SCAR focuses its science efforts on high priority topical areas through its Scientific Research Programmes (SRPs). Three new programmes were approved by the Executive in 2020 and began officially in January 2021.
Further SRPs may be developed and proposed by Programme Planning Groups (PPGs) over the coming months and years, fostered by one or more of the permanent, disciplinary Science Groups (SGs). A PPG develops a proposal for an SRP based on wide consultation with the community. Details will be posted on the Programme Planning Groups page.
Near-term Variability and Prediction of the Antarctic Climate System (AntClimnow)
AntClimnow will investigate the prediction of near-term conditions in the Antarctic climate system on timescales of years to multiple decades. They will take an integrated approach, looking beyond climate projections of the physical system to consider the Antarctic environment as a whole.
Integrated Science to Inform Antarctic and Southern Ocean Conservation (Ant-ICON)
The Ant-ICON SRP will answer fundamental science questions (as identified by the SCAR Horizon Scan), relating to the conservation and management of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean and focus on research to drive and inform international decision-making and policy change.
INStabilities and Thresholds in ANTarctica (INSTANT)
The INSTANT SRP will address a first-order question about Antarctica’s contribution to sea level. It encompasses geoscience, physical sciences and biological sciences, of the way in which interactions between the ocean, atmosphere and cryosphere have influenced ice-sheets in the past, and what expectations will be in the future with a special focus on quantifying the contributions to global sea level change. They aim to quantify the Antarctic ice sheet's contribution to past and future global sea-level change.
Information on the previous generation of SRPs can be found on the former SRPs page.
The film "Peace and Science" gives an insight into the important work of SCAR, and specifically its three Scientific Research Programmes, and the vital scientific questions they address. Produced and directed by John Weller.