International workshop on permafrost and climate change in Antarctica at the University of Insubria

The University of Insubria is hosting the 2nd International Workshop on Antarctic Permafrost, Periglacial Processes and Soils (ANTPAS) on 6 and 7 October in Varese, under the theme Relaunching Antarctic Research on Permafrost and Soils. The workshop is being held at Collegio Carlo Cattaneo.

The international workshop focuses on permafrost and related ecosystems in the context of climate change in Antarctica. Researchers from the Czech Republic, Portugal, Ukraine, Italy and Brazil are attending in person, joined remotely by researchers from Poland, Germany, New Zealand, the United States and Hong Kong.

The workshop opens on Tuesday 6 October with contributions from Alberto Coen Porisini, Director of the Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, and Mauro Guglielmin, Full Professor of Physical Geography and Geomorphology at the University of Insubria and local organiser of the workshop. Guglielmin then presents an overview of the past, present and future activities of ANTPAS, followed by a presentation by Filip Hrbáček on the results of the questionnaire, the new GTN-P database and the PermaCOST action.

The afternoon programme features presentations by the research groups. Topics include fungal diversity from glacial ice to deep permafrost, vegetation mapping on Signy Island, monitoring of the active layer in Maritime Antarctica using multispectral drone surveys and ground-based measurements, the distribution of Antarctic vegetation, the biogeochemical characteristics and chemical pollution of permafrost-affected soils, and monitoring the impacts of climate change on permafrost in Continental and Maritime Antarctica.

Other topics include lithological controls on seasonal freeze-thaw dynamics in Antarctic coastal permafrost, 25 years of research by the Terrantar programme on soils, permafrost and climate change, modelling past and future changes in permafrost temperatures in the western Antarctic Peninsula, and monitoring frost heave and thaw settlement on James Ross Island.

Wednesday 7 October is dedicated to discussions on the future of ANTPAS, with two discussion sessions, the preparation of reports and meeting minutes, and a final general discussion.