From today until Friday, August 23, the city of Pucón will host the Open Conference of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR OSC). This international event brings together more than a thousand attendees from five continents and reaffirms Chile as a leader in Antarctic research.
The inauguration, held this Monday morning at the Hotel Enjoy Pucón, was led by SCAR President Yeadong Kim, who emphasized in his speech: "The SCAR Open Conference is more than a meeting; it is the world's leading event in Antarctic science. Every two years, this meeting brings together researchers from around the globe to share the latest findings, generate new ideas and work together to better understand Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. This is where our collective knowledge grows and where we find new ways to protect one of the most important and fragile regions on the planet".
Chancellor Alberto van Klaveren was also present at the inaugural event, who highlighted the leadership of our country in Antarctic issues: "We are inaugurating in Pucón, an Antarctic Science Congress of great magnitude, the SCAR. It is the first time that such a significant number of scientists have gathered to address issues related to Antarctic science. Today, we have about 1,300 researchers from more than 55 countries, all gathered to analyze the reality of Antarctica. This reality is relevant not only to conserve Antarctica and avoid interventions such as mining, but also to preserve its role in science and peace. Antarctica has great relevance in the context of climate change; what happens there affects the global climate, which underlines the importance of studying and understanding this region".
The director of INACH, Dr. Gino Casassa, expressed his pride in being one of the organizing entities of the SCAR meeting: "It is a great honor for us to organize this event after six years and the pandemic. Antarctica is not an isolated continent; its influence extends to the entire planet through oceanic and atmospheric currents. It is important to raise awareness among both the scientific community and the community in general, in this case the city of Pucón. Next week there will also be a meeting of delegates from Antarctic countries, with Chile leading as one of the twelve original signatories of the Antarctic Treaty", he said.
Carolina Gainza, Undersecretary of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, said that "This Congress is an example of the support this government has given to the development of scientific research in different areas of knowledge. Researchers from the fields of biology, geology, paleontology, social sciences and even the humanities meet here. It is not only about knowing the biodiversity of Antarctica, or studying the melting of the ice, but there are also sovereignty issues. The science being done in Chile is of great quality and this congress and the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU/IAU) will be held in Santiago in 2030.
The meeting is organized by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the National Committee on Antarctic Research (CNIA) and the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH) and marks the return to presence after the pandemic. The process of organizing this gigantic event has been led by Dr. Marcelo Leppe, vice-president of SCAR and national coordinator designated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who has had the support of a Local Organizing Committee and a large team of INACH officials.
Precisely, Dr. Marcelo Leppe, highlighted the importance of decentralizing science by taking Antarctic events to other territories such as Pucón, which allows greater interaction between participants and strengthens collaboration after years of virtual meetings. "We are also connecting Punta Arenas, Magallanes with Araucanía. Many of the delegates who are here in Pucón will continue their journey to Punta Arenas, bringing with them new experiences and insights that will influence the future of Antarctic science," he said.
He adds that these events are fundamental to advance the development of technologies for monitoring climate change and that science can reach both decision makers and the general public.
Presentations
It is worth mentioning that the biannual conference is the main event of SCAR, whose mission is to promote and facilitate international research in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Under the slogan "Antarctic Science: Crossroads for a New Hope", the event offers a space for more than a thousand research papers to be presented, covering a wide range of topics from physical and earth sciences to life and social sciences.
Highlights among the keynote lectures include Dr. Sally Lau on benthic invertebrates of the Southern Ocean; Dr. Victoria Nuviala on Antarctic architecture; Dr. Mathieu Casado on climate change through ice cores; and Professor Meredith Nash on the impact of the #MeTooAntarctica movement on research . In addition to scientific presentations, the conference includes plenary lectures, mini-symposia, up to eleven parallel sessions, panel discussions and scientific poster presentations.
On Wednesday 21, Antarctic Fest will offer free activities open to the public in the Araucanía region, highlighting the importance of Antarctic science. It includes the SCAR OSC 2024 Expo, craft exhibitions, naturalist illustrations, Antarctic photographs and an Antarctic documentary film festival. For more information, please visit www.scar2024.org
International Polar Year 2032-33
The conference marks a milestone on the road to the International Polar Year 2032-33, the largest effort in history to understand the changes that the high southern and boreal latitudes are undergoing. This comes at a critical time for humanity, with carbon dioxide concentrations higher than any other representative of our species has experienced in its 350,000 years on Earth.
The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) was founded in 1958 as a committee of the International Council for Science (ISC). At the Antarctic meeting of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), held in Stockholm in 1957, it was agreed to create a committee to oversee scientific research in Antarctica. At that time there were twelve nations actively conducting Antarctic research, including Chile, which appointed a delegate to form part of a Special Committee on Antarctic Research.
The SCAR Open Conference, which takes place in Pucón, promises to mark a before and after in polar science, thanks to its programming and the active participation of the scientific community. This city was chosen for its tradition in scientific events and its unique natural environment, which includes vegetation with more than 50 families of plants native to prehistoric Antarctica. "The logo of the event symbolizes an Antarctic ecosystem of the past, reflected in southern Chile. 100 million years ago, Antarctica had forests and fauna similar to those in the south of our country. Therefore, the design of the logo and the names of the rooms, which represent species of that time, are a tribute to our historical connection," concluded Dr. Gino Casassa.
INACH is a technical agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with full autonomy in all matters related to Antarctic scientific, technological and dissemination issues. INACH complies with the National Antarctic Policy by encouraging the development of excellent research, participating effectively in the Antarctic Treaty System and related forums, strengthening Magallanes as a gateway to the White Continent and carrying out actions to disseminate Antarctic knowledge to the public.
Check the original article on INACH's website.
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