Call for Proposals 2012 for International Teams in Space and Earth Sciences
Teams are one of the ISSI tools, through which relatively small groups of scientists involved in Space Research can work together in an efficient and flexible format of several subsequent meetings, during which data are analyzed and compared with theories and models. This call is open to scientists of any nationality, and active in research in:
1. Space Sciences (Solar and Heliospheric Physics, Solar- Terrestrial Sciences, Space Plasma and Magnetospheric Physics, Planetary Sciences, Astrobiology, Cosmology, Astrophysics, and Fundamental Physics in Space)
2. Earth Sciences using space data
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Evening Lecture on "The Application of GRACE Time-Dependent Gravity Measurements to the Understanding of Land Surface Hydrology and Global Sea Level"
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by Prof. W. Richard Peltier, University of Toronto, Canada
International Space Science Institute, Hallerstrasse 6, Bern, 2nd floor
on Tuesday, February 7, 2012, 18h00
Further Information >> |
GRACE Maps the Gravity of Earth,
Image Credit: GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, CSR U. Texas, JPL, NASA
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Hermann Opgenoorth, Discipline Scientist at ISSI, is becoming a Honorary Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) honours any person eminent in the fields of astronomy or geophysics by election as an Honorary Fellow of the Society. This is typically in recognition of services to astronomical and geophysical sciences such as distinguished leadership of a school, observatory or laboratory; outstanding services to national or international scientific organizations; exceptionally important work in editing scientific publications; influential work in education and public outreach in these sciences; or specially outstanding distinguished work in the history of these sciences.
More Details >>
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SPATIUM Magazine
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Alpbach students reach for the stars
The Alpbach Summer School 2011, held 19-28 July, attracted 58 science and engineering students to the beautiful Austrian Alps. The theme of this year’s 10-day educational event was 'Star Formation across the Universe'.
Read more on the ESA News Webpage >>
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The Earth's Cryosphere and Sea Level Change
The Workshop on “the Earth’s Cryosphere and Sea Level Change” that was held last year is now being published and the book will appear within weeks. However, as several of the papers from the workshop have been available on line for some time it has aroused a high profile debate as can be seen from a note in the 22 July issue of Science (Kerr, 2011). An issue of great concern is the changes in the mass balance of the large land ices. While Greenland and West Antarctic have been loosing mass in recent years as supported both from radar altimetry data and gravity measurements the situation is unclear about the mass balance on East Antarctica. This is no surprise since the annual accumulation of snow over Antarctica is the order of 2500 billion tons and the amount that flows into the sea is about the same. The net Antarctic loss is estimated to 50-150 billion tons annually. Jay Zwally and Mario Giovinetto have re-assessed available altimeter and gravity estimates and suggest a lower and a narrower range. The new preferred estimate for the period 1992-2005 spans from a gain of 27 billion tons to a loss of 40 billion tons yearly meaning that an estimate gain for East Antarctica is off- setting the loss for West Antarctica. This is not surprising as a warmer climate initially is likely to increase the snowfall over the Antarctic continent.
Kerr, R. A., 2011: Antarctic Ice’s Future Still Mired in Its Murky Past, Science, Vol. 33, 22 July 2011 >>
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The Earth's Cryosphere and Sea Level Change
edited by L. Bengtsson, S. Koumoutsaris, R.-M. Bonnet, E.-A. Herland, P. Huybrechts, O.M. Johannessen, G. Milne,
J. Oerlemans, A. Ohmura, G. Ramstein, P. Woodworth
Space Sciences Series of ISSI, Volume 40
Hardcover, ISBN, ISBN 978-94-007-2062-6
Further Information >> |
This book gives a comprehensive overview of our present understanding of the Earth’s cryosphere, its changes and their consequences for mean sea level changes. Since the middle of the 19th century there has been an increase of sea level height by 20-25 cm. Some 10 cm of this is due to net losses from glaciers, the remainder being due to mass losses from land ice and thermal expansion of the oceans. The mean sea level rise is slowly accelerating; at present it is some 3 mm/year. Recent space observations made by the GRACE satellite combined with ocean temperature and volume measurements have enabled the separate contributions to sea level rise from melting ice and from thermal expansion to be better estimated. The estimation of mean sea level change is complicated by changes in land level due to tectonic effects and to ongoing changes following the most recent major glaciation. The book gives an up-to-date survey of our present knowledge of this crucial subject.
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Life on the Wind: Study Reveals How Microbes Travel the Earth
Scientists from the UK and Switzerland - among them ISSI's Post Doc Symeon Koumoutsaris - have investigated the remarkable distance that microorganisms may be able to blow between continents, raising questions about their potential to colonize new lands and also potentially to spread diseases. The results are published online (17 August 2011) in the Journal of Biogeography (doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2011.02569.x).
Link to the article >>
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Policy Forum: A Dark Age for Space Astronomy?
Johan A.M. Bleeker and Roger-Maurice Bonnet published in the issue (8 July 2011) an article in the magazine Science in the rubric Policy Forum with the topic "A Dark Age for Space Astronomy?".
Read more about the article in Science >>
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ISSI Newsletter
The ISSI Newsletter will appear 2-3 times per year with the latest information about the International Space Science Institute. If you wish to be informed regularly about the International Space Science Institute please subscribe here >.
ISSI Newsletter Nr. 1 October 2010 >
ISSI Newsletter Nr. 2 February 2011 >
ISSI Newsletter Nr. 3 October 2011 >
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ISSI and the Science Programme Committee (SPC) of ESA
ISSI presented a report of its activities to ESA’s Science Programme Committee (SPC) in view of the renewal of with the financial support it receives from the Directorate of Science and Robotic Exploration. The report gives an overview of the main achievements of the Institute between 2006 and 2009.
ISSI Report for the ESA Science Programme Committee (pdf) >>
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last update: 18 January 2012 by A. Fischer
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