International Permafrost Association

Abstract

Th e International Permafrost Association, founded in 1983, has as its objectives to foster the dissemination of knowledge concerning permafrost and to promote cooperation among persons and national or international organisations engaged in scientifi c investigation and engineering work on permafrost. Membership is through national Adhering Bodies and Associate Members. Th e IPA is governed by its offi cers and a Council consisting of representatives from 28 Adhering Bodies having interests in some aspect of theoretical, basic and applied frozen ground research, including permafrost, seasonal frost, artifi cial freezing and periglacial phenomena. Committees, Working Groups, and Task Forces organise and coordinate research activities and special projects. Th e IPA became an Affi liated Organisation of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) in July 1989. Beginning in 1995 the IPA and the International Geographical Union (IGU) developed an Agreement of Cooperation, thus making IPA an affi liate of the IGU. Th e Association's primary responsibilities are convening International Permafrost Conferences, undertaking special projects such as preparing databases, maps, bibliographies, and glossaries, and coordinating international fi eld programmes and networks. Conferences were held in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S.