Conference to highlight latest in permafrost research

Submitted by Jenn Wagaman
Phone: 907-474-5082
02/19/08

More than 800 international researchers are expected to attend the Ninth International Conference on Permafrost, scheduled for June 29-July 3, 2008 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The conference, convened by the International Permafrost Association, is taking place during the International Polar Year, a two-year initiative focusing international research efforts and public attention on the Earth’s polar regions.

For journalists, the meeting will be an opportunity to learn about the latest developments in permafrost research. Permafrost, or earth material that has remained frozen for more than two years, occupies twenty percent of the Earth’s land surface. In a warming climate, thawing permafrost could cause an increase in the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere, as frozen organic matter decays and trapped gases are emitted. Such processes have important implications on the rate of global warming.

The conference program will include invited plenary talks, approximately 400 contributed papers as oral and poster presentations, several short courses, and workshops for teachers, young permafrost researchers and interested participants. Local field trips to permafrost and construction sites are included in the conference program as well as opportunities for additional field trips to remote sites before and after the conference. Journalists are invited to attend but are required to pay for optional pre- and post-conference field trips.

CONTACT: Jenn Wagaman, UAF research outreach coordinator, 907-474-5082 or jenn@alaska.edu.

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