Page 6 - DIVA_4_2006_No.27

The World Meteorological Organization and

International Council for Science launch
the International Polar Year, 2007-2008

Interview with "WMO Polarman" Eduard Sarukhanian

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Eduard Sarukhanian, a globe. possibility of studying the
Russian national, has ah'nosphere, not only at ground

dedicated most of his Q: Why is 2007 going to be level but also at higher alti-
Hfe to Arctic and the International Polar tudes with help of so-called
Year? radiosondes.
Antarctic research -
either here in Geneva,
The first Polar Year hap- These two events demonstrat-
in Russia or in the Polar
pened 125 years ago, in ed the value for the interna-
regions themselves.
1882-83. Tliis liad been pro- tional community of studying
His passion is the polar posed by the International tlie poles. Therefore, twenty-
o areas and, despite the M e t e o r o l o g i c a l five years later, in 1957-58, the

cold and harsh climate, Organization, the predeces- international coini'nunity start-
he talks about it with sor of tlie World ed to prepare another Polar
so much enthusiasm Meteorological Organization Year, but tliey realized that to
that even a "snow (WMO). At tliat time, only acliieve its objectives it was
twelve countries took part necessary to l'iave observation
hater" would become a
and together they establisl'ied made as well in the lower alti-
devoted "Polar fan"
fourteen observation stations tudes, so it became tlie
after spending an hour
-twelve surrounding tlie International Geophysical
in his company. Eduard
Nortli Pole and two in tlie Year. The timing was good -
Sarukhaniuan was "bit-
Antarctic. despite tlie Cold War-as
ten by the Polar bug a everybody was interested in
long time ago" and one The next Polar Year took polar areas. Tlie legacy of this
of his wishes is that place fifty years later in event was tlie network of
other people could 1932-33 and by tliat time observational stations in
visit the Polar regions forty-four corintries were Antarctica. Russia and the
to understand the role involved. By tliis time, radio United States launched satel-
of the poles and their had been invented and this lites, and it was tlie first time

technical device gave us the we conducted a study of the
impact on the entire
4 5 2006 Diva
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