International Geophysical Year

The International Polar Years had shown that studying the Arctic and global climate required extensive international collaboration. By 1950, interest in another international polar year was increasing, especially as more research tools became available and the economic crisis that had almost stopped the second International Polar Year in the 1930s seemed a distant memory.

In 1951 a special committee was created to formulate plans for a Third International Polar Year. One of the initial proponents, Professor Sidney Chapman, suggested that the event be broadened to include more areas of the earth and that the name be changed to the International Geophysical Year (IGY). The proposal was approved in October 1952 and plans were begun in earnest to hold IGY from 1 July 1957 to 31 December 1958. The years 1957 and 1958 were particularly interesting to scientists because of an expected increase in sun activity. One goal of the IGY was to more thoroughly study the way the sun influences terrestrial phenomena. Therefore, the sun was monitored 24 hours a day at a chain of observatories around the earth.

Regular and special world days were also established. On these days all the IGY participants performed similar observations at the same times. The regular world days consisted of three days at every new moon when certain synchronized observations were made at close intervals. Special world days were observed on days with particularly high solar activity. All the observers were notified by telex or radio of upcoming periods of intense solar activity, so that it could be monitored at all stations.