Major international conference on Antarctica to be held at UC Santa Barbara this month

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– More than 400 scientists from over 35 countries will come to the University of California, Santa Barbara from August 26 through 31 for an international scientific conference on Antarctica.

The International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences (ISAES) is the major international Antarctic geoscience meeting convened once every four years. This 2007 conference, titled “Antarctica: A Keystone in a Changing World ISAES-2007,” is the 10th such symposium since the first one was held in 1963, inspired by the success of the International Geophysical Year (1957-58).

This weeklong symposium, sponsored by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), will address major topics in Antarctic Earth science. Symposium topics will include:

• Antarctic Climate Evolution –– Global Linkages from Records in Ice Cores, Geological Cores, Outcrops, and Models
• GeoCryoDynamics –– Feedbacks and Coupling between the Geosphere, Cryosphere and Climate
• Antarctica in the Global Geodynamic System
• Antarctic Earth Science in the International Polar Year
• Polar Education and Outreach Initiatives
• Antarctica's Impact on Global Biosphere Evolution
• New Frontiers in Technologies and Polar Databases

The Symposium program will include oral and poster presentations, field excursions, exhibits, workshops, and social events.

Note to Editors: A panel discussion reviewing significant science outcomes from the symposium will be held Friday, August 31, at 3:30 p.m.

Journalists may attend the event by registering in advance with Bruce Luyendyk at , or 805-893-4053.