Featuring the world premiere of a new film by Norbert Untersteiner and Frans van der Hoeven documenting the trials and travails of Arctic Ice Station Alpha during the International Geophysical Year (IGY, 1957-58). Untersteiner introduced the film and talked more generally about how the IGY brought new vitality to the earth sciences at this university and throughout the world. The program concluded with a panel discussion of how our knowledge of Arctic sea ice has advanced over the 50 years since the IGY: What have we learned and what are the major unresolved issues?

From left: Brian Smoliak, Mark Zelinka, Dennis Hartmann, Dargan Frierson, and Mike Wallace (podium)
From left: Brian Smoliak, Dennis Hartmann, Sandra Penny, Krystyna Untersteiner, Norbert Untersteiner, Dargan Frierson, Mark Zelinka
Members of the Blue Ice Ensemble: Sandra Penny (fiddle), Brian Smoliak (drums), Mark Zelinka (guitar), Dennis Hartmann (bass), Dargan Frierson (banjo/mandolin)
From left: Norbert Untersteiner, Bob Fleagle, Mike Wallace, Krystyna Untersteiner, and Mark Zelinka (background)