Report on workshop "Heterogeneous structure and dynamics of the Earth's interior viewed from polar regions"

Abstract

A workshop on "Heterogeneous structure and dynamics of the Earth's interior viewed from polar regions" was held on 2nd-3rd February 2006, at the National Institute of Polar Research with 32 participants. The meeting provided the opportunity to exchange valuable information involving solid Earth studies around the polar region, followed by a discussion about future plans. The first section of the workshop covered the present status of scientific results, such as insights of the inner structure and dynamics of the Earth viewed from high latitude. Significant results concerning the heterogeneous structure were demonstrated from the depths ranging from the deep interior of the Earth to the upper mantle and overlying crust. Several remarkable topics concerning the Sumatra Earthquake on December 2004, were also presented involving seismic activity of the Antarctic Plate, free oscillation of the Earth, Tsunami waves, dynamic triggering, and so on. The second section of the workshop treated future plans both for the development of new analytical methods and for observations in the polar regions. Multidisciplinary studies, moreover, were proposed for the Antarctica including high-density super-conducting gravimetric network, infrasonic observations, high sampling GPS recording, ice-quake monitoring, etc. Finally, several international activities in Eastern Dronning Maud Land were discussed with regard to the International Polar Year (IPY) in 2007-2008.