international
polar
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The scientific teams at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica this season have done impressive work they can be proud of!

While it is not uncommon for temperatures to rise above freezing in Antarctica in some places during the austral summer, temperatures above freezing are becoming more frequent than in previous years.

While the scientists and all of the IPF staff who support their work in the field concentrate on doing the best science possible, the team of engineers, technicians, and mechanics are also hard at work on a number of new projects.

Scientific field campaigns continued in earnest this past week as more scientists and crew arrived at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica.

Field expeditions for the FROID and ULTIMO projects are off to a strong start, with other scientific projects stopping by the station this week.

On December 3rd, on the second day of the annual Arctic Futures Symposium, the International Polar Foundation (IPF) and the Trân Family handed out the third Laurence Trân Arctic Futures Award to Siu-Tsiu, a non-profit social enterprise based in Greenland that employs and upskills marginalised young people to help them find work, pursue further education, give them a sense of community and give them a sense of purpose in life.

The Unicorn of the Ocean, Arnoux Beaked Whales spotted by 2 members of our team.

From December 2nd until December 4th, the International Polar Foundation and its many Arctic stakeholder partners will host the 15th annual Arctic Futures Symposium at the Residence Palace in Brussels’ EU Quarter, along with several interesting Arctic side events at other locations.

The Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), in collaboration with the International Polar Foundation (IPF), are launching two ambitious scientific expeditions to Antarctica. Their mission: to gain new insights into Earth’s climate history and the evolution of our solar system by studying ancient ice layers and meteorites.

The first 14 members of the BELgian Antarctic Research Expedition (BELARE) are off to a strong start opening and preparing the station for the arrival of scientists in the coming days.