International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences – Workshop Report April, 2005

Ice core data are the foundation for much of the modern global change research because of the particularly clear linkages between climate and biogeochemistry that the records reveal, and because the data provide an unparalleled picture of the human impact on the atmosphere since the industrial revolution. Relatively small groups working incrementally on one isolated project at a time have made many of the fundamental achievements. Yet answers to pressing global climate issues that face all societies today require larger, coordinated efforts that combine both the intellect and the drilling expertise of nations working together. The aim of the IPICS workshop was to discuss such efforts in the ice coring community, and to determine the next steps needed to proceed. The very positive response of international participants shows that the need for such an initiative is widely recognized.