Cabrita, Maria TeresaDavid, AnaVieira, Gonçalo2020-11-022020-11-022018978-972-636-277-7978-972-636-278-4http://hdl.handle.net/10451/44734Wearepleasedtopresentinthisbooklet,areportofthemainactivitiesconductedbetweenAugust2017andDecember2018,withintheframeworkofthePortuguesePolarProgram-PROPOLAR. PROPOLARisledbytheCEG/IGOT-UniversityofLisbon,underaCoordinatingCommitteethatincludesmembersofother4Portugueseresearchinstitutions:CCMAR-UniversityoftheAlgarve,MARE-UniversityofCoimbra,CQE-UniversityofLisbon,andCIIMAR-UniversityofOporto.TheProgramisfundedbytheFundaçãoparaaCiênciaeaTecnologia(MCTES)asadevelopmentofitsformerPolarOffice. PortugalbenefitsfromtheuniqueconditionsofthePolarregionstoobtainfundamentalknowledgeforbetterunderstandingandmanagingofclimatechangeanditsimpacts,aswellastocontributingtoanswerfundamentalquestionsonthefunctioningoftheEarthSystem.Portuguesepolarsciencehasexperiencedsignificantdevelopmentsduringthelastdecade,leadingtonewresultswithinternationalimpactonscientificareaswithconsiderablegapsinknowledgestillneedingtobefilled.Portugueseresearchershavefoundrelevantnicheareas,whicharenowmaintainedwithintheframeworkofthePROPOLAR.Thepasttwoyearshavebeenpivotaltotheconsolidationoftheprogram,withincreasednationalrecognitionoftheimportanceofpolarresearch.InsupportingPortugal’snationalpolarresearch,thePortugueseGovernmenthaspromotedtheimplementationofalong-termstrategicagendaforthepolarsciences,andconsolidatedthebudgetoftheprogram,enhancingPortugal’sscientificpolarabilitiesandcapacity,aswellasconsolidatingtheprogramforthefuture.LogisticsarebasedoninternationalcooperationandonaPortuguese-fundedAntarcticflightopentopartnerprograms.CampaignstotheArcticandAntarcticoccuronanannualbasis,withc.15projectsperyeartakingplaceinthepolarregions.LogisticalsupportinAntarcticaismainlyprovidedbySpain,ChileandtheRepublicofKorea,alsowithstrongcooperationinresearchanduseoffacilities,withArgentina,Brazil,Bulgaria,China,Peru,TurkeyandUruguay.PROPOLARiscommittedtoimprovingtheliaisonbetweenscienceandsociety,throughpromotingtheimportanceandrelevanceofourpolarscienceandoperationalactivitiesbyengagingwithpolicy-makers,thegeneralpublic,theyounggenerations,andthemedia. TheactivitieshereindisclosedreflectthedeterminationandmotivationofthePROPOLARtochallengeitselfandtakeforwardthisprogram,withthesupportandinvolvementofaverydynamicandcommittedcommunityofpolarresearchers,whicharethetrueidentityofthePortuguesePolarProgram.engPROPOLARReport 2018Portuguese Polar ProgramPROPOLAR: Report 2018report10.33787/CEG20190022