Dartmouth

The IDP School of Ice took place at Dartmouth College June 18-22 with twelve participants. Evaluation responses suggest an overwhelmingly successful workshop; participants learned about ice core and climate science and intend to incorporate what they learned in their work. In the post-workshop evaluation, participants reported that many aspects of the workshop were impactful.

Group photo of the participants from the 2023 School of Ice (SOI) held at Dartmouth College. For more information about the program, visit the SOI website at https://icedrill-education.org/school-of-ice/.

While engineer Jay Johnson looks on, School of Ice participants take part in a hands-on classroom activity, successfully testing their mobile drill model.

Participants from the 2023 Dartmouth School of Ice (left) analyze conceptual models of ice cores, (right, top) learn about glacial features from Dr. Meredith Kelly, and (right, bottom) conduct a mapping activity.

Climate of H.O.P.E. (How Our Planet is Evolving) Conference

IDP’s education and outreach program is leading a professional development climate change science day in partnership with the DuPage County Regional Office of Education (Wheaton, Illinois), the National Center for Science Education, Downers Grove North High School, and the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) on March 1, 2024, in DuPage County, Illinois. The Climate of HOPE Conference will bring a combination of cutting-edge climate research and engaging classroom-ready activities to Illinois science teachers.

Tentatively, speakers include Dr. Richard Alley (Penn State) and Dr. Karen Alley (University of Manitoba), Anne Reid (Executive Director at National Center for Science Education), and Frank Niepold (Senior Climate Education Coordinator at NOAA’s Climate Program Office) along with break-out sessions led by IDP educators and other partners.

400+ middle and high school science educators are expected to attend during the DuPage County-wide Inservice Day. The conference is open to educators in surrounding areas who would like to attend.

Questions? Contact IDP Director of Education & Public Outreach Louise Huffman at louise.t.huffman@dartmouth.edu.

Conference website coming soon.

The Climate of HOPE Conference website will be available soon.

Ice Core Working Group 2023 Meeting

An in-person meeting of the Ice Core Working Group (ICWG) was held on May 11, 2023, at the University of Washington, following the 2nd U.S. Ice Core Open Science Meeting. Several people also attended the meeting via Zoom. Discussions included updates from IDP and the NSF Ice Core Facility, discussion about coordination with other Science Advisory Board (SAB) working groups and the SAB itself, updates to the Long Range Science Plan (LRSP), and ice drilling technology development for the LRSP. The agenda and presentations from the meeting are available on the IDP website.

Science Advisory Board 2023 Meeting

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) convenes a Science Advisory Board (SAB) to form and update the Long Range Science Plan that addresses multiple aspects of ice core and other ice science and associated technology. The annual SAB meeting was held May 1 via Zoom. The first part of the meeting was an open session and included updates from IDP, the Subglacial Access Working Group, and the Ice Core Working Group. It also included an update on borehole logging activities and thoughts on the future of the Borehole Logging Working Group, and a discussion of out-year planning for the SAB working groups. The second part of the meeting was a closed session in which the SAB prioritized the technology investments outlined in the Long Range Science Plan and discussed SAB member rotation and SAB Terms of Reference.

The agenda and presentations from the meeting are available on the IDP website. The members of the SAB are:

  • T.J. Fudge, Chair (University of Washington)
  • Joel Harper (University of Montana)
  • Bess Koffman (Colby College)
  • Matthew Siegfried (Colorado School of Mines)
  • Martin Truffer (University of Alaska Fairbanks)
  • Ryan Venturelli (Colorado School of Mines)
  • Trista Vick-Majors (Michigan Technological University)

IDP EO Planning Two Summer Workshops and Hires New EO Specialist

Two workshops are planned for Summer 2023: School of Ice at Dartmouth in June and Virtual Field Labs - Training the Trainers at the NSF Ice Core Facility in Denver in July.

William (Bill) Grosser has been hired by IDP as an Education Outreach Specialist with a focus on developing new resources like the Virtual Field Labs and hands-on science labs for educators. He is also integral to co-facilitating the professional development workshops. Bill is a National Board-Certified educator, a Golden Apple Fellow, Radio Shack Technology Award winner, and taught high school chemistry and physical science. He also was the administrator/facilitator for the Golden Apple Inquiry Science Workshops for inner city Chicago and Elgin K-12 teachers and a curriculum resource developer for Flynn Scientific. Welcome, Bill!

Visit the IDP Education and Outreach website for activities and resources for educators, students, and the interested public.

Mary Albert, Louise Huffman, and Bill Grosser at one of the AGU Fall Meetings.

Successful IDP Technical Assistance Board Meeting Held in Madison

Following a multi-year delay due to the COVID pandemic, IDP resumed biennial meetings of its Technical Assistance Board (TAB) on March 22-23, 2023, at the Fluno Center in Madison, WI. After serving many years on the ICDS/IDDO/IDP Technical Assistance Board, Marshall Pardey rotated off the TAB in 2022. IDP welcomed two new TAB members in 2023. Chris Delahunty, Engineer/Owner of Matrix Drilling Products in Lewisburg, Tennessee, has a long history of working with IDP during the RAID and ASIG Drill development and testing days. Tim Lyons, Project Manager with the Australian Antarctic Program, has been collaborating with IDP in recent years as both Australia and IDP fabricate deep drilling systems (IDP Foro 3000). Twenty-four people participated in person and eight joined via Zoom. As with each TAB meeting, IDP gained very valuable feedback from board members on equipment development projects, ideas regarding new technologies in ice drilling and other fields, as well as input on field project logistics. The agenda and notes from the meeting are available on the TAB webpage of the IDP website.

Group photo from the 2023 Technical Assistance Board meeting in Madison, WI. IDP presented on the current status of IDP field projects and the current status of equipment in the IDP inventory. IDP gained very valuable feedback from the TAB members on equipment development projects, ideas regarding new technologies in ice drilling and other fields, as well as input on field project logistics. Fore more information about the TAB, visit https://icedrill.org/about/technical-assistance-board. Credit: Chelsea Dahmen.

Ice Core Sessions at AGU Fall Meeting

For those attending the AGU Fall Meeting, be sure to check out these ice core sessions on Wednesday, December 14, in the Ice Core Records of Environmental Change session organized by Vasilii Petrenko (University of Rochester), Eric Steig (University of Washington), Bess Koffman (Colby College), and Kathleen Wendt (Oregon State University).

C32D Ice Core Records of Environmental Change I Poster
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm22/meetingapp.cgi/Session/158571
Wed, 14 December 2022
9-12:30 Central Time
McCormick Place - Poster Hall, Hall A (South, Level 3)
C34C Ice Core Records of Environmental Change II Online Poster Discussion
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm22/meetingapp.cgi/Session/175616
Wed, 14 December 2022
(1:45 to 2:45 Central)
Online Only
C36B Ice Core Records of Environmental Change III Oral
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm22/meetingapp.cgi/Session/175609
Wed, 14 December 2022
4:45-6:15 Central
McCormick Place - S505ab (South, Level 5)

 

School of Ice 2023 Workshop

This summer, the School of Ice professional development workshop for faculty at Minority Serving Institutions will be held at Dartmouth College, June 18-23, 2023. The application is available now. Information about the program can be found at icedrill-education.org.

School of Ice participants work on hands-on, active learning inquiry-based labs during the 2022 workshop.

2022 School of Ice participants in their “Big Red” jackets.

Ice Core Articles for Undergraduate Students and Ice Core-Adjacent Researchers

In 2022, the US National Science Foundation, via the Ice Drilling Program, funded a workshop for US early-career researchers to become more involved in the ice-core community. The Ice Core Early Career Researchers Workshop (ICECReW) was held January 5-8, 2022, in Salt Lake City, Utah, and online. Participants met with established researchers to better understand outcomes of and resources available from past ice core projects, learn about opportunities to engage with future efforts, and connect with potential collaborators. Participants also produced the following series of articles, published in Past Global Changes Magazine, to help communicate ice core science to undergraduate students and ice core-adjacent researchers:

  • Editorial: Early-career perspectives on ice-core science
  • From drilling to data: retrieval, transportation, analysis, and long-term storage of ice-core samples
  • Putting the time in time machine: Methods to date ice cores
  • Our frozen past: ice-core insights into earth’s climate history
  • Ice-core records of atmospheric composition and chemistry
  • Fire trapped in ice: An introduction to biomass burning records from high-alpine and polar ice cores
  • Ice-core records of human impacts on the environment
  • The living record: considerations for future biological studies of ice cores
  • Firn: Applications for the interpretation of ice-core records and estimation of ice-sheet mass balance
  • What can deep ice, water, sediments, and bedrock at the ice–bed interface tell us?
  • Ice-core constraints on past sea-level change

Volume 30, number 2, of the Past Global Changes magazine contains 10 articles showcasing the current state and future directions of ice-core science.

IDP Ice Drilling Community Survey

You are invited to participate in a brief survey about the U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP). The purpose of this survey is to help IDP learn about who we are reaching in the community and to solicit feedback on IDP’s planning, field support, education and outreach, and communication and website activities.

The anonymous survey will take about 10 minutes to complete and your participation in the survey will help IDP better serve the community.

We know your time is valuable and that this is a busy time – we are leaving the survey open through October to get as many responses as possible.

Please visit https://forms.gle/hpXopxZnrakfCehi9 to complete the survey. Thank you!

Science Advisory Board 2022 Meeting

The annual IDP Science Advisory Board (SAB) meeting was held on March 3-4 via Zoom. The meeting included updates from NSF and IDP and the following SAB working groups: Ice Core Working Group and Subglacial Access Working Group. SAB members also discussed draft updates for the IDP Long Range Science Plan and prioritization of drilling technology developments. The presentations made during the meeting are available on the IDP website.

Ice Core Working Group 2022 Meeting

A virtual meeting of the Ice Core Working Group (ICWG) was held on February 17 to discuss updates to the Long Range Science Plan and other ICWG business. The presentations made during the February meeting are available on the IDP website. Following the U.S. Ice Core Open Science Meeting, a short hybrid (in-person and online) meeting of the ICWG was also held on May 26 in La Jolla, CA.

Screenshot of Krissy Slawny discussing updates on IDP Wisconsin operations (drill maintenance and upgrades, drill development, and fieldwork) during the February 17, 2022, Ice Core Working Group meeting. All presentations made during the February meeting are available on the IDP website.

Screenshot of Mary Albert discussing IDP science and technology planning during the February 17, 2022, Ice Core Working Group meeting. All presentations made during the February meeting are available on the IDP website.

Screenshot of Louise Huffman discussing IDP education and public outreach activities during the February 17, 2022, Ice Core Working Group meeting. All presentations made during the February meeting are available on the IDP website. Visit the IDP education and outreach website at https://icedrill-education.org/.

IDP Education and Public Outreach Update Spring 2022

Thirty-two international educators met in Hofn, Iceland, for the Polar Educators’ International (PEI) 5th international conference. At the conference, IDP EPO Director Louise Huffman presented a new IDP hands-on lab, Snowflake Science, and Dr. Erich Osterberg’s Abrupt Climate Disruptions Virtual Field Lab. Huffman also invited Drs Peter Neff, Ed Brook, Heidi Roop, and Knut Christianson to speak at the PEI conference and organized topics and talks with the four speakers.

Educators at the Polar Educators’ International (PEI) 5th international conference dropping paper snowflakes from the second-floor balcony to calculate fall rate. They then compared the fall rate to actual snowflake fall data and engaged in scientific argument as to whether paper snowflakes are a good model for snowflakes in nature.

Dr. Knut Christianson presented data about Thwaites Glacier to international educators attending the Polar Educators’ International (PEI) 5th international conference.

During the second quarter, IDP made the difficult decision to move the Dartmouth School of Ice scheduled for June 2022 to summer 2023 because of growing concern about a COVID resurgence. The concern included the possibility that groups on Dartmouth’s campus could be limited in the summer.

Save the Date - US Ice Core Open Science Meeting, May 24-26, 2022

The first annual US Ice Core Open Science Meeting will be held May 24-26, 2022, at the beautiful Scripps Seaside Forum at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. It will also be possible to attend online.

This meeting is intended for anyone interested in ice core science or related fields, including ice-core analysis, ice or subglacial drilling, glacier geophysics that supports or depends on ice core records, paleoclimate, and contemporary climate and ice sheet change. Goals of the meeting include 1) sharing of the latest science, 2) discussion of future ice core science projects in both the polar regions and in alpine environments, 3) providing career development opportunities, and 4) improving communication about ice-core and related science both within and beyond the scientific community. We hope to attract a diverse group of participants, including those who may not have extensive experience working with ice cores. While this meeting is primarily oriented toward researchers in the US, international attendees are welcome.

The meeting will begin the morning of Tuesday, May 24, and end by early afternoon Thursday, May 26, followed by the annual meeting of the US Ice Core Working Group.

Join the Hercules Dome mailing list to ensure you do not miss announcements: https://herculesdome.org/get-involved.

Deadlines:

  • March 21: Please register by this date to be considered for early career financial support
  • April 15: Registration deadline
  • April 29: Deadline to book a hotel at the group rate

Registration:

For those attending in person, there is a $100 registration fee. There is limited financial support for early career attendees; if you wish to be considered for this support, please register by March 21. The registration deadline is April 15. The late registration fee is $200.

To register, complete the registration form at https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/steig/419153.

To pay for the registration fee, please first complete and submit the registration form, and then go to the payment portal at the University of California-Irvine.

Venue and Lodging:

The meeting will be held at the Scripps Seaside Forum at the Scripps Instituion of Oceanography, May 24-26, 2022. We have reserved a block of rooms at La Jolla Shores Hotel and the adjacent La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, both within walking distance of the meeting. Individual attendees should make their own reservations directly with the Hotel Reservations Department at 866 976-6659. Please refer to the Antarctic Ice Core Meeting when making reservations. Rooms range from $219 Beach & Tennis Club to $239 or $289 per night at La Jolla Shores. All rooms are double occupany (that is, the per person cost is $110 to $145 per night if you share a room). Please book by April 29 to ensure you get the contract rate.

Organizing Committee:

This meeting is jointly organized by representatives and leaders of the Hercules Dome Ice Core Project, the Center for Oldest Ice Exploration, the US Ice Drilling Program, and the Juneau Icefield Research Program. The organizing committee is Eric Steig, Sarah Aarons, Seth Campbell, TJ Fudge, and Heidi Roop.

Meeting Website:

For additional information, visit the meeting website at: https://herculesdome.org/us-ice-core-open-science-meeting

Announcing School of Ice - Summer 2022

The School of Ice is an NSF-funded professional development program for faculty at Minority Serving Institutions. This program will train participants to understand paleoclimate evidence derived from ice cores and acquire the skills necessary to bring this exciting inquiry into new and existing Earth and environmental science classes on their campuses. The experiential nature of this workshop will build background knowledge of cutting-edge research and empower participants to communicate authentic paleoclimate research practices, ice core data, and results to their students.

There will be two opportunities to attend the School of Ice this summer. Besides thinking about the dates, please help us reduce our carbon footprint by considering the one closer to you geographically. In both, you will interact with experts currently working in climate and ice science research, take interesting field trips, and engage in hands-on learning experiences you can use with your students. Learn more at https://icedrill-education.org/school-of-ice/. Travel expenses are paid, and all resources are provided freely to workshop participants.

The School of Ice teaches hands-on, active learning inquiry-based labs to workshop participants.

Registration is open now. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by the due date but accepted on a rolling basis until the workshop is filled. Note: there is usually a waiting list to attend, so apply early!

School of Ice -- Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Date: June 26-30, 2022
Applications Due: March 11, 2022
To Apply Visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRbPCNsBKU_wAXQO5ae-VyXACsNEwFaxM31xC80VBs2q3iHA/viewform

School of Ice -- COLDEX-Oregon State University, OR
Date: August 6-12, 2022
Applications Due: April 14, 2022
To Apply Visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScuKTo3Qyk0JTbXhIUzXCH11tys1CuHZmvwFkqm0f_WKhPwYQ/viewform

International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS) 3rd Open Science Conference

After two years of postponement due to the worldwide COVID19 pandemic, the IPICS 3rd Open Science Conference (OSC) will now take place from 2-7 October 2022 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. For details about the OSC, visit the meeting website at https://indico.psi.ch/event/6697/.

Important Dates (refer to the IPICS 3rd OSC website for the most current information)

January 1, 2022 Submission for abstracts opens
Registration opens
Travel support application opens
Hotel booking opens
April 30, 2022 Deadline for abstract submission
Deadline for travel grant application
June 1, 2022 Abstract confirmation
Travel award confirmation
July 1, 2022 Early bird registration closes
August 1, 2022 Program online
September 1, 2022 Online registration closes
October 1, 2022 Ice Core Young Scientists (ICYS) Workshop
October 2-7, 2022 IPICS Third Open Science Conference
October 8, 2022 Post-Conference Excursion

After two years of postponement due to the worldwide COVID19 pandemic, the IPICS 3rd Open Science Conference (OSC) will now take place from 2-7 October 2022 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.

AGU Town Hall (Online Only): Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) will hold the AGU Town Hall on Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions on Tuesday, 7 December 2021, from 18:15-19:15 Central Time. This is an online only event. We hope to see you there!

Abstract: Ice sheets, glaciers, and the underlying bedrock, sediment, and permafrost hold crucial evidence of past climate, ice sheet dynamics, and cratonic geology. National and international collaboration for drilling in the remote Polar Regions requires strategic coordination between science, technology, and logistics. This meeting will provide the research community with brief updates from the US Ice Drilling Program, Ice Core Young Scientists (ICYS), International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS), GreenDrill, and Hercules Dome. In addition, opportunities for community involvement will be showcased, and input from the audience will be solicited.

Date: Tuesday, 7 December 2021. Online Only.
Time: 18:15-19:15 Central Time
AGU meeting website: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm21/meetingapp.cgi/Session/121992

AGU Town Hall on Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions, Tuesday, 7 December 2021, 18:15-19:15 Central Time

IDP Education and Outreach Resources

Virtual Field Labs
Virtual Field Labs are unique interactive education and outreach products designed for students from late middle school to college. Virtual Field Labs are designed for students to watch with a teacher present (virtually or in-person) or independently on their own computers. Each Virtual Field Lab takes students along with a climate scientist as they collect and analyze data to answer a different climate question.

School of Ice
The School of Ice provides professional development workshops for faculty from Minority Serving Institutions, training participants to understand paleoclimate evidence derived from ice cores. It also provides participants with the opportunities and training to acquire the skills necessary to bring this exciting inquiry into new and existing Earth and environmental science classes on their campuses.

Teaching Resources
The Education and Outreach website hosts free teaching resources on topics of ice core science, ocean circulation, polar science, the process of science, teaching tools, and virtual field labs that offer new participatory experiences for online learning. The website provides resources for classrooms or informal science program efforts with data that is useful to decision-makers of all backgrounds.

Visit the IDP Education and Outreach website for activities and resources for educators, students, and the interested public.

Visit the IDP Education and Outreach website for information about Virtual Field Labs (left), the School of Ice (center), and free teaching resources (right).

Presentations Available - U.S. Science Traverses on the Greenland Ice Sheet: a Planning Workshop

On June 11, 2021, the U.S. Ice Drilling Program and the Summit Science Coordination Office co-sponsored a U.S. science community planning workshop to identify and articulate U.S. science community interests for long-term planning of potential scientific traverses on the Greenland Ice Sheet. The interdisciplinary science community workshop identified future sites and traverse routes on the Greenland Ice Sheet where ground-based measurements and/or ice coring will be needed and the associated timeline over the coming decade for advancing science on multiple frontiers. The presentations from the workshop are available on the workshop’s website. in addition, workshop participants are currently working on a set of white papers that will also be available on the workshop’s website.

Ice Core Early Career Researchers Workshop (ICECReW)

January 5-8, 2022
Salt Lake City, UT and Online

Sponsor: US Ice Drilling Program
Conveners: Jessica Badgeley, Asmita Banerjee, T.J. Fudge, Bess Koffman, Summer Rupper, Katie Wendt
Application Deadline: September 30, 2021

Website: https://icedrill.org/meetings/ice-core-early-career-researchers-workshop-icecrew

The IDP-sponsored Ice Crew Early Career Researchers Workshop (ICECReW) is a professional development workshop for early-career researchers. This workshop was conceived by members of the IDP Ice Core Working Group, and it will be held both in-person and online January 5-8, 2022, at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT.

The workshop is free to attend. Travel stipends and childcare are available.

ICECReW is intended for early-career researchers whose work contributes to the drilling, processing, or interpretation of ice core data. The hope is to attract a diverse group of participants who may not have extensive experience working with ice core data.

Participants will connect with potential collaborators, learn about opportunities of future ice core drilling and research efforts, learn how to utilize resources available from past ice core projects, and engage in career development activities. Participants will also work together to develop two synthesis papers.

Deadline for registration is September 30, 2021. Participants must be affiliated with a U.S. institution to be eligible. Please see the workshop website for additional information.

Successful School of Ice Held at Oregon State University

IDP led another highly successful School of Ice (SOI) on July 31-August 4, 2021, at Oregon State University in partnership with Dr. Ed Brook. The SOI provides professional development workshops for faculty from minority-serving institutions, training participants to understand paleoclimate evidence derived from ice cores. It also provides participants with the opportunities and training to acquire the skills necessary to bring this exciting inquiry into new and existing Earth and environmental science classes on their campuses.

 

Eleven OSU researchers, an IDP engineer, and eight graduate students shared their research and expertise with this year’s SOI participants. In addition, two educators led participants through hands-on inquiry labs that will be used in current and future courses back at their home institutions. Dr. Brook led two field trips related to course content. One trip was to the Oregon coast, where participants observed evidence of past sea level rise, ocean acidification, and fossil evidence of climate from 23 to 5 million years ago. A second field trip was to an overlook near Mt. Hood to observe evidence of the retreat of Elliott Glacier.

Learn more about SOI and other Ice Drilling Program education and outreach opportunities at http://icedrill-education.org/school-of-ice/.

The School of Ice teaches hands-on, active learning inquiry-based labs to workshop participants.

The School of Ice teaches hands-on, active learning inquiry-based labs to workshop participants.

The School of Ice teaches hands-on, active learning inquiry-based labs to workshop participants.

The School of Ice teaches hands-on, active learning inquiry-based labs to workshop participants.

2021 School of Ice field trip to Mount Hood, Oregon.

2021 School of Ice participants in their "Big Red" jackets.

U.S. Scientific Traverses on the Greenland Ice Sheet: a Planning Workshop

June 11, 2021 via Zoom

Sponsors: U.S. Ice Drilling Program & Summit Science Coordination Office
Conveners: Joerg Schaefer, Mary Albert, Jason Briner, Zoe Courville
Website: https://icedrill.org/meetings/us-scientific-traverses-gris-planning-workshop

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program and the Summit Science Coordination Office are co-sponsoring a U.S. science community planning workshop to identify and articulate U.S. science community interests for long-term planning of potential scientific traverses on the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Purpose: The workshop is designed to identify the driving scientific questions that require access to interior areas of the Greenland Ice Sheet and would benefit from traverse approaches for the coming decade and beyond. What are the primary science questions that the U.S. scientific community would seek to answer? The outcome from the workshop is a set of white papers that will help identify technological and logistical requirements that will be needed to support the science.

Description: Scientific discoveries achieved on the Greenland Ice are critical to society today, but they are not achieved without significant advance planning. This interdisciplinary science community workshop will identify future sites and traverse routes on the Greenland Ice Sheet where ground-based measurements and/or ice coring will be needed and the associated timeline over the coming decade for advancing science on multiple frontiers. The outcome of the workshop will be a set of white papers describing compelling scientific issues and associated measurements, timelines, and geographic locations on the Greenland Ice Sheet. The white papers will be made available to all on both the Icedrill.org and Geosummit.org websites.

Additional workshop information and the draft agenda are available at https://icedrill.org/meetings/us-scientific-traverses-gris-planning-workshop. To participate in the workshop, please register by following the instructions on our website, where you will be able to provide a title for your 5-minute “pitch” for the science that you envision for the future. After we receive your registration, we will send you additional details of the workshop as it develops. The deadline for registration is June 6, 2021.

IDP Education and Public Outreach Update Spring 2021

Planning for the School of Ice is well underway, and the workshop will take place at Oregon State University July 31-August 4, 2021, with participating faculty from Minority Serving Institutions across the country. Two new Virtual Field Lab resources will be introduced during the workshop.

The Virtual Field Labs (VFLs) were also presented to middle school and high school educators during the National Science Teaching Conference and college faculty at the CUNY Climate Change Education Resources Conference. The VFL’s are available on the IDP Education and Outreach website and are appropriate introductory teaching resources for a wide range of age levels (middle school to college), both in classrooms under a teacher’s direction and as independent work on a student’s laptop or tablet. The first two 3-part series featuring Dr. Erich Osterberg and Dr. Meredith Kelly are available now, and two new series of videos will be available in August.

In the Abrupt Climate Disruptions Virtual Field Lab, Dr. Erich Osterberg explores abrupt climate disruptions in the past as a way to predict the abrupt climate changes we can expect in the future. Two new Virtual Field Labs will be available in August on the IDP Education and Outreach website.

In the Climate Clues from the Past Virtual Field Lab, Dr. Meredith Kelly looks at geologic clues from the end of the last ice age for insight into how our current ice sheets may respond to the rapid warming of our planet. Two new Virtual Field Labs will be available in August on the IDP Education and Outreach website.

ICYS International Ice Core Seminar Series

Ice Core Young Scientists (ICYS) is an informal, international network of early-career scientists dedicated to studying polar and alpine ice cores and ice core-related sciences. ICYS is holding a new international ice-core seminar series, supported by the International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences. The monthly seminar series consists of two talks – one from a senior researcher, followed by an early-career researcher (ECR) in a similar research theme. The organizers hope that this will be a good way to bring together international ice-core-related research. The series aims to provide much-needed scientific interactions between researchers at all stages in their careers, especially given the cancellation of in-person conferences at this time.

Upcoming program
The second seminar will be held on March 25 from 20:00-21:00 UTC.

Senior researcher: Brad Markle
ECR: Romilly Harris Stuart

How to join
To receive the Zoom link for the seminar, send an email to icecoreys@gmail.com, with the subject line “Seminar”. The Zoom link will be emailed to you ~24 hours before the start of the seminar.

Interested in presenting?
Anyone interested in presenting their work should contact the organizers: icecoreys@gmail.com

Past seminars
Past seminars are available for viewing at http://pastglobalchanges.org/science/end-aff/icys .

Hercules Dome Ice Core Project: Community Workshop and Webinar Events

The first community workshop and science planning meeting for the Hercules Dome ice core project will take place on May 10-11, 2021, using a virtual platform. This is both a planning meeting and an open science meeting, which will provide an opportunity to hear about some of the latest Antarctic ice core research, and to begin to develop new collaborations.

The Hercules Dome project is a major investment by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), and represents a community platform for research, rather like an oceanographic cruise or a spacecraft mission. Hercules Dome follows in the long tradition of deep ice core projects supported by the NSF, including the GISP2 project in Greenland, the WAIS Divide project in West Antarctica, and the recently-completed South Pole (SPICEcore) project, all of which have led to substantial scientific advances.

Drilling at Hercules Dome is not expected to begin until 2024, at the earliest. This means that there is time to develop novel ideas, and to find ways to get involved in the project, whether through measurements on the ice core, modeling related to the ice and climate dynamics, meteorological observations in the field, innovative community engagement and education work, or other ideas.

Topographic map of Hercules Dome showing the location in Antarctica. Map by Ben Hills, University of Washington.

In preparation for the meeting, the Hercules Dome lead team will be hosting two informational webinars on March 23 at 1:00 p.m and March 31 at 9:00 a.m. (both Pacific time) that will include Q&A sessions. The goal of these webinars is to provide more background on the project and answer questions that will enable interested participants to contribute more fully to the meeting in May. The webinars will have the same content, but will provide two different opportunities for participation. To register for one of the webinars, use one of the following links:

On April 15, there will be a special webinar lecture given by Eric Wolff of Cambridge University, “New frontiers in Antarctic ice core research”.

The May meeting will include a small number of invited speakers and substantial opportunities for participants to present their ideas and to network with others involved in Antarctic glaciological research, including, but not limited to, ice core science. Those working on the communication of polar science are also strongly encouraged to attend. Registration for the April 15 lecture and the May meeting will be on the Hercules Dome website soon.

If you are interested in these events, mark your calendars and sign up for the Hercules Dome listserv (https://herculesdome.org/get-involved) to stay informed.

Early Career Travel Grant Opportunity for the 2021 IPICS & ICYS meeting

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) offers an NSF-sponsored opportunity for early career scientists, postdocs, and PhD students in the U.S. to apply for travel support to the October 2021 Ice Core Young Scientists (ICYS) and International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS) Open Science meeting in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Applicants must be currently employed by a university or research institution within the U.S; under-represented minorities and from minority-serving institutions are especially encouraged to apply. Successful applicants will receive reimbursement toward their conference registration, air and ground travel, and lodging costs up to a maximum of $3,615 US; the exact amount will depend on the number of qualified applicants. Applicants must plan to attend both the IPICS and the ICYS meeting. Qualified applicants will receive confirmation of their maximum potential reimbursement amount from IDP by June 1, 2021. Reimbursement based on receipts will be issued soon after the meeting.

Applications will be accepted until April 30, 2021. To apply, create a single pdf document that contains the following information:

  • A one-page brief CV that includes your name, current position, affiliation, contact information, education, and publications
  • Listing of your estimated travel costs
  • A one-page description of how you will contribute to the IPICS and the Ice Core Young Scientists meetings, and what you will do, within two months after the meetings, to use findings from the meetings in materials you will produce to inspire your students and your community in STEM science.

Please email your application to Icedrill@Dartmouth.edu before April 30, 2021, under the subject heading “Application for Early Career Travel”. Confirmation will be sent to awardees by June 1, 2021.

IDP Science Advisory Board Meeting March 18-19, 2021 and Call for Input into the Long Range Science Plan

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) convenes a Science Advisory Board (SAB) to form and update the Long Range Science Plan that addresses multiple aspects of ice core and other ice science and associated technology. The members of the SAB are Jill Mikucki (SAB Chair; University of Tennessee), T.J. Fudge (University of Washington), Brent Goehring (Tulane University), Bess Koffman (Colby College), Erin Pettit (Oregon State University), Martin Truffer (University of Alaska Fairbanks), Trista Vick-Majors (Michigan Technological University), and Paul Winberry (Central Washington University). The next SAB meeting will be held in a virtual format on March 18-19, 2021. If you envision the need for ice drilling for your project in the coming decade, send several sentences describing the science driver and the anticipated field date and location for your project so that your plans are voiced in this planning document. Please email your input as soon as possible to any SAB members or the IDP via IceDrill@Dartmouth.edu. The 2020-2030 Long Range Science Plan is available at https://icedrill.org/long-range-science-plan.

School of Ice 2021

The School of Ice (SOI) is IDP’s successful advanced professional development workshop on ice core science for faculty members from Minority Serving Institutions. Planning for the SOI 2021 is underway. This year, the SOI will be held at Oregon State University from July 31-August 4, 2021. In case COVID-19 continues to make in-person workshops impossible, the SOI will be held as a virtual workshop on the same dates with the same speakers. Applications to attend the SOI are now being accepted. Please share the application link with eligible colleagues. For more information, including eligibility requirements, visit the SOI webpage.

Early Career Travel Grant Opportunity for the 2021 IPICS & ICYS meeting

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) offers an NSF-sponsored opportunity for early career scientists, postdocs, and PhD students in the U.S. to apply for travel support to the October 2021 Ice Core Young Scientists (ICYS) and International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS) Open Science meeting in Crans-Montana, Switzerland ( https://indico.psi.ch/event/6697/overview ). Applicants must be currently employed by a university or research institution within the U.S; under-represented minorities and from minority-serving institutions are especially encouraged to apply. Successful applicants will receive reimbursement toward their conference registration, air and ground travel, and lodging costs up to a maximum of $3,615 US; the exact amount will depend on the number of qualified applicants. Applicants must plan to attend both the IPICS and the ICYS meetings. Qualified applicants will receive confirmation of their maximum potential reimbursement amount from IDP by June 1, 2021. Reimbursement based on receipts will be issued soon after the meeting.

Applications will be accepted until April 30, 2021. To apply, create a single pdf document that contains the following information:

  • A one-page brief CV that includes your name, current position, affiliation, contact information, education, and publications
  • Listing of your estimated travel costs
  • A one-page description of how you will contribute to the IPICS and the Ice Core Young Scientists meetings, and what you will do, within two months after the meetings, to use findings from the meetings in materials you will produce to inspire your students and your community in STEM science.

Please email your application to Icedrill@Dartmouth.edu before April 30, 2021, under the subject heading “Application for Early Career Travel”. Confirmation will be sent to awardees by June 1, 2021.

The IPICS 3rd Open Science Conference is taking place in Switzerland on from Sunday, October 10, 2021 through Friday, October 15, 2021.

AGU Town Hall: Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) will hold the AGU Town Hall on Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions on Wednesday, 16 December 2020, from 16:00-17:00 PACIFIC (19:00-20:00 EASTERN). We hope to see you there!

Abstract: Ice sheets, glaciers, and the underlying bedrock, sediment and permafrost hold crucial evidence of past climate, ice sheet dynamics, and cratonic geology. National and international collaboration for drilling in the remote polar regions requires strategic coordination between science, technology, and logistics. This meeting will provide the research community with updates on IDP, IPICS, and other drilling initiatives. Opportunities for community involvement will be showcased, and input from the audience will be solicited.

Date: Wednesday, 16 December 2020
Time: 16:00-17:00 PACIFIC (19:00-20:00 EASTERN)
AGU meeting website: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm20/meetingapp.cgi/Session/102717

Screenshot showing the AGU webpage advertising the Town Hall on Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions

COVID-19 Transformed 2020 School of Ice is Successfully Executed

Because of COVID-19, the decision was made to translate the School of Ice 2020 to a virtual model from the original residential professional development activity planned for Dartmouth’s campus. The workshop took place on June 28-July 1. A highlight video was created. The IDP EO outside evaluator has completed the evaluation report. To meet the needs of educators who have to teach virtually, IDP created a new series of “Virtual Field Labs” that were introduced during School of Ice. They will soon be widely available to high school and college teachers for use this fall. Working with educator Bill Grosser and Drs. Erich Osterberg, Meredith Kelly, and David Harwood, each Virtual Field Lab features a scientist, a student-generated data activity, and a connection to an important climate change concept like abrupt climate change, sea level rise, and using today’s geology to understand how ice sheets retreat. These will be available soon on http://icedrill-education.org.

Materials for the SOI isotope lab sent ahead of the workshop.

A SOI participant exploring thermohaline circulation.

A SOI participant collecting data in his science notebook.

Dr. Erich Osterberg leading students through a data activity in episode #2 of his Virtual Field Lab.

SOI participants were enthusiastic and involved fully in all four days of the workshop.

SOI participants posted pictures of themselves involved in different activities.

2020 Science Advisory Board (SAB) Meeting and SAB Rotations

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) convenes a Science Advisory Board (SAB) to form and update the Long Range Science Plan that addresses multiple aspects of ice core and other ice science and associated technology. On June 11, 2020, IDP held the annual SAB Meeting as an online meeting. The first part of the meeting was an open session and included updates from IDP and each of the three SAB working groups: Ice Core Working Group, Subglacial Access Working Group, and Borehole Logging Working Group. The second part of the meeting was a closed session that included an executive session during which the SAB prioritized the technology investments outlined in the Long Range Science Plan and discussed SAB member rotation and SAB Terms of Reference. Slawek Tulaczyk and Erich Osterberg rotated off of the SAB. The SAB selected Trista Vick-Majors, T.J. Fudge, and Martin Truffer as incoming SAB members, and selected ongoing member Jill Mikucki as the incoming Chair. The agenda and presentations from the meeting are available on the IDP website. The members of the SAB are Jill Mikucki (SAB Chair; University of Tennessee), T.J. Fudge (University of Washington), Brent Goehring (Tulane University), Bess Koffman (Colby College), Erin Pettit (Oregon State University), Martin Truffer (University of Alaska Fairbanks), Trista Vick-Majors (Michigan Technological University), and Paul Winberry (Central Washington University).

School of Ice Transitions to Virtual Workshop Format

The School of Ice (SOI) is IDP’s successful residential advanced professional development workshop on ice core science for faculty members from Minority Serving Institutions. In response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the decision was made to translate the School of Ice 2020 to a virtual model from the original residential professional development activity planned for Dartmouth’s campus. Making this decision was especially challenging because of the hands-on interactive nature of the workshop. However, a new workshop model has now been created in which IDP will send kits of materials to the participants to allow hands-on laboratory activities, along with virtual field trips created with the scientists that include student-generated data activities, and presentations and interactions with scientists and engineers.

Bill Grosser (top left), Louise Huffman (top right), and Erich Osterberg (bottom) discuss virtual field trip options for the 2020 SOI workshop via a Zoom meeting.

Ice Core Working Group (ICWG) Community Planning Workshop

IDP held the Ice Core Working Group Community Planning Workshop on April 2-3. Originally planned to be held in Alexandria, VA, and originally advertised as the Ice Core Science Community Planning Workshop 2020, the workshop was held virtually via Zoom in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Participants articulated future science targets in Greenland, Antarctica, and alpine glaciers and ice caps (outside Antarctica and Greenland), and also discussed recommendations for the NSF Ice Core Facility. Presentations made during the meeting are available on the IDP website. The workshop produced the following white papers. U.S. scientists are invited to provide additional input to the white papers. Comments and edits are required before June 4, 2020.

  • Research Priorities for Alpine Glaciers and Ice Caps
  • Community Recommendations for the NSF Ice Core Facility
  • Paleoclimate Ice Core Research Priorities in Antarctica
  • Ice Core Research Priorities in Greenland

For more information about the ICWG, visit the ICWG webpage.

IDP Ice Core Science Community Planning Workshop

What: U.S. Ice Drilling Program Ice Core Science Community Planning Workshop
When: April 2-3, 2020
Where: Alexandria, Virginia, USA
Website: https://icedrill.org/meetings/ice-core-science-community-planning-workshop-2020
Registration Deadline: March 13, 2020
Sponsor: Mary Albert, Dartmouth, IDP Executive Director
IDP Ice Core Working Group Conveners: Erich Osterberg, Dartmouth; T.J. Fudge, University of Washington

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program Ice Core Working Group (IDP-ICWG) will hold a U.S. community planning workshop on April 2-3, 2020, at the Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town South at Carlyle in Alexandria, Virginia. The meeting will be all day on Thursday, April 2, and Friday morning, April 3.

Purpose: The purpose of this workshop is to articulate driving scientific questions in ice core research for the coming decade and beyond and identify drilling sites and technological and logistical requirements needed to answer those questions, for contribution to the U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) Long Range Science Plan.

Description: Scientific discoveries achieved in the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets and temperate glaciers are critical to society today, but they are not achieved without significant advance planning. The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) is sponsoring an interdisciplinary ice community workshop to identify science driving future Arctic and Antarctic ice coring sites, the ice drilling technology that will be needed, and the timeline over the coming decade for advancing ice core science on multiple frontiers. The outcome of the workshop will be white papers describing community endeavors with associated timelines that will become part of the updated U.S. Ice Drilling Program Long Range Science Plan.

Video-conferencing will be available for remote participation.

There is no registration fee for the workshop, but everyone planning to attend (even those attending remotely) MUST register so that we will have an accurate headcount for meeting room space and catering. The registration deadline is March 13. After we receive your registration, we will send you additional details of the meeting as it develops. If you plan to attend via video-conferencing, please indicate that on your registration so that we can be in contact.

Further details regarding the upcoming workshop in Alexandria, VA, including registration instructions, agenda, and future updates, can be found at https://icedrill.org/meetings/ice-core-science-community-planning-workshop-2020.

Early Career Travel Opportunity for the IPICS & ICYS Meeting

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) offers an NSF-sponsored opportunity for U.S. early career scientists, postdocs, and PhD students in the U.S. to apply for travel support to the October 2020 ICYS and IPICS open science meetings in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Under-represented minorities and scientists from minority-serving institutions are especially encouraged to apply. Successful applicants will be provided air and train tickets and will be registered for the conference by IDP. In addition, successful applicants will receive reimbursement of receipts for their cost of lodging and meals up to a potential maximum of $1,320 US; the exact amount will depend on the number of qualified applicants. Applicants must plan to attend the October 18 ICYS meeting as well. Applicants will be informed of the results of their application from IDP by April 6, 2020.

 

Applications will be accepted until 31 March 2020. To apply, create one pdf document that contains the following information:

  • A one-page brief CV that includes your full name, current position, affiliation, mailing address, telephone number, education, and publication list
  • Your draft one-page abstract for the IPICS meeting

Please email your application to IceDrill@Dartmouth.edu before 31 March 2020, under the subject heading “Application for Early Career Travel”.

IDP Active Engagement at AGU Fall Meeting

For the first time, IDP sponsored a booth at AGU to reach more people than was possible at past Town Hall meetings. The booth allowed us to spend time talking with people interested in ice science and several surprise audiences were well represented besides scientists: educators wanting ideas for teaching about ice core research and climate change; undergraduate and graduate students interested in learning about research possibilities and careers; and early career scientists exploring options. It was a dynamic, exhilarating (and exhausting!) week.

In addition, Louise Huffman, Erich Osterberg, and educator Bill Grosser presented a workshop at the GIFT (Geophysical Information for Teachers) conference at AGU. Two new hands-on ice science labs were facilitated, and Erich followed the activities with an interactive talk. Feedback has been very positive. Louise also chaired two oral and two poster sessions and delivered an invited talk and an education and outreach poster.

Mary Albert and Louise Huffman at the IDP AGU booth. Photo credit: Bill Grosser.

Erich Osterberg answers teachers’ questions while they work on a model of CO2 and isotope analysis. Photo credit: Louise Huffman.

An educator works on collecting simulated CO2 data from a melted ice core. Photo credit: Louise Huffman.

Save the Date! IDP Ice Core Working Group Community Planning Workshop April 2-3, 2020

Information on the location and agenda will be forthcoming — stay tuned!!

International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences 3rd Open Science Conference – Ice Core Science at the three Poles

18-23 October 2020
Crans-Montana, Switzerland
Europe/Zurich timezone
https://indico.psi.ch/event/6697/
Email: ipics@psi.ch to be on meeting mailing list

The third Open Science Conference (OSC) of the International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS) will be held from 18-23 October 2020 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. The objective of the conference is to present, discuss and put into perspective the most recent results of past and current ice core drilling projects. The theme of the third OSC is Ice Core Science at the three Poles. As in previous IPICS OSCs, part of the conference is a one-day early career scientists workshop on 18 October organized by Ice Core Young Scientists (ICYS).

Important Dates

  • 1 January 2020: Abstract submission opens; Registration opens; Travel support applications open
  • 30 April 2020: Deadline for abstract submission and travel support applications
  • 1 June 2020: Abstract confirmation
  • 1 July 2020: Early-bird registration closes
  • 1 August 2020: Program online
  • 1 September 2020: Online registration closes
  • 18 October 2020: Ice Core Young Scientists (ICYS) workshop
  • 19-23 October 2020: IPICS 2020 3rd Open Science Conference

For more information, please visit the conference web site at https://indico.psi.ch/event/6697/.

Connect with IDP at the 2019 AGU Fall Meeting!

The Ice Drilling Program (IDP) is trying something different this year at AGU. Rather than holding a Town Hall meeting like we have done in the past, this year we will have a booth at the 2019 AGU Fall Meeting! We are hoping that the booth will allow more face time and interaction with everyone, especially early-career scientists. So please stop by our booth and learn about how to obtain drilling support from IDP, the various outreach support that we can provide, and much more! We’ll be at booth 312 during the week.

You can also catch Louise Huffman, IDP’s Director of Education and Public Outreach, at the following AGU activities:

Talk ED24A-01 Bridging the Gap Between Ice Core Researchers and Non-Science Audiences: Lessons Learned from a Powerful Model (Invited) Louise Huffman, Dartmouth College, Tuesday, 10 December 2019, 16:05 – 16:19, Moscone South – 215, L2 https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm19/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/497757
Poster ED21D-1061 Polar Educators International: Creative Ways to Connect Field Research to Global Audiences from Classrooms to the General Public Louise Huffman, Dartmouth College and Betsy Wilkening, University of Arizona, Tuesday, 10 December 2019, 08:00 – 12:20, Moscone South – Poster Hall https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm19/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/561718
Session Convener ED34B Climate Literacy: Moving Broad Audiences from Knowledge to Action I, Wednesday, 11 December 2019, 16:00 – 18:00, Moscone South – 215, L2 https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm19/meetingapp.cgi/Session/88629
Session Convener ED31D Climate Literacy: Moving Broad Audiences from Knowledge to Action II Posters, Wednesday, 11 December 2019,08:00 – 12:20, Moscone South – Poster Hall https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm19/meetingapp.cgi/Session/88628
Session Convener ED54B Climate Literacy: Preparing the Future Climate Workforce Through Higher Education: Engaging Students at Minority-Serving Institutions in STEM-Successful Approaches I, Friday, 13 December 2019, 16:00 – 18:00, Moscone South – 215, L2 https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm19/meetingapp.cgi/Session/88640
Session Convener ED51C Climate Literacy: Preparing the Future Climate Workforce Through Higher Education and Engaging Students at Minority-Serving Institutions in STEM-Successful Approaches II Posters, Friday, 13 December 2019, 08:00 – 12:20, Moscone South – Poster Hall https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm19/meetingapp.cgi/Session/82503

2019 IDP School of Ice Workshop

The School of Ice (SOI) is IDP’s successful residential advanced professional development workshop on ice core science for faculty members from Minority Serving Institutions.

The 2019 SOI workshop was held near Denver, Colorado, and included 12 faculty members from Minority Serving Institutions in nine different states. Ten local ice scientists and an additional nine local speakers from related fields made presentations at the workshop. A new IDP teaching lesson plan, “Subglacial Lakes: What’s Happening Under the Ice Sheets?”, was also piloted at the SOI workshop. The lesson plan,  created by Louise Huffman in collaboration with scientist Matt Siegfried, introduces students to the study of subglacial lakes. Post-workshop survey results show that 100% of the participants rated the workshop “met” or “exceeded” expectations. A video highlighting the 2019 SOI activities is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8XKF-171Mo.

Planning for the 2020 SOI workshop, which will be held at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, is already underway.

For the latest information about SOI, visit http://icedrill-education.org/school-of-ice/.

2019 School of Ice workshop participants at the NSF Ice Core Facility. Credit: Louise Huffman

Education and Public Outreach (2019 Spring)

Louise Huffman spoke to the Women's Cultural Alliance (WCA) at the Naples (FL) Daily News Office Community Room on February 6, 2019. She presented ice core science and why it is important, especially for those living in Florida, to an audience of 50 men and women.

Planning the June School of Ice in Denver continues. Huffman traveled to Colorado to meet with representatives from each of the venues: the NSF Ice Core Facility, the University of CO-Boulder/INSTAAR, and the Antarctic Support Contract. During this trip, she also held a meeting with Dr. Matt Siegfried to finalize a new hands-on inquiry lab activity based on subglacial lake science. The activity will be unveiled and tested at the School of Ice this summer before making it widely available on the icedrill-education.org website.

A volunteer from the Naples, FL, audience models Extreme Cold Weather clothing. Credit: Louise Huffman

IDP Subglacial Access Working Group Science Planning Workshop

On March 29-30, 2019 the Ice Drilling Program Subglacial Access Working Group Science Planning Workshop was held at the Washington Dulles Marriott Suites Worldgate hotel in Herndon, Virginia. The goal of the interdisciplinary ice community workshop was to identify future Arctic and Antarctic drilling sites for subglacial science, the ice drilling technology that is needed, and the timeline over the coming decade for advancing subglacial science on multiple frontiers.

IDP Subglacial Access Working Group conveners Slawek Tulaczyk and Jill Mikucki worked with workshop participants in generation of the following white papers:

  • Assessment of East Antarctic Ice Sheet sensitivity to warming and its potential for contributions to sea level rise
  • Access Drilling Priorities in the Ross Ice Shelf Region
  • Subglacial Access Working Group (SAWG): Access Drilling Priorities in Greenland

The targeted future drilling sites and dates will be included in the planning matrices of the updated IDP Long Range Science Plan 2019 - 2029, which will be completed in June. The white papers are available on the IDP webpage at https://icedrill.org/about/meetings.shtml.

IDP Hosts Successful Town Hall at AGU Fall Meeting

IDP organized and led the AGU Town Hall on Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions in Washington, DC (December 11, 2018). The session attracted an audience of approximately 100, and included brief presentations on a number of areas, including NSF Remarks, International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS), Ice Drilling Program (IDP), Subglacial Antarctic Lakes Scientific Access (SALSA), Rapid Access Ice Drill (RAID), and announcements from the audience.

Education and Outreach Update (2018 Winter)

This quarter has been a busy one for Education and Outreach activities. Planning for the School of Ice June 23-26, 2019, in Colorado is well underway with the participant cohort chosen and speakers invited. We have a few more presentation spots available if anyone is interested in sharing their ice core research with a group of faculty from Minority Serving Institutions contact louise.t.huffman@dartmouth.edu.

Researcher T.J. Fudge kindly accepted the invitation to connect through a teleconference with 6th-grade students in Nevada, and the teacher reported a rise in enthusiasm among her students for polar science and climate change topics afterward. Thank you, Dr. Fudge!

Screenshot of the teleconference with 6-grade students. Credit: Louise Huffman

In January, Louise led ice core hands-on activities for visitors to the Orlando Science Museum for their Winter Science Month. About 150-200 people visited the IDP table. Thanks to Terry Huffman and four high school volunteers for the extra hands needed to run the activities!

Louise Huffman demostrares polar activities at the Orlando Science Museum. Credit: Louise Huffman

On February 27, Dr. Mary Albert and Louise Huffman presented a Master Class for the Polar Educators International (PEI) webinar series. The Ice Core Science - Using Knowledge to Act webinar explored understanding the evidence of past climate change from polar ice cores as well as adaptation strategies being used by communities already being affected by climate change and how to empower students to take action. Following the webinar, an optional, asynchronous online two-week discussion period about ice core science, climate change, and how to make a student or community action plan began on March 4. You can watch the recorded version of the webinar on the PEI website https://polareducator.org/master-class/ice-core-science/.

Subglacial Access Science Planning Workshop: March 29-30, 2019

What: U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) Subglacial Access Science Planning Workshop
When: March 29-30, 2019
Where: Herndon, Virginia
Website: https://icedrill.org/meetings/subglacial-access-science-planning-workshop-2019

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) Subglacial Access Science Planning Workshop will take place in Herndon, Virginia, on March 29-30, 2019. The primary objective of this workshop is to provide focused feedback from the subglacial research community into the IDP Long Range Science Plan. Specifically, we seek to stimulate discussions that will yield a prioritized list of science objectives and associated targets and requirements (sampling, drilling and support needs) for the coming decade for the 2019 update to the IDP Long Range Science Plan. We will provide options for remote participation for the plenary aspects of the workshop, and also we welcome short presentations and/or written feedback from non-attendees.

We plan to have a draft white paper at the end of the workshop, and we will solicit feedback on the draft after the workshop, but before it is finalized, for inclusion in the IDP Long Range Science Plan. White papers that were written after the prior, 2016, subglacial access workshop can be downloaded here: https://icedrill.org/meetings/subglacial-access-drilling-idpo-science-planning-workshop

There is no registration fee for the workshop, but everyone planning to attend should register so that we will have an accurate headcount for meeting room space and catering. Further details regarding the upcoming workshop in Herndon, including registration instructions, agenda, and future updates, can be found at https://icedrill.org/meetings/subglacial-access-science-planning-workshop-2019.

Education and Outreach Update (2018 Fall)

On November 15, 2018, Education and Outreach Director, Louise Huffman, hosted a webinar featuring Dr. T. J. Fudge (University of Washington) who presented ice core science information to 6th grade students in Nevada. Students were thoroughly engaged and asked questions for almost half an hour during and after the presentation. Dr. Fudge's time and dedication to outreach are especially appreciated given that he departed the following week for two months of field research at Hercules Dome, Antarctica.

Applications for the School of Ice to be held in Denver, CO, June 23-26, 2019, are available at https://goo.gl/ZGe7sv or contact Louise Huffman.

Screenshot of the November 15, 2018, webinar to 6th grade students in Nevada.

Subglacial Access Science Planning Workshop: March 29-30, 2019

Save the date! The U.S. Ice Drilling Program Subglacial Access Working Group (IDP-SAWG) will hold a community planning workshop on March 29-30, 2019 at the Washington Dulles Marriott Suites Worldgate hotel in Herndon, Virginia. The meeting will be all day on Friday March 29, and Saturday morning March 30. Another announcement will come out in mid-December with additional details.

Please pre-register for the meeting by following the instructions on the workshop website, https://icedrill.org/meetings/subglacial-access-science-planning-workshop-2019. After we receive your pre-registration, we will send you additional details of meeting logistics and agenda.

Description: Scientific discoveries achieved from evidence within, and beneath the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets and temperate glaciers are critical to society today, but they are not achieved without significant advance planning. The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) will sponsor an interdisciplinary ice community workshop to identify future Arctic and Antarctic drilling sites for subglacial science, the ice drilling technology that is needed, and the timeline over the coming decade for advancing subglacial science on multiple frontiers. The outcome of the workshop will be white papers describing community endeavors with associated timelines that will become part of the updated IDP Long Range Science Plan.

AGU Town Hall 2018: Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) will hold the AGU Town Hall on Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions on Tuesday, December 11, at the Marriott Marquis room Independence E from 12:30-13:30. The meeting is convened by Mary Albert with co-convenor John Goodge. In addition, at this Town Hall a representative of the International Glaciological Society will present the IGS Richardson Medal to Dr. Julie Palais.

Abstract: Ice sheets, glaciers, and the underlying bedrock, sediment and permafrost hold crucial evidence of past climate, ice sheet dynamics, and cratonic geology. National and international collaboration for drilling in the remote polar regions requires strategic coordination between science, technology, and logistics. This meeting will provide the research community with updates on IDP, IPICS, RAID, and SALSA drilling initiatives. Opportunities for community involvement will be showcased, and input from the audience will be solicited.

Date: Tuesday, 11 December 2018
Time: 12:30 - 13:30
Location: Marriott Marquis - Independence E
AGU meeting website: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm18/meetingapp.cgi/Session/56028
For additional information: please contact Mary Albert

IDPO Hosts Successful Town Hall at AGU Fall Meeting

IDPO organized and led the AGU Town Hall on Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions in New Orleans (December 12, 2017). The session attracted an audience of approximately 30, and included brief presentations on a number of areas, including NSF Remarks, International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS), Ice Drilling Program Office - Ice Drilling Design and Operations (IDPO-IDDO), Subglacial Antarctic Lakes Scientific Access (SALSA), Rapid Access Ice Drill (RAID), and announcements from the audience.

IDPO Ice Core Working Group Tackles Science-Technology Tradeoffs

The IDPO Ice Core Working Group (ICWG) meeting was held in Alexandria, VA on January 22, 2018. Scientific findings from recent drilling activities were presented, and future possible investigations in Greenland and Antarctica were identified and discussed. The ICWG reaffirmed Hercules Dome as the priority deep drilling site for the community, due to its key location in archiving evidence of past dramatic changes in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Science-technology tradeoffs were discussed regarding use of the Foro 3000 Drill versus the DISC Drill at Hercules Dome; the DISC Drill delivers a larger volume of ice, however the Foro 3000 Drill has much lower logistical requirements. The ICWG came to agreement that the Foro 3000 Drill will be the drill of choice for this important site.

Announcing School of Ice 2018

The School of Ice is an experiential advanced professional development workshop, funded by NSF, for faculty at Minority Serving Institutions who want the opportunity to expand their knowledge of Earth's climate record through analysis of paleoclimate records collected with drilling support by the US Ice Drilling Program. Participants build scientific knowledge and skills while engaging in hands-on investigations and exploring resources for transferring ice science to their existing courses or to newly developed ones. They will network with ice core scientists, engineers and educators as well as with other workshop participants.

The application is available at http://climate-expeditions.org/school-of-ice-application-and-video/ .

Applications are due by January 31, 2018.

Group photo of the participants and facilitators from the 2017 School of Ice workshop.

Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions AGU 2017 Town Hall Meeting

The Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) is once again organizing a Town Hall meeting at the Fall AGU Meeting entitled 'TH23H: Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions'. Ice sheets, glaciers, and the underlying bedrock, sediment and permafrost hold crucial evidence of past climate, ice sheet extent, and cratonic geology. National and international collaboration for drilling in the remote polar regions requires strategic coordination between science, technology, and logistics. This meeting will provide the research community with updates on IDPO-IDDO, IPICS, IPA, RAID, and SALSA drilling initiatives. Opportunities for community involvement will be showcased, and input from the audience will be solicited.

Date: Tuesday, 12 December 2017
Time: 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Place: New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center - 208-209

AGU meeting website for more information:
https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm17/meetingapp.cgi/Session/30134

For further information, please contact Mary Albert (Mary.R.Albert at dartmouth dot edu)

White Papers from the Subglacial Access Science Community Planning Workshop Available

On May 22-23, 2016, IDPO held the Subglacial Access Science Community Planning Workshop in Herndon, Virginia, which was a science-planning meeting organized by IDPO Director Mary Albert and was open to the community and to NSF. The goal of the meeting was to identify community consensus on the major community science projects in the coming decade that would need subglacial access drilling. Attendees at the workshop included 30 scientists, four NSF program managers, and one representative of Antarctic Support Contract. IDPO Subglacial Access Working Group (IDPO-SAWG) members Jill Mikucki, Ross Powell, and John Goodge led the discussions at the meeting, facilitated by Mary Albert of IDPO. The workshop produced the following four white papers, which are available on the IDPO-IDDO website at http://icedrill.org/about/sab-working-groups.shtml#sawg:

  • Access Drilling Priorities in Ice Shelves and Ice Streams - Thwaites Glacier Region
  • Access Drilling Priorities in Subglacial Aquatic Environments
  • Access Drilling Priorities in the Antarctic Continental Interior
  • Access Drilling Priorities in the Ross Sea Sector of the Antarctic Ice Sheet

IDPO and IDDO Lead Successful Science Advisory Board and Technical Advisory Board Meetings in Madison, WI

IDPO conducted the annual Science Advisory Board (SAB) meeting in Madison, WI, on March 6-7. And IDDO conducted its annual Technical Advisory Board (TAB) meeting in Madison, WI, on March 7-8 to allow the two boards to overlap and talk with one another on March 7. The presentations and minutes from the meetings are available on the IDPO-IDDO website at http://icedrill.org/about/sab.shtml and http://icedrill.org/about/tab.shtml.

IDPO Hosts Successful Town Hall at AGU 2016 Fall Meeting

IDPO planned and convened the AGU Town Hall on Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions (December 13, 2016). The session included National Science Foundation remarks by Mike Jackson, IDPO-IDDO updates by Mary Albert, an update on International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences by Ed Brook, and an update on and the U.S. Rapid Access Ice Drill (RAID) by Bob Hawley (on behalf of John Goodge). As discussed during the Town Hall, U.S. scientists are encouraged to get involved in planning for the IDPO Long Range Science Plan and engage with the IDPO Science Advisory Board working groups.

Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions AGU 2016 Town Hall Meeting

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) is once again organizing a Town Hall meeting at the Fall AGU Meeting entitled 'TH010: Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions'. Ice sheets, glaciers, and the underlying bedrock, sediment and permafrost hold crucial evidence of past climate, ice sheet extent, and cratonic geology. National and international collaboration for drilling in the remote polar regions requires strategic coordination between science, technology, and logistics. This meeting will provide the research community with updates on IDPO-IDDO, IPICS, IPA, RAID, and WISSARD drilling initiatives. Opportunities for community involvement will be showcased, and input from the audience will be solicited.

Date: Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Time: 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Place: Moscone West, 2005
Convener: Mary Albert

AGU meeting website for more information: https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm16/meetingapp.cgi/Session/14227

For further information, please contact Mary Albert (Mary.R.Albert at dartmouth.edu)

IDPO Involved in Multiple Education and Outreach Events (2016 Summer)

School of Ice
In May, twelve nationally selected college professors from Minority-Serving Institutions attended the second "School of Ice" held in Denver, Colorado. Senior researchers presented the latest scientific and engineering content via live and virtual presentations, while IDPO led the Leadership Team including Lockheed's Antarctic Support Contract, Polar Field Services, National Ice Core Laboratory (NICL), and University of Colorado Boulder's INSTAAR also contributed to the packed four-day agenda. One of the participants from the first School of Ice contributed to the agenda by attending and leading a hands-on activity she has used successfully with the students at her institution. Created by IDPO, the project was the result of a partnership with the American Meteorological Society. Funding was provided to IDPO by Lockheed Martin.

School of Ice participants and facilitators at the NICL in Denver, CO.

Education and Outreach Event at Montshire Museum, Vermont
On May 11, 2016, six Dartmouth graduate students worked with IDPO Director of Education & Public Outreach Louise Huffman to plan an outreach event for the public at the Montshire Museum in Norwich, VT. Students and their parents from local school districts were invited to spend an evening exploring polar science including specific activities about ice core science. Students tried on Extreme Cold Weather (ECW) gear, "swam" in the Southern Ocean wearing blubber gloves, operated an ice core drill model, touched a real Greenland ice core, looked at cross polarization in ice crystals, and using "glacier goo", raced glaciers down different surfaces to explore how a glacier moves.

Visitors to the Montshire Museum on May 11, 2016, became Antarctic explorers while trying on ECW gear, and learned about ice core science (pictured).

Dartmouth graduate students volunteer their time to bring ice core science to the public.

Summer Inquiry Science Workshops for Inner City Chicago Public School Teachers
In July, workshops for K-12 teachers who teach in high-risk Chicago public schools were held at Oak Park and River Forest High School, the University of Chicago and the Chicago Field Museum. Ice core science was incorporated into the existing curriculum. In the introductory inquiry science week, the story of how ice cores were shipped from WAIS Divide, Antarctica, to the National Ice Core Laboratory in Denver, CO, USA was used as the 'hook' before participants were challenged to build an "ice core shipping container" that would keep their ice core frozen with the least mass lost. In the advanced inquiry week, IDPO's Louise Huffman presented a climate change day based on ice core activities. The resources and activities were well received by the teachers. Workshops were paid for by the Golden Apple Foundation.

Educators were enthusiastic as they worked together, led by Huffman and other Golden Apple Fellows, to learn new science teaching skills.

IDPO Hosts Successful Subglacial Access Science Community Planning Workshop in Herndon, VA

On May 22-23, 2016, IDPO held the 2016 Subglacial Access Science Community Planning Workshop in Herndon, Virginia, which was a science-planning meeting organized by IDPO Director Mary Albert and was open to the community and to NSF. The goal of the meeting was to identify community consensus on the major community science projects in the coming decade that would need subglacial access drilling. Attendees at the workshop included 30 scientists, four NSF program managers, and one representative of Antarctic Support Contract. IDPO Subglacial Access Working Group (IDPO-SAWG) members Jill Mikucki, Ross Powell, and John Goodge led the discussions at the meeting, facilitated by Mary Albert of IDPO. IDDO Program Director Kristina Slawny and Terry Benson (Physical Sciences Lab, University of Wisconsin – Madison) also participated in the workshop. Download the workshop's final agenda and participant list. The workshop produced the following white papers:

IDPO Leads Successful Science Advisory Board Meeting in Arlington, VA

The IDPO Science Advisory Board (SAB) meeting was held on April 11-12, 2016 at the Hilton Arlington in Arlington, VA. Planning for the meeting was a joint effort by Mary Albert and SAB Chair Ed Brook. With participation of the entire SAB membership and attendance by several program officers and section heads at NSF Polar Programs, as well as IDPO and IDDO management, the meeting was very productive in identifying the future direction of the science for the IDPO Long Range Science Plan and associated ice-drilling endeavors. Discussions also involved scenarios of possibilities for future hot water ice access drilling.

IDPO Leads Multiple Events at the National Science Teachers Association Conference

Teachers from across the nation were engaged in multiple IDPO educational outreach events at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Conference in Nashville, TN. Approximately 88 educators participated in several hands-on activities about ice science and climate that they can use in their classrooms.

Louise Huffman instructs 88 middle and high school teachers at an NSTA session. Credit: IDPO

IDPO Hosts Successful Town Hall at AGU 2015 Fall Meeting

IDPO planned and convened the AGU Town Hall on Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions (Dec 17, 2015) with co-convenor John Goodge. Presentations and Q&A were held on the topics of IDPO-IDDO (Albert), International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS; Severinghaus), Rapid Access Ice Drill (RAID; Goodge), and Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling (WISSARD; Mikucki).

Subglacial Access Drilling: IDPO Science Planning Workshop 2016

May 22-23, 2016
Marriott Washington Dulles Suites
Herndon, Virginia, USA

Scientific discoveries achieved from, within, and beneath the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, ice caps and valley glaciers are critical to society today, but large group endeavors are not achieved without significant advance planning. What is your vision for future subglacial science? The U.S. Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) is hosting an interdisciplinary science community-planning workshop to identify the science drivers, targets, and timelines of subglacial access drilling for the coming decade. Outcomes from the workshop will be used in the IDPO Long Range Science Plan for 2016-2026. This workshop, originally scheduled for January but postponed due to winter storm Jonas, has been rescheduled to May 22-23, 2016.

The goal of this workshop is to form consensus within the U.S. science community on scientific goals, potential drilling targets, and proposed dates and timelines for major science projects that will require subglacial access drilling over the coming decade, possibly in joint endeavors with international partners. This information will be used in the 2016-2026 update of the IDPO Long Range Science Plan, which is the foundation for identifying and developing appropriate drilling technologies for use in larger projects defined by the U.S. science community. The workshop will be held on May 22-23, 2016, at the Washington Dulles Marriott Suites Hotel in Herndon, VA. All interested scientists who will be seeking science funding from a U.S. agency are encouraged to participate, including, but not limited to, those from the fields of glaciology, paleoclimatology, glacial geology, biology, and earth science. Scientists should come to the workshop prepared to summarize scientific research questions to be addressed by subglacial drilling in the coming decade, and to identify likely target areas, technologies needed, and timelines for completion of projects that they are likely to propose in the near-term or long-term future.

Sponsor and IDPO Lead:
Mary Albert, Dartmouth

IDPO Subglacial Access Working Group Conveners:
Ross Powell, Northern Illinois University
Jill Mikucki, Middlebury College
John Goodge, University of Minnesota-Duluth

Dates:
Sat, May 21: arrive in evening
Sun, May 22: meeting all day
Mon, May 23: meeting in morning; return home in afternoon

More information is posted, along with the online registration form, at https://icedrill.org/meetings/subglacial-access-drilling-idpo-science-planning-workshop. Attendees should register at this site.

** Registration for the workshop closes on Friday, May 6. **

10-minute presentation slots are available in the agenda for participants interested in "making the case" for specific future subglacial drilling projects. Please indicate your interest in making a brief presentation in the registration form. We will send registered participants updates on the agenda and details of the meeting. Feel free to send comments to us at Icedrill@Dartmouth.edu, or contact one of us directly.

Workshop website and registration:
https://icedrill.org/meetings/subglacial-access-drilling-idpo-science-planning-workshop

2015 Technical Advisory Board Meeting

IDDO held its annual Technical Advisory Board (TAB) Meeting in Madison, WI, on September 14-15, with drilling experts from all over the world and from a wide variety of fields. IDDO presented on the current status of IDDO field projects, equipment development projects, and equipment maintenance and upgrade efforts. As with each TAB meeting, IDDO gained very valuable feedback from board members on equipment development projects, ideas regarding new technologies in ice drilling and other fields, as well as input on field project logistics. Notes from the meeting are available at https://icedrill.org/about/tab.shtml.

Applications Sought for IDPO's School of Ice 2016

May 2016 looks to be an exciting month for those seeking professional development related to the role of ice core research in climate education. In its second year, the Lockheed Martin-funded "School of Ice", developed by the U.S. Ice Drilling Program Office in partnership with the American Meteorological Society's education program, is actively seeking qualified candidates for the four day, Denver-based, residential course on ice core science. If you or your colleagues teach environmental and/or geoscience courses at a community college, undergraduate institution or university classified as a Minority-Serving Institution, this experiential week may be just for you!

The calendar dates are May 22-26, 2016. Information on course content is available from Linda Morris at linda.m.morris at dartmouth dot edu. Application materials can be accessed online at http://goo.gl/forms/HvHqFjizVy or contact Elizabeth Mills at mills at ametsoc dot org to receive them by email. Come join us!

School of Ice partner Bruce Vaughn leads 2015 professors on a tour of CU- INSTAAR's stable isotope laboratory. Credit: Shelly Sommer

Subglacial Access Drilling: IDPO Science Planning Workshop (2015 Fall)

January 21-23, 2016
Marriott Washington Dulles Suites
Herndon, Virginia, USA

Scientific discoveries achieved from, within, and beneath the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, ice caps and valley glaciers are critical to society today, but large group endeavors are not achieved without significant advance planning. What is your vision for future subglacial science? The U.S. Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) is hosting an interdisciplinary science community-planning workshop to identify the science drivers, targets, and timelines of subglacial access drilling for the coming decade. The goal of this workshop is to form consensus within the U.S. science community on scientific goals, potential drilling targets, and proposed dates and timelines for major science projects that will require subglacial access drilling over the coming decade, possibly in joint endeavors with international partners. This information will be used in the 2016-2026 update of the IDPO Long Range Science Plan, which is the foundation for identifying and developing appropriate drilling technologies for use in larger projects defined by the U.S. science community. This workshop will be held on January 21-23, 2016, at the Washington Dulles Marriott Suites Hotel in Herndon, VA. All interested scientists who will be seeking science funding from a U.S. agency are encouraged to participate, including, but not limited to, those from the fields of glaciology, paleoclimatology, glacial geology, biology, and earth science. Scientists should come to the meeting prepared to summarize scientific research questions to be addressed by subglacial drilling in the coming decade, and to identify likely target areas, technologies needed, and timelines for completion of projects that they are likely to propose in the near-term or long-term future.

Sponsor and IDPO Lead:
Mary Albert, Dartmouth

IDPO Subglacial Access Working Group Conveners:
Ross Powell, Northern Illinois University
Jill Mikucki, Middlebury College
John Goodge, University of Minnesota-Duluth

More information is posted, along with the online registration form, at https://icedrill.org/meetings/subglacial-access-drilling-idpo-science-planning-workshop. Attendees should register at this site. 10-minute presentation slots are available in the agenda for participants interested in "making the case" for specific future subglacial drilling projects. Please indicate your interest in making a brief presentation in the registration form. We will send registered participants updates on the agenda and details of the meeting. Feel free to send comments to us at Icedrill at Dartmouth dot edu, or contact one of us directly.

Background Information:
The current IDPO Long Range Science Plan for the ice coring and drilling community is available for download on www.Icedrill.org; we update the plan every year in June. This plan drives the NSF budget for U.S. ice drilling activities. We encourage scientists to work with IDPO to forecast your science plans over the next decade -- this enables us to ensure that the ice drilling technology will be ready when needed by your science.

Outcomes from this workshop will be directly incorporated into the IDPO Long Range Science Plan. Specifically, discussions from this meeting will be reflected in the science descriptions, timeline and planning matrices in the Long Range Science Plan, and will be used to identify drills, platforms and logistical support needed to achieve the science. We hope that you and your colleagues will join us in this planning.

Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions AGU 2015 Town Hall Meeting

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) is once again organizing a Town Hall meeting at the Fall AGU Meeting entitled 'TH43G: Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions'. Ice sheets and the underlying bedrock and sediment and permafrost hold crucial evidence of past climate and cratonic geology. National and international collaboration for drilling in the remote polar regions requires strategic coordination between science, technology, and logistics. This town hall will provide the research community with updates on IDPO-IDDO, IPICS, RAID, and WISSARD initiatives. Opportunities for community involvement will be showcased, and input from the audience will be solicited.

Date: Thursday, 17 December 2015
Time: 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Place: Moscone West - Room 2002

AGU meeting website for more information:
http://tinyurl.com/olegvq5

For further information, please contact Mary Albert (Mary.R.Albert at dartmouth.edu)

Borehole Logging Working Group Presentation

On July 1, 2015, IDPO presented a webinar to the Borehole Logging Working Group (BLWG) on innovations in borehole logging techniques used in industry. Bill Eustes led the workshop.

Ice Core Working Group Virtual Meeting

On May 21, 2015, IDPO's Ice Core Working Group (ICWC) held a virtual meeting in which it discussed current and upcoming ice coring issues, and reviewed and approved the prioritization of the drilling technology projects that the IDPO Science Advisory Board had recommended. The meeting was led by ICWG Chair Karl Kreutz.

IDPO Leads Successful 2015 Science Advisory Board Meeting in Arlington, VA

The IDPO Science Advisory Board (SAB) meeting was held on April 16-17, 2015 at the Hilton Arlington in Arlington, VA. Planning for the meeting was a joint effort by Mary Albert and SAB Chair Ed Brook. With participation of the entire SAB membership and attendance by seven NSF Program Managers as well as IDPO and IDDO management, the meeting was very productive in identifying the future direction of the science for the IDPO Long Range Science Plan and associated ice-drilling endeavors. Discussions also involved scenarios of possibilities for future hot water ice access drilling. The minutes and presentations from the meeting are available at http://icedrill.org/about/sab.shtml .

IDPO Advances School of Ice

The initial cadre of participants has been selected from a highly competitive field of applicants for the IDPO and the American Meteorological Society co-sponsored "School of Ice". The twelve participants are professors from ten different states, have an even female/male gender count, and come from a variety of minority serving institutions, including Minority Serving Institutions, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Final preparations will continue for the event, which will occur in June 2015.

IDPO Hosts Successful Town Hall at AGU 2014 Fall Meeting

On December 15, 2014, the fifth annual Town Hall on Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions organized by Mary Albert was held at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco. This year John Goodge was the co-convener. The event provided the research community with updates on IDPO-IDDO (Mary Albert), International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS; Ed Brook and Dorthe Dahl-Jensen), RAID (John Goodge and Blaise Stephanus), WISSARD (Slawek Tulaczyk), and NSF (Lisa Clough and Nature McGinn), and also included interactive discussion with the audience. The successful event included approximately 75 attendees.

(L to R) Ed Brook, Mary Albert and Blaise Stephanus at the Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions AGU town hall meeting. Credit: Mark Twickler

2014 Technical Advisory Board Meeting

IDDO held its annual Technical Advisory Board (TAB) Meeting in Madison, WI on September 9-10, with drilling experts from all over the world and from a wide variety of fields. The meeting was well attended by 9 of 12 TAB members, one proxy TAB member, IDDO staff, members from IDPO, former IDDO PI Charlie Bentley and new IDDO PI Mark Mulligan. IDDO presented on the current status of IDDO field projects, equipment development projects and equipment maintenance and upgrade efforts. As with each TAB meeting, IDDO gained very valuable feedback from board members on equipment development projects, ideas regarding new technologies in ice drilling and other fields, as well as input on field project logistics.

Notes from the meeting will be available at https://icedrill.org/about/tab.shtml

Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions AGU 2014 Town Hall Meeting

Date: 15 December 2014
Time: 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Place: Moscone West - Room 2006

TH13C. Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions
IDPO is once again organizing a town hall meeting at the Fall AGU Meeting entitled 'Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions'. Ice sheets and the underlying bedrock and sediment hold crucial evidence of past climate and cratonic geology. National and international collaboration for drilling in the remote polar regions requires strategic coordination between science, technology, and logistics. This town hall will provide the research community with updates on IDPO-IDDO, NICL, IPICS, RAID, and ANDRILL initiatives. Opportunities for community involvement will be showcased, and input from the audience will be solicited.

AGU Meeting website for more information:
http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2014/events/th13c-scientific-drilling-in-the-polar-regions/

IDPO Organized Workshop for Future Deep and Intermediate Depth Ice Coring

IDPO organized and hosted the Community Workshop on Ice Coring and the Ice Core Working Group Meeting, which were both productive meetings and served to gather input from the community useful for long range planning. Similar meetings will be organized for the subglacial and borehole logging communities in the coming 18 months.

Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions 2013 Town Hall Meeting

Date: 12 December 2013
Time: 6:15 PM - 7:15 PM
Place: Moscone West Room 2003

TH45B. Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions

IDPO is once again organizing a Town Hall meeting at the Fall AGU Meeting entitled "Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions". Ice sheets and ocean sediments hold crucial evidence of past climate. National and international collaboration for drilling in the remote polar regions requires strategic coordination between science, technology, and logistics. The research community is invited to hear updates on recent planning including IDPO-IDDO, NICL, IPICS, RAID and ANDRILL initiatives. Opportunities for community involvement will be showcased and input solicited.

AGU Meeting website for more information:
http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2013/events/th45b-scientific-drilling-in-the-polar-regions/

Conference Announcement: International Workshop on Ice Caves, Idaho Falls, USA, August 2014

The International Workshop on Ice Caves (IWIC) is a series of workshops devoted entirely to ice cave research. IWIC is the only conference focused on state-of-the-art in ice cave research, where international experts discuss ongoing research efforts and promote global cooperation in ice cave science and management. These meetings have happened every year since 2004, and all in Europe. The next IWIC, IWIC-VI, will be held next year on 17-22 August 2014 in Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA!

For Europeans this will be the first opportunity to see cave ice in a completely different setting—lava tubes! For North Americans and many others, this is an excellent opportunity to meet with the world's leading cave ice experts. Major themes of IWIC-VI include:

  • Cave glaciology and ice dynamics
  • Cave meteorology and climatology
  • Cryo-mineralogy and cryo-crystallography
  • Paleoclimatology and global change
  • Chemistry and geochemistry of ice caves
  • Ice cave management and technology
  • Glacier caves

In fact, IWIC-VI welcomes papers on any topic involving cave ice.

IWIC is a conference of the Glacier, Firn, and Ice Caves Commission of the International Union of Speleology, and the National Cave and Karst Research Institute of the USA are hosting IWIC-VI.

For more information, visit http://www.iwic-vi.org/index.html. Save the dates and look for more information to be posted on the conference's website within 3-4 months on registration and submitting papers for the conference.

WAIS Divide Ice Core 2013 Science Meeting Reminder

Registration is now open for the 2013 WAIS Divide Ice Core Science Meeting to be held on 24-25 September at the Scripps Seaside Forum in La Jolla, CA. The meeting will have activities for all of both days and the evening of the 24th. Everyone associated with the project is encouraged to attend. Additional focus meetings will be held on Monday, 23 September, to provide an opportunity to go into greater depth on topics of interest to only a portion of the WAIS Divide community.

Deadlines:
Saturday, August 24

  • Last day to register for meeting at $150 price point
  • Last day to submit abstracts to Joe Souney (joseph dot souney @ unh dot edu)
  • Last day to book a hotel room at the group rate at the La Jolla Shores Hotel

Saturday, August 31

  • Last day to register for meeting (at $200 price point)

For the latest information about the meeting, visit: http://waisdivide.unh.edu/meetings/index.shtml

WAIS Divide Ice Core 2013 Science Meeting

The 2013 WAIS Divide Ice Core Science Meeting will be held on 24-25 September at the Scripps Seaside Forum in La Jolla, CA. The meeting will have activities for all of both days and the evening of the 24th. Everyone associated with the project is encouraged to attend. Additional focus meetings will be held on Monday, 23 September, to provide an opportunity to go into greater depth on topics of interest to only a portion of the WAIS Divide community. For the latest information about the meeting, visit:
http://waisdivide.unh.edu/meetings/index.shtml

Registration and Abstract Submission Now Open - 7th International Workshop on Ice Drilling Technology

Registration is now open for the 7th International Workshop on Ice Drilling Technology, to be held at the Pyle Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA, from 9-13 September 2013. The deadline for registration is 30 June 2013. Please note that if you previously submitted an "Expression of Interest" to attend the workshop you must now actually register for the workshop. To register for the workshop, visit:
http://icedrill.org/meetings/7th-international-workshop-ice-drilling-technology

Submission of abstracts for the workshop is now also open. Participants wishing to give an oral presentation and/or present a poster are required to submit an abstract. The deadline for submitting abstracts is 30 June 2013. A program containing all of the submitted abstracts will be provided to all workshop participants. In order for your abstract to be included in the program handout it must be submitted by the deadline. All abstracts must be submitted by using the online form located at:
http://icedrill.org/meetings/7th-international-workshop-ice-drilling-technology

The workshop will take a comprehensive look at the latest innovations in ice drilling technology, including ice coring, borehole logging, subglacial sampling, core logging and handling, and field logistics. The workshop will promote the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and experience among many countries and individuals who are involved in ice drilling projects. People active in the technical side of ice drilling are especially encouraged to participate, as are technical representatives from nations who have recently begun ice drilling programs for the first time.

The workshop will begin Monday evening with registration and an icebreaker. The main form of presentations will be oral sessions (approx. 20 minutes per talk) during the day on Tuesday through Friday. On Tuesday, from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm, there will be a dedicated poster session. The posters will be displayed in their own room near the meeting room, and may remain on display for the duration of the conference. On Wednesday afternoon there is an optional guided tour of short segments of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail led by Emeritus Prof. Dave Mickelson, co-author of Geology of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

Workshop participants must make their own hotel reservations. Rooms have been held at several hotels close to the Pyle Center. The rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information visit:
http://icedrill.org/meetings/7th-international-workshop-ice-drilling-technology

For more information about the workshop and to download the 2nd circular, visit:
http://icedrill.org/meetings/7th-international-workshop-ice-drilling-technology

IDPO Leads Community Events at AGU

IDPO was active in the American Geophysical Union meeting, December 3-7, 2012. Albert organized and Twickler participated in the AGU Town Hall on Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions, an interdisciplinary event which included contributions from IDPO-IDDO (Albert), NICL (Twickler), IPICS (Brook), Oldest Ice (Severinghaus), RAID (Goodge), ANDRILL (Levy), and SCAR-PAIS (DeConto).

Linda Morris organized the AGU sessions on climate literacy challenges related to the emerging Next Generation Science Standards. Linda Morris was Lead Convener for two oral and one poster sessions at the AGU fall conference. The full day strand, entitled Climate Literacy: Preparing K-12 Students to Address Next Generation Challenges, targeted educational leaders and scientists and offered presentations by national speakers involved with the changing science standards, their role in promoting climate change education and best practices for their implementation.

7th International Workshop on Ice Drilling Technology (Reminder)

The 7th International Workshop on Ice Drilling Technology, which is sponsored by IDPO-IDDO and is endorsed by IPICS, will be held at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA, from 9-13 September 2013.

The workshop will take a comprehensive look at the latest technological innovations in ice drilling technology, including ice coring, borehole logging, subglacial sampling, core logging, on handling and field logistics. The workshop will promote the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and experience among many countries and individuals who are involved in ice drilling projects. People active in the technical side of ice drilling are especially encouraged to participate, as are technical representatives from nations who have recently begun ice drilling programs for the first time.

The workshop will begin Monday evening with registration and an icebreaker. The main form of presentations will be oral sessions (approx. 20 min per talk) during the day on Tuesday through Friday. On Tuesday, from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm, there will be a dedicated poster session. The posters will be displayed in their own room near the meeting room, and may remain on display for the duration of the conference. On Wednesday afternoon there will be an optional field excursion.

If you are interested in attending the workshop please complete the expression of interest form as soon as possible, but no later than 12 April 2013.
https://icedrill.org/meetings/7th-international-workshop-ice-drilling-technology

Participants wishing to give either an oral presentation and/or present a poster are required to submit an abstract. Deadline for abstract submission is 30 June 2013.

The first circular for the workshop has already been released and can be download from the workshop's website. The second circular (early 2013) will give more information about travel and accommodation arrangements, registration, the general program, excursions, and guidelines for abstracts and papers.

For the latest information about the workshop, visit:
https://icedrill.org/meetings/7th-international-workshop-ice-drilling-technology

South Pole 1500 m Ice Core

The University of California-Irvine (Saltzman, PI), University of Washington (Steig, PI) and University of New Hampshire (Twickler, PI) have recently been funded to obtain a 1500 meter ice core at the South Pole. Drilling is planned for 2014-2015 (~700 m, through the Holocene) and 2015-2016 (to 1500 m / 40,000 years). The drilling will be conducted with the new Intermediate Depth Drill currently under development by IDDO. The ice core obtained will be 9.8 cm in diameter, about 1/2 the volume of the WAIS Divide core, so availability of ice to the community will be less. Proposals to work on the core will need a letter of support from the South Pole Ice Core Executive Committee, currently composed of Eric Saltzman, Eric Steig, Murat Aydin, and Tom Neumann. If you intend to submit a proposal to work on the South Pole ice core, please let the Executive Committee know by sending an email to contact@spicecore.org. In particular, it is important to let them know if you have any special sampling needs, such as sampling in the field. Planning is already underway for the ice core trench; the intention is to process only minimally in the field.

In addition, the first planning workshop for the project is planned for Tuesday, March 19, Friday, February 22, 2013 at the Millennium Harvest House in Boulder, CO. The purpose of the workshop is to give scientists interested in participating in the South Pole Ice Core project an opportunity to discuss site selection, science goals, and analytical measurements, as well as an opportunity to coordinate the submission of science proposals (to analyze the ice) in June April, 2013. The intention is to have web-conferencing capability for the workshop so that people can participate in the workshop remotely, if desired. To help plan for the workshop, please let the PIs know (by sending an email to contact@spicecore.org) if you are interested in participating in the workshop, and if so, if you believe you will attend the workshop in person or via web-conferencing.

For the lastest information about the project, and to subscribe to the project's electronic mailing list, visit: http://spicecore.org

7th International Workshop on Ice Drilling Technology

The IDPO/IDDO will hold the 7th International Workshop on Ice Drilling Technology in 2013. The workshop will be held at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA, from 9-13 September. Following in the footsteps of the six previous ice drilling technology workshops held between 1974 and 2006, the 7th International Workshop on Ice Drilling Technology will take a comprehensive look at the latest technological innovations in ice drilling technology, including ice coring, borehole logging, subglacial sampling, and field logistics. The workshop will promote the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and experience among many countries and individuals who are involved in ice drilling projects. People active in the technical side of ice drilling are especially encouraged to participate. Papers from the workshop will be published in a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal. The first circular for the workshop will be released soon. For the latest information about the workshop, visit:
https://icedrill.org/meetings/7th-international-workshop-ice-drilling-technology

Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions 2012 Town Hall Meeting

Date: 3 December 2012
Time: 6:15 pm - 7:15 pm
Place: Moscone Center; Moscone West, Room 2008

IDPO is once again organizing a Town Hall meeting at the Fall AGU Meeting entitled "Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions". Ice sheets and ocean sediments hold important climate evidence from the past. International collaboration for drilling in the polar regions requires coordination between science, technology, and logistics. Presenters at this meeting will report on recent planning by the IDPO/IDDO, IPICS, ANDRILL, IODP, SCAR-ACE and WAIS initiatives. Opportunities for community involvement in interdisciplinary planning will be highlighted and input solicited. The Town Hall is on Monday, December 3 from 6:15 pm - 7:15 pm in Moscone West, room 2008. Please check the 2012 Fall AGU Meeting website for more information:
http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2012/calendar/town-halls/

Ice Drilling Technology Workshop Proceedings

IDPO finished its effort to make all of the proceedings from the six international workshops on ice drilling technology held to date available online at: http://www.icedrill.org/library/index.shtml

There are a total of 160 papers from the workshops, bringing the total number of ice drilling technical documents now available to the community via the web site to 287.

2012 Technical Advisory Board Meeting

IDDO held its annual Technical Advisory Board (TAB) Meeting in Madison, WI on April 24-25, with drilling experts from a wide variety of fields. The meeting was well attended by all TAB members but one, IDDO staff, an IDPO representative, two distinguished guests from the Polar Research Center at Jilin University in China and others, including NSF Program Manager Julie Palais via phone. IDDO presented on the current status of IDDO field projects and current equipment status and gained valuable feedback from board members on equipment development projects. Notes from the meeting will be available at http://icedrill.org/about/tab.shtml

Technical Advisory Board meeting in Madison, WI. Photo courtesy of Dr. Pavel Talalay.

Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions 2011 Town Hall Meeting

IDPO is once again organizing a Town Hall meeting at the 2011 Fall AGU Meeting entitled "Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions". ANDRILL and SCAR-ACE are co-sponsors of the event. Presenters at this meeting will report on recent planning from the IDPO/IDDO, IPICS, ANDRILL, IODP, SCAR-ACE, SHALDRIL, WAIS, and Arctic Ocean drilling initiatives, and will provide time to discuss current opportunities for community involvement in long-term interdisciplinary planning. The workshop is on Thursday, December 8 from 12:30-1:30 PM in the Moscone West, Room 2006. Please check the 2011 Fall AGU Meeting web site for more information (http://sites.agu.org/fallmeeting/).

2011 Technical Advisory Board (TAB) Meeting

IDDO organized and conducted the annual TAB meeting in Madison, WI on April 20-21 with all eleven board members (six international) present along with two Chinese drilling engineers. Also attending were IDPO PIs and staff members, Eric Saltzman representing the IDPO Science Advisory Board, SSEC staff members, two contract drillers, and the IDDO staff.

For more information about the TAB, visit: http://icedrill.org/about/tab.shtml

 

IPICS 2012 Open Science Conference

The first Open Science Conference of the International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS) will be held from 1-5 October 2012 at the beautiful setting of the Belembra club, situated on the border of the Mediterranean Sea in one of the best spots of the French Cote d'Azur.

The objective of the conference is to present, discuss and put into perspective the most recent results of past and current ice core drilling projects (deep drillings such as EPICA, WAIS Divide, NEEM, TALDICE,... but also shallow drillings) in Antarctica and Greenland. Other ice core drilling projects conducted in non-polar glaciers or in other Arctic sites are also welcome. For more information, please visit the conference web site at: http://www.ipics2012.org/.

Interdisciplinary Community Workshop Examines the Future for Ice Coring and Drilling

The Ice Drilling Program Office (IDPO) sponsored an interdisciplinary ice community workshop to identify future Arctic and Antarctic drilling/coring sites, the ice drilling technology that will be needed, and the timeline over the coming decade for conducting scientific endeavors important for advancing science on new frontiers. The workshop, organized by Mary Albert, enabled community consensus on plans for future endeavors to tackle challenging questions using evidence from within and under glaciers and ice sheets, including rapid access to the base of the ice sheet, lightweight human-portable drills, agile horizontal clean drilling for biological studies, and modular hot water drills. Scientists from a variety of disciplines participated in the workshop, which was an open workshop with invited and contributed talks.

2011 Science Planning Workshop Review

On April 15-16, 2011 the IDPO sponsored an interdisciplinary Ice Drilling Science Community Planning Workshop held in Herndon, VA. The purpose of the workshop was to identify future Arctic and Antarctic ice drilling and coring sites, the ice drilling technology that will be needed at the sites, and the timeline over the coming decade for conducting the science. The workshop was well attended, with thirty-four people from the science, science support, and science funding communities in attendance, and proved to be very productive. The first day of the workshop started with short presentations from the scientists discussing their current ice drilling technology needs/desires. The afternoon involved forming four break-out groups centered around the following subject areas: (1) subglacial aquatic environments access drilling; (2) 10-year plan for shallow (1-400 meter deep) coring capabilities; (3) rapid access ice drilling (RAID) system; and (4) hot water drilling. Each break-out group discussed future drilling sites, drilling requirements, and tentative schedules, and began summarizing the information in a short white paper. Day two continued with the individual break-out group discussions and white paper development, and concluded with each break-out group reporting back to the entire workshop on their developments and whole group discussions.

Results from the workshop are reflected in updates to the science descriptions, timeline and planning matrices in the Long Range Science Plan and the corresponding Long Range Drilling Technology Plan to help ensure that the drilling technology will be ready when needed by the community's science.

For the workshop agenda and the list of workshop attendees, visit the workshop's web site: https://icedrill.org/meetings/2011-ice-drilling-science-community-planning-workshop

2011 Science Planning Workshop

This spring the IDPO is sponsoring an interdisciplinary ice community planning workshop to identify future Arctic and Antarctic drilling/coring sites, the ice drilling technology that will be needed, and the timeline over the coming decade for conducting scientific endeavors important for advancing science on many frontiers. The 2-day workshop will be open to the entire community and is planned for April 15-16. The workshop will be held at a location near Washington D.C. so that NSF program managers will have an opportunity to attend, and will be located close enough to an airport so that people from the west coast can fly in and out easily.

Results from the workshop will be reflected in updates in the science descriptions, timeline, and planning matrices in the Long Range Science Plan and Long Range Drilling Technology Plan, so that we can ensure that the drilling technology will be ready when needed by your science.

More information about the workshop will be distributed shortly via the IceDrill.News email list and via the IDPO/IDDO web site (www.icedrill.org).

Town Hall Meeting at AGU

IDPO is partnering with ANDRILL to hold a town hall meeting at the 2010 Fall AGU Meeting entitled "Scientific Drilling in the Polar Regions". Presenters at this meeting will report on recent planning by the IDPO/IDDO, IPICS, ANDRILL, IODP, SCAR-ACE, SHALDRIL, and WAIS initiatives, and will provide time to discuss current opportunities for community involvement in long-term interdisciplinary planning for coring and drilling, including access to resultant boreholes. The workshop is on Wednesday December 15 from 12:30-1:30. Please check the 2010 Fall AGU Meeting web site for more information (http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm10/).

Planning Improvements to Agile Drilling

During the quarter, IDDO organized and IDPO funded the Drillers' Workshop at the University of Wisconsin. The purpose of the workshop was to bring together the drillers experienced in the operation of the IDDO agile drills and the IDDO engineers to discuss needed improvements to the equipment and to share best drilling practices. The report for the workshop should be available soon. IDDO hosted its annual meeting of the TAB, consisting of members with technical experience in various types of drilling, in Madison to solicit input into technologies that can be used for ice drilling.

Requesting Field Support

If you are preparing a NSF proposal that includes any kind of support from IDP, you must include a Letter of Support from IDP in the proposal. Researchers are asked to provide IDP with a detailed support request three weeks prior to the date the Letter of Support is required. Early submissions are strongly encouraged.

Program Information

The U.S. Ice Drilling Program (IDP) is a NSF-funded facility. IDP conducts integrated planning for the ice drilling science and technology communities, and provides drilling technology and operational support that enables the community to advance the frontiers of climate and environmental science.