This award to the National Academy of Sciences provides for the establishment and operation of an Ad Hoc Committee on Arctic Solid-Earth Geosciences. An understanding of Arctic solid-earth sciences is critical for the completion of the plate tectonic theory, future resource evaluation, and a clearer understanding of the earth's paleoenvironmental history. This activity will result in a report that incorporates the views and concerns of leading arctic scientists and engineers to provide a logical base from which the science community and the Polar Earth Sciences program can develop plans for future research in this field. Under the auspices of the NAS-Polar Research Board, this award will lead to the issuance of an authoritative report of the committee's assessment of the current needs and priorities for arctic solid-earth geoscience research.
