A

AAFICOST

Arctic and Antarctic Firn Core Studies (proposed IPY project)

AALM

Antarctic Active Layer Monitoring (proposed IPY project)

AARI

Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (St. Petersburg, RU)

ABACUS

Arctic Biosphere-Atmosphere Coupling across multiple Scales (IPY endorsed project 246)

ABCN

Antarctic Basic Climatological Network

ABRIS

Antarctic Bed Relief and Ice Sheet (proposed IPY project)

ABSN

Antarctic Basic Synoptic Network

ACAP

Arctic Council Action Plan

ACCO-Net

Arctic Circumpolar Coastal Observatory Network (IPY endorsed project 90)

ACE or ACE-IPY

Antarctic Climate Evolution (IPY endorsed project 54)

ACIA

Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (2004)

ACRF

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility

AC Squared

Antarctic Climate and Atmospheric Circulation (IPY endorsed project 180)

ACSYS

Arctic Climate System Study (ended December 2003)

AHC

Arctic Hydrological Cycle

AHHI

Arctic Human Health Initiative. Arctic Health Web Site

AICI or AICI-IPY

Air-Ice Chemical Interactions (IPY endorsed project 20)

AGAP

Antarctica's Gamburtsev Province (link to German description, IPY endorsed project 67)

AMAP

Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme

AMBER

Arctic Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research (IPY endorsed project 325)

AMD

Antarctic Master Directory

AMISR

Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar

ANDRILL

Antarctic Continental Margin Drilling

ANTPAS

Antarctic Permafrost and Soils (IPY endorsed project 33)

AOMIP

Arctic Ocean Model Intercomparison Project

AON

Arctic Observing Network

AOOS

Arctic Ocean Observing System, see iAOOS

AOSB

Arctic Ocean Science Board

 

APECS

 

Association of Polar Early Career Scientists

 

APEX

Arctic Palaeoclimate and its Extremes (IPY endorsed project 39)

APICS

Antarctic Peninsula Ice and Climate System (IPY endorsed project 107)

APIS

Antarctica Pack Ice Seals program

Arctic-HYDRA

The Arctic Hydrological Cycle Monitoring, Modelling and Assessment Program (IPY endorsed project 104)

ArcOD

Arctic Ocean Diversity (IPY endorsed project 333)

ARCSS

Arctic System Sciences Program (US NSF)

ARCUS

Arctic Research Consortium of the United States

ARD

[Norwegian and Russian] Arctic Resources Development (IPY endorsed project 411)

ARM

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement

ASAID

Antarctic Surface Accumulation and Ice Discharge (IPY endorsed project 88)

ASCI

Arctic Ship Coordination during IPY

ASDI

Arctic Spatial Data Infrastructure

ASI

Antarctic Sea Ice (IPY endorsed project 141)

ASOF

Arctic-Subarctic Ocean Fluxes

ASSW

Arctic Science Summit Week (2006 site) (2007 site)

ASTC

Association of Science - Technology Centers

ASTER

Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and reflection Radiometer

ASTIS

Arctic Science and Technology Information System

AstroPoles

Astronomy from the Poles (IPY endorsed project 124)

ATCM

Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (2006 site)(2007 site)

AUV

autonomous underwater vehicle

B

BAID

 

Barrow Area Information Database

BAS

British Antarctic Survey

BASC

Barrow Arctic Science Consortium

BEO

Barrow Environmental Observatory

BGCCRF

Barrow Global Climate Change Research Facility

BIAC

Bipolar Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation (IPY endorsed project 23)

BIOMASS

Biological Investigations of Marine Antarctic Systems and Stocks

BIPOMAC

Bipolar Climate Machinery (IPY endorsed project 130)

BOREAS

Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (1994/1996)

C

CAFF

Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (Arctic Council working group)

CALM

Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring

CAML

Census of Antarctic Marine Life (IPY endorsed project 53)

CAPP

Carbon Pools in Permafrost Regions (IPY endorsed project 373)

CARE

Climate of the Arctic and its Role for Europe

CARP

Canadian Antarctic Research Program (IPY endorsed project 329)

CASO

Climate of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean - Ocean Circulation Cluster (IPY endorsed project 132)

CAWSES

Climate and Weather of the Sun-Earth System

CCAR

Canadian Committee for Antarctic Research

CEAREX

Coordinated Eastern Arctic Experiment (1988-89)

CEDANA

 

CEtacean Distribution and Abundance in the North Atlantic's arctic region

CEO-IPY

Crew Earth Observations (ISS-IPY project) CEO imagery website

CEON

Circumarctic Environmental Observatories Network

CF

consultative forum

CGMW

Commission for the Geological Map of the World

CIHR

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

CLIC

Climate and Cryosphere Programme

CLIVAR

WCRP Climate Variability Programme

CLPNH

Cold Land Processes in the Northern Hemisphere (IPY endorsed project 138)

CODATA

Committee on Data for Science and Technology

CoML

Census of Marine Life

COMNAP

Committee of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes

COMPASS

Comprehensive Meteorological dataset of active IPY Antarctic measurement phase (IPY endorsed project 267)

COPOL

Contaminants in Polar Regions (IPY endorsed project 175)

CPM

Cloud Parameterization and Modeling (IPY endorsed project 251)

CRBP

Cold Regions Bibliography Project

CRC

Cooperative Research Centre

Cryos

The State and Fate of the Cryosphere (IPY endorsed project 105)

D

DAAC

Distributed Active Archive Centers (US)

DAMOCLES

Developing Arctic Modelling and Observing Capabilities for Long-term Environmental Studies (IPY endorsed project 40)

DIS

data and information service

DPM

data policy and management

E

EET

Earth Exploration Toolbook

E&O

education and outreach

EAIS

East Antarctic Ice Sheet

EBA

Evolutionary Biology in Antarctica or Evolution and Biodiversity in the Antarctic (IPY endorsed project 137)

EBESA

Environmental, Biological, and EcologicalStudies in Antarctica (IPY endorsed project 452)

ELOKA

Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic

EOC

education, outreach and communication

EPB

European Polar Board

EPPR

Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (Arctic Council working group)

ESA

European Space Agency

ESF

European Science Foundation

ESSP

Earth System Science Partnership

EVOLANTA

Evolution in the Antarctic (SCAR-approved program)

F

FARO

Forum of Arctic Research Operators

FCDAS

Fairbanks Command and Data Acquisition Station

FIBEX

First International BIOMASS Experiment

G

GAPS

Gas, Arctic Peoples, and Security (information in Norwegian, IPY endorsed project 310)

GARP

Global Atmospheric Research Programme

GAW

Global Atmospheric Watch (WMO network)

GCMD

Global Change Master Directory

GDSIDB

Global Digital Sea Ice Data Bank

GIIPSY

Global Inter-agency IPY Polar Snapshot Year (IPY endorsed project 91)

GINA

Geographic Information Network of Alaska

GLACIODYN

The dynamic response of Arctic glaciers to global warming (IPY endorsed project 37)

GLC

global learning community

GLIMS

Global Land Ice Measurements from Space

GLOBE

The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment educational programme

GOOS

Global Ocean Observing System

GPS

global positioning satellite (or system)

GTS

Global Telecommunication System, used to transfer weather observations (and forecasts) around the world

GWAMM

Global Warming and Arctic Marine Mammals

H

HBCO

The Hudson Bay Complex Observatory

HIAA

Hydrological Impact of Arctic Aerosols (IPY endorsed project 140)

I

I-TASC

Interpolar Transnational Art Science Constellation

IAI

International Antarctic Institute (IPY endorsed project 147)

iAOOS

Integrated Arctic Ocean Observing System

iAOOS-SISI

Integrated Arctic Ocean Observing System - Sea Ice from Space for the IPY (IPY endorsed project 108)

iAnZone

International Antarctic Zone Programme

IASC

International Arctic Science Committee

 

IAGA

 

International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy

 

IASI

Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (a "key payload element of the METOP series of European meteorological polar-orbit satellites")

IASSA

International Arctic Social Sciences Association

IABP

International Arctic Buoy Programme

ICARP

International Conference on Arctic Research Planning

ICASS

International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences

ICECAP

Investigating the Cryospheric Evolution of the Central Antarctic Plate (IPY endorsed project 97)

IceCube

South Pole Neutrino Observatory (IPY endorsed project 459)

ICED

Integrating Climate and Ecosystem Dynamics in the Southern Ocean

ICEE

Integrated Communication, Education and Evaluation (IPY endorsed project 328)

ICEFISH

International Collaborative Expedition to collect and study Fish Indigenous to Sub-Antarctic Habitats (IPY endorsed project 93)

ICESTAR/IHY

Interhemispheric Conjugacy Effects in Solar-Terrestrial and Aeronomy Research / International Heliophysical Year (IPY endorsed project 63)

ICSU

International Council for Science (originally International Council of Scientific Unions)

IGAC

International Global Atmospheric Chemistry

IGBP

International Geosphere Biosphere Programme

IGCP

International GeoScience Programme

IGLO

International action on GLObal warming is a project of the Association of Science-Technology Centers

IGS

International Glaciological Society

IGY

International Geophysical Year (1957-1958)

IHO

International Hydrographic Organisation

IHY

International Heliophysical Year

IMO

International Meteorological Organization (predecessor of the World Meteorological Organization)

IMS

ice mapping system

INCATPA

INterContinental Atmospheric Transport of Anthropogenic Pollutants to the Arctic (IPY endorsed project 327)

IOC

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC IPYsite)

IODE

International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange

IPA

International Permafrost Association (IPA IPYinformation)

IPAB

International Programme for Antarctic Buoys

 

IPCC

 

International Panel on Climate Change

 

IPICS

International Partnerships in Ice Core Science (IPY endorsed project 117)

IPO

international programme office

IPY

International Polar Year

IPYDIS

IPY Data and Information Service (IPY endorsed project 49)

IPYDP

International Polar Year Publications Database

ISDAC

Indirect and Semi-Direct Aerosol Campaign

ISIRA

International Science Initiative in the Russian Arctic

ISIS

Information Society Initiatives in Standardization

ISIUOP

Inuit Sea Ice Use and Occupancy Project (EoI 715)

ISO

International Organization for Standardization

ISPRS

International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing

ISS

International Space Station

IT

information technologies

I-TASC

Interpolar Transnational Art Science Constellation

ITASE

International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition

ITEX

International Tundra Experiment

IUCP

International University Courses on Permafrost

IUGG

International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics

IUGS

International Union of Geological Sciences

IYCP

International Youth Conference on the Poles

J

JC

joint committee

JCADM

Joint Committee on Antarctic Data Management

L

LAII-ATLAS

Land-Atmosphere-Ice Interactions - Arctic Transitions in the Land-Atmosphere System

LASHIPA

Large-scale historical industrial exploitation of polar areas (IPY endorsed project 10)

LICHEN

The Linguistic and Cultural Heritage Electronic Network (IPY endorsed project 82)

LIMA

Landsat Image Mosaic Of Antarctica

LSSSG

(SCAR) Life Sciences Standing Scientific Group

LTER

Long Term Ecological Research

LTK

local and traditional knowledge

M

M-PACE

Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment (2004)

MARGINS

Measurement and Attribution of Recent Greenland Ice Sheet Changes (IPY endorsed project 339)

MEOP

Marine Mammal Exploration of the Oceans Pole to Pole (IPY endorsed project 153)

MERGE

Microbiological and Ecological Responses to Global Environmental Changes in Polar Regions (IPY endorsed project 55)

MERSAM

MERcurySeabirdArticMonitoring (IPY endorsed project 439)

MOA

Mosaic of Antarctica

MODIS

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

MSTGLC

Monitoring Seasons through Global Learning Communities

MTN

Main Telecommunication Network (WMO)

N

NAAT

North American Arctic Transect

NABOS

Nansen-Amundsen Basin Observational System Network

NADC

National Antarctic Data Centres

NAO

North Atlantic Oscillation

NARL

Naval Arctic Research Laboratory (Barrow, AK, closed 1981)

NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (USA)

NC

National Committee (in IPY terms, a national organizing body)

NDSC

Network for Detection of Stratospheric Change

NEESPI

Northern Eurasia Earth Science Partnership Initiative

NERC

Natural Environment Research Council (UK)

NICE-STREAMS

Neogene Ice Streams and Sedimentary Processes on High Latitude Continental Margins (IPY endorsed project 367)

NISC

National Information Services Corporation

NOAA

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (USA)

NOMAD

Reindeer herding from a reindeer perspective (IPY endorsed project 408)

NORCLIM

Northern High Latitude Climate (IPY endorsed project 120)

NORMA

Northern Material Culture, Then and Now (IPY endorsed project 201)

NPEO

North Pole Environmental Observatory

NSA

North Slope of Alaska

NSERC

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (Canada)

NSF

National Science Foundation (USA)

NSIDC

National Snow and Ice Data Center (US)

NVO

National Virtual Observatory

NySMAC

Ny-Ålesund Science Managers Committee

O

OASIS-IPY

Ocean-Atmosphere-Sea Ice-Snowpack Interactions affecting Atmospheric Biogeochemistry and Ecosystems in the Arctic (IPY endorsed project 38)

OBIS

Ocean Bio-geographic Information System

ORACLE - O3

Ozone layer and UV radiation in a changing climate evaluated during IPY (IPY endorsed project 99)

P

PAG

Pacific Arctic Group

PAME

Polar Aquatic Microbial Ecology (IPY endorsed project 71); also Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (Arctic Council programme)

PANDA

Program of Antarctic Nova Disciplines Aspects (IPY endorsed project 313)

PARCA

Program for Arctic Regional Climate Assessment (1993-2001)

PATOB

Pan-Arctic Tracking of Belugas

PG

(IPY) Planning Group

PHSS

Polar Health Surveillance System

PI

principal investigator

PLATES & GATES

Plate Tectonics and Polar Gateways in Earth History (IPY endorsed project 77)

PMC

polar mesospheric clouds

POLARCAT

POLar study using Aircraft, Remote sensing, surface measurements and modelling of Climate, chemistry, Aerosols and Transport (IPY endorsed project 32)

POLENET

Polar Earth Observing Network (IPY endorsed project 185)

PolarTREC

Polar Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating

PRB

Polar Research Board (USA)

PSC

project steering committee

PYRN

Permafrost Young Researchers Network

R

RAMP

Radarsat Antarctic Mapping Project

RiSCC

Regional Sensitivity to Climate Change in Antarctic Terrestrial and Limnetic Ecosystems (EBA predecessor project)

ROV

remote operated vehicle

RUSALCA

Russian-American Long-term Census of the Arctic

S

SALE-UNITED

Subglacial Antarctic Lake Environments - Unified International Team for Exploration and Discovery (IPY endorsed project 42)

SASSI

Synoptic Antarctic Shelf-Slope Interactions Study (IPY endorsed project 8)

SATTELITE

Students And Teachers Exploring Local Landscapes to Interpret The Earth from Space

SCAR

Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research

SCAR-MarBIN

SCAR -- Marine Biodiversity Information Network (IPY endorsed project 83)

SCICEX

Scientific Ice Experiment (1993-1999)

SCOPE

Simple Communications Programming Environment (a script language developed by Hayes to facilitate modem programming)

SCOR

Scientific Committee on Oceanographic Research

SCOSTEP

Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics

SCSCS

Spitsbergen Climate System Current Status (IPY endorsed project 357)

SDI

Spatial Data Infrastructure

SEDIBUD

Sediment Budgets in Cold Environments

SEDNA

Sea ice Experiment - Dynamic Nature of the Arctic

SHEBA

Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (1997-1998)

SIBEX

Second International BIOMASS Experiment

SIKU

Sea Ice Knowledge and Use (IPY endorsed project 166)

SIOMIP

Southern Ice Ocean Model Intercomparison Project

SLiCA

Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic (IPY endorsed project 386)

SOI-IPY

Students on Ice - IPY (IPY endorsed project 343)

SOLAS

Surface Ocean - Lower Atmosphere Study

SPACE

Synoptic Pan Arctic Climate and Environment (proposed IPY project)

SPARC-IPY

The Structure and Evolution of the Polar Stratosphere and Mesosphere and Links to the Troposphere during IPY (IPY endorsed project 217)

SPRI

Scott Polar Research Institute

SSHRC

Social Science and Humanities Research Council (Canada)

STPP

Solar Terrestrial Physics Programme

T

TAM

Transantarctic Mountains

TARANTELLA

Terrestrial ecosystems in Arctic and Antarctic: Effects of UV Light, Liquefying ice, and Ascending temperatures (IPY endorsed project 59)

TASTE-IDEA

Trans-Antarctic Scientific Travers Expeditions - Ice Divide of East Antarctica (IPY endorsed project 152)

THORPEX – IPY

Originally The Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment Now THORPEX: A World Weather Research Programme (IPY endorsed project 121)

TSP

Thermal State of Permafrost (International Permafrost Association) (IPY endorsed project 50)

TTAAPP

Taking the Antarctic Arctic Polar Pulse (IPY endorsed project 341)

U

UCAA

Monitoring of the upper ocean circulation, transport and water masses between Africa and Antarctica (IPY endorsed project 70)

UK

United Kingdom

UNEP

United Nations Environment Programme

UNESCO

United Nations Education, Science and CultureProgramme

UNIS

UNiversity centre In Svalbard

URSI

Union Radio-Scientifique Internationale/International Union of Radio Science

US

United States

USA

United States of America

USARC

United States Antarctic Research Center

UV

ultraviolet

W

WCRP

World Climate Research Programme

WEFAX

weather and amateur facsimile reception

WMO

World Meteorological Organization also wmo.int

WOCE

World Ocean Circulation Experiment

WSB

Wilkes Subglacial Basin (Antarctica)

WYPC

World Youth Polar Conference (AWI proposed project)

Y

YSC

youth steering committee

Other acronym sources

Look up other acronyms at TheFreeDictionary, here (from NCEP/Climate Prediction Center ATLAS No. 2), or here (those used in NCEP/NCAR Global Reanalysis Project).

IASC Polar Acronyms

Acronyms related to PAst Global changES

AOMIP related links (with acronyms)

The Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, Astronomy, and Spaceflight