You think you know absolutely EVERYTHING about the Arctic? Time for a bit of MISCELLANEA. Can bird poop make clouds? How many North Poles are there? Where to go if you hate mosquitoes? Why can't eggs in Polar Station lay peacefully? Join a crazy journey through the most unusual fun facts about the Arctic!

Presenter: Anna Wielgopolan

Water in the Arctic that either fell as rain or melted from snow and ice, flows via different paths before reaching the ocean. Runoff regime and hydrological processes shape the landscape and influence dynamics of glaciers.

Glaciers have complicated drainage systems - meltwater can flow on the surface of glacier (supraglacially), within glacier in tunnels (englacially), or drain to the glacier base through moulins and flow along or within the bed (subglacially). Glacier run-off has large diurnal variations and its maximum occurs during summer.
The flow of water in rivers in the Arctic has a seasonal character. During late autumn, winter and early spring, in non-glaciated catchments, rivers freeze. There is a typical large variation of flow of water during ablation season, with very high discharge during the snowmelt and decreases during summer.

Groundwater movement in permafrost terrain is limited, cause frozen soil is practically impermeable. Above the permafrost is the active layer which freezes in winter but thaws in summer, allowing infiltration and groundwater recharge.

Presenter: Tomasz Wawrzyniak

From the time immemorial, in the Arctic and outside of it volcanic eruption accompany us. The "Volcanoes and humans" lesson presents 8 examples of volcanoes, which had impact on the human society and describes their consequences. The presentation begins with a short introduction to the mechanism of a volcanic eruption and continues with examples. During the lesson we will learn about 7 eruptions (and one dormant volcano), which have made its mark on societies - from new islands arising off Iceland's coast to global climate cooling in the 19th century. These events show different types of eruptions and let us understand their consequences.

Presenter: Julian Podgórski

Earth has supported life for 3.5 billion years, but its hospitality is hardly consistent. Natural disasters have triggered at least five mass extinctions in the past 500 million years, each of which wiped out between 50 and 90 percent of all species on the planet. Many scientists say it's abundantly clear that Earth is entering its sixth mass-extinction event, meaning three-quarters of all species could disappear in the coming centuries. The resulting biological annihilation obviously will have serious ecological, economic and social consequences.

Presenter: Anna Wielgopolan

One day in October, brown bears went into their dens to sleep throughout the winter. In much of northern Europe, people have noticed that the bears start to wake up again at the same day every year: 14th of April. Is this really true, and how do the bears know when to wake up? Join this webinar, and I will tell you why. You will also learn what the bears actually do in their den during the winter sleep, and what makes bear able to sleep for so long.

Presenter: Paul Eric Aspholm

There are many natural barriers for settlement in the polar regions. That does not mean that these regions remain uninhabited. The cold climate in the polar zones negatively affects the living conditions and the economic development.The climatic and light barriers make it impossible to develop agriculture, and the gravitational barrier on the slopes hinders housing construction, transport and business development. In mountainous regions, as in the Svalbard archipelago, there are large elevation differences, rocky ground, and poorly developed tundra soil. The water supply is also a big problem. In the winter period, all reservoirs and streams are covered with ice, while in the summer (when the glaciers melt and the active layer is formed above the permafrost), flooding periodically occurs along the streams. Despite the many factors limiting the development of settlements, permanent human settlements have developed in the Arctic and Antarctic.

Presenter: Tomasz Wawrzyniak

A microscopic organism that gained celebrity status? A tiny water-bear that will outlive us all? Meet TARDIGRADES - invertebrates capable of withstanding some of the most severe environmental conditions. What do they look like, where do they live, what do they eat? What are their secrets? How can they help humans?

Presenter: Anna Wielgopolan

Working in a polar station for a whole year, often called "wintering", is a challenge for the human body. And not only because of the weather conditions, but also as a result of being in a small group of people with whom we interact every day.

During the lesson we discuss:

• how candidates for members of Polish polar expeditions are prepared for their work in psychological meaning
• how does the human behavior fluctuate during the wintering
• what kind of typical syndromes we can call in polar psychology

Presenter: Dagmara Bożek-Andryszczak

On 21st of May Russia is celebrating Polar Explorer Day. This is a professional holiday, established in 2013 by the President of the Russian Federation, which purpose is to appreciate the whole activity of the polar explorers. Long live the polar explorers!

During the lesson we focus on what polar explorers actually do, in what kind of conditions they work, and... we play a game!

Presenter: Dagmara Bożek-Andryszczak

Mercury and lead are two major heavy metals polluting our planet. They are increasing in parts of Arctic regions. Why is that so? Where do the metals come from, where do they end up? Enrol for this webinar to find out. I will also tell you if and how mercury and lead are dangerous, and we will discuss whether plants and animals can protect themselves from metal pollution.

Presenter: Paul Eric Aspholm

When sea levels rise rapidly, as they have been doing, even a small increase can have devastating effects on coastal habitats. Should we expect catastrophic floods? What does good old Archimedes have to say? What is the physics behind those processes?

Presenter: Anna Wielgopolan

Iceland is a volcanic island in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Its landscape was formed by volcanoes and glaciers, but an Icelander is more concerned about wind and rain, than about lava. On this lesson you will get to know the origins of Iceland's most famous landmarks, from the Ice Lagoon to fiords in the north. You will also hear some trivia about life on the island.

Presenter: Julian Podgórski