HISTORY OF ICP

The ICP gathers world experts in Paleoceanography, the history of the oceans, with the aim of bringing together researchers working on all timescales (from deep time to decadal-scale changes) and with different approaches (proxy development, proxy analysis and modeling). It provides an opportunity to present and debate ground breaking new observations, while creating the ideal environment for fostering discussions of new scientific initiatives. It also serves a great educational purpose with a high graduate student attendance. It is thus aimed at integrating all scientific aspects of paleoceanography, but also all generations of scientists.

The ICP is held every three years at a different location. The ICP has been held seven times in Europe, three times in North America, twice in Asia and once in Australia. Regular attendance varies between 400 and 800 participants.

Palaeoclimate research, the study of past climates, is an integral part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, as “the past is the key to the future”. The most recent assessment by the IPCC (Assessment Report 5) has for the first time included palaeoclimate information in its evaluation of climate model performance.

An in-depth understanding of past climate and biogeochemical changes is necessary to better predict future changes in climate. Indeed, Palaeoceanographic data and palaeoclimate modelling provide a benchmark against which to assess current and future changes in climate, the carbon cycle and marine ecosystems.

ICP14 LOGO

It is inspired by the storage houses of medieval Bryggen, the wharf of the Hanseatic League’s trading empire from the 14th to the mid-16th century and the  ‘warming stripes’ graphic, first shown by the climate scientist Ed Hawkins at the University of Reading (www.showyourstripes.info).

The ICP14 logo was designed by our skillful and artistic colleague Suet Chan at NORCE