and even extra-planetary in scope. So, after much
In the south Polar Regions, the advancement of
discussion and international planning, the third IPY
interdependent scientific knowledge and interna-
became the International Geophysical Year (IGY)
tional cooperation demonstrated by the IGY led to
1957-58. It turned out to be by far the largest
an international, non-governmental scientific body,
coordinated scientific enterprise ever undertaken.
SCAR, as an organ of ICSU, which had overseen the
Sixty-three countries officially took part, involving
organization of IGY.
about 13,000 scientists.24
The results of the IGY and the stimulus it providThis is not the place to summarize the IGY, but its
ed for further research not only in various fields of
relevance to the future IASC, in addition to the
geophysics, but also in subjects not included in the
wealth of data and new knowledge in many sub-
IGY,25 such as the biological and human sciences,
jects, was that scientific activities in the northern
had the effect of broadening scientific interest in
high latitudes became an integral part of global sci-
the Arctic. It also sparked the creation of a variety
ence. High-latitude phenomena, Arctic and Antarc-
of networks and associations pursuing or facilitat-
tic, were important to the planet as a whole and to
ing research and data-gathering on an international
all nations, even though at the same time political
scale in subject areas such as polar meteorology,
developments were placing an increasingly nation-
permafrost, ocean chemistry, migratory birds, arctic
alistic and competitive character to Arctic issues.
history, and native languages.
Clean science requires tyvek suits: two science techs have been out sampling snow at Summit Station, Greenland (2010)
Photo: Ed Stockard
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03 Contributions of Former IASC Presidents