This July, a team of four scientists, a writer and a photographer from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Washington will return to Greenland for their third year of investigating glacial lakes, which form atop the ice sheet each spring and summer. The expedition runs from July 7 to 24.

From their tents on the ice sheet, the investigators and the media team will send daily dispatches and photo essays to the Polar Discovery web site. Scientists and journalists use satellite phones and computers powered by solar energy to share their findings and experiences. About half way into the expedition, they will hold live talks with audiences at eight major science museums across the United States.

Museums that have scheduled live talks include the Field Museum in Chicago, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Maryland, Boston Museum of Science, Pittsburg’s Carnegie Museum, Houston Museum of Science, and Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Most are open to the general public with a few held for students. Each presentation will feature a knowledgeable moderator – often a scientist – who will present a short summary about the research before the live question-and-answer session. The Live Talk schedule at the WHOI web site gives dates, times, and locations within the institutions.

News from the polar regions in June includes speculation on the future of the Arctic sea ice and permafrost, unexpected behavior of an Antarctic ice stream, and new technology designed to assist in polar research. Missed these stories the first time? Read on!

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Want to learn about polar research? Check out the In the Field: Scientists at Work department in Issue 4 of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears - Weather and Climate: From Home to the Poles!

In this issue:

Read about current news from polar researchers.

Read how a surprising discovery led to a better understanding of Earth’s climate 5,000 years ago.

Of course, there’s much more to explore. Check out Issue 4 of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears today!

This September in a two-hour broadcast titled Earth 2100, ABC News will bring scientists, historians, economists, and viewers worldwide together to predict what the planet will be like by the next century. The news organization is inviting Internet viewers now to create short videos about what life will be like if we do nothing about climate change and dwindling resources in this decade. The most compelling videos will be included in the fall broadcast.

To help viewers create their 1- to 3-minute videos, ABC staff will provide scenarios based on predictions of conditions in different parts of the world in the years 2015, 2050, 2070, and 2100. Find instructions for participating in Earth 2100 at http://earth2100.tv/game.

Some experts say that if we continue on the current path to 2015, it may be impossible to avert climate change that cannot be managed. ABC says the story viewers tell for the year 2015 will dictate the scenario the producers create for the year 2050 and the following two dates.

National research centers in the United States and the United Kingdom have agreed to work together on atmospheric science and technology and develop joint educational and training programs. The agreement, which runs for three years, is between the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and Britain’s National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS).

NCAS Director Stephen Mobbs says, “International collaboration on this scale has never been more timely. It is essential, not optional, to work together now to provide society with reliable weather and climate predictions. No one nation can unravel the complexities of the atmosphere–we have to work together to tackle environmental issues head on.”

The goal of the partnership is to coordinate ongoing research and education programs and to develop and implement future joint research projects. Among the focus areas are: research into weather, climate, air quality, and interactions between land, oceans, and atmosphere; developing new sensors and other measuring instruments; and such outreach activities as joint summer schools and student and staff exchanges.

NCAR, located in Boulder, Colorado, provides university scientists and teachers with the tools, facilities, and support required to perform innovative research. NCAR and university scientists work together on research topics in atmospheric chemistry, climate, cloud physics and storms, weather hazards to aviation, and interactions between the sun and Earth.