EXPLORING ICY DOMAINS ON EARTH AND BEYOND: 
SEEKING AN INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE 
NEXT INTERNATIONAL POLAR YEAR
Robin E. Bell 

In 1957-1958, under the shadow of the Cold War, the Third 
International Polar Year was launched, inspiring, educating and 
training a generation of polar scientists. Now, 50 years later in a much 
different world, plans for the next International Polar Year are 
emerging from our now very global science community.  In 
November 2002, the US Polar Research Board convened a day-long 
session to explore ideas for how the US polar science community 
might move ahead with planning for a fourth International Polar Year, 
beginning in 2007.  The Board began discussions in four areas:
Identifying appropriate and exciting science themes that involve 
multiple disciplines and both poles, engaging younger scientists, 
sharing the excitement and discoveries with the general public and 
schools, and integrating a US science program with plans being made 
by other nations.
Two broad science themes emerge as potentially unifying 
elements for an international IPY effort:  exploration and climatic 
processes.  The exploration theme might focus on the sub-ice 
environment, which is the largest unexplored region of our planet.  
The climate theme could capture many dimensions, from the role of 
the poles as a “canary in the mine” giving warning of climate change 
impacts to the potential role in abrupt climate shifts.  These themes 
need further elaboration. The U.S. Polar Research Board in pursuing a 
dialog in the United States and elsewhere to encourage community 
support of an IPY effort and move toward planning activities.