About DAMOCLES
DAMOCLES (Developing Arctic Modeling and Observing Capabilities for Long-term Environmental Studies) is an integrated ice-atmosphere-ocean monitoring and forecasting system designed for observing, understanding and quantifying climate changes in the Arctic. DAMOCLES is specifically concerned with the potential for a significantly reduced sea ice cover, and the impacts this might have on the environment and on human activities, both regionally and globally.
Little ice but no record low
A revised outlook for the Arctic 2008 summer sea ice minimum shows ice extent will be below the 2005 level but not likely to bet the record year of 2007.
Peppering the Arctic with measuring instruments
In DAMOCLES, one of the largest EU research project to date, the Arctic is peppered with state of the art measuring instruments worth millions of euros to better predict climate change and generate more accurate weather and ocean forecasts.
Damocles General Assembly
For the DAMOCLES consortium members and guests only: Welcome to Damocles General Assembly and associated meetings Oslo, November 27–30, 2007
Five DAMOCLES expeditions currently in the Arctic
Five DAMOCLES research ships are carrying out ground breaking research in the Artctic this autumn. Read more about Tara, Polarstern, Akademik Fedorov, Lance and Viktor Buinitskiy.
Research buoy crossed over the North Pole
The northernmost Ice Tethered Platform (POPS) Damocles deployed on August 31, 2006 at about 82°N and 140°E, crossed over the North Pole area during the past week.
Accident on submarine in the Arctic
Last week there was a serious accident on board a submarine doing research for DAMOCLES.
High DAMOCLES activity during IPY
The past week was a pretty busy week with the launch of the IPY in Paris and many other cities around the world. On March 5 and 6, 2007 the European Commission organised a Special Symposium on Polar Research in relation to IPY. On this occasion the Damocles mobile exhibition prepared by IPF was presented in Brussels.
DAMOCLES exhibition in Brussels
The International Polar Foundation has developed an exhibition for the DAMOCLES research consortium to communicate to the wider public what the DAMOCLES project is doing in the Arctic and why.
Is the Arctic sea-ice going to disappear in the future?
During recent years, observations indicated record lows in Sea-Ice extent and decreasing thickness. Is the Arctic perennial sea-ice going to disappear in a foreseeable future such as predicted by all state-of-art climate models in few decades or even faster?
From the press
- An Ice-Free North Pole? >>
[Time, June 27th, 2008] - Exclusive: No ice at the North Pole >>
[The Independent, June 27th, 2008] - North Pole Could be Ice-Free This Summer >>
[Live Science, June 26th, 2008] - Royals join forces on Arctic expedition >>
[The Local, June 22nd, 2008] - Ice diary: Science in the fast-changing Arctic >>
[BBC, June 22nd, 2008] - Greenland Ice Core Analysis Shows Drastic Climate Change Near End Of Last Ice Age >>
[ScienceDaily, June 20th, 2008] - Arctic sea ice melt 'even faster' >>
[, June 18th, 2008] - NASA Aircraft Examine Impact Of Forest Fires On Arctic Climate >>
[Science Daily, June 12th, 2008] - On their way into the Arctic and to the Orkney Islands >>
[Innovations Report, June 11th, 2008] - Permafrost Threatened By Rapid Retreat Of Arctic Sea Ice, Study Finds >>
[Science Daily, June 11th, 2008]
DAMOCLES is a european contribution to the International Polar Year 2007 - 2008.
DAMOCLES is financed by the European Union in the 6th Framework Programme.
