The Centre for Polar Observation & Modelling (CPOM) is a centre for research into polar region

Polar region

Earth's polar regions are the areas of the globe surrounding the poles also known as frigid zones. The North Pole and South Pole being the centers, these regions are dominated by the polar ice caps, resting respectively on the Arctic Ocean and the continent of Antarctica...

 processes which may affect: polar atmosphere and ocean circulation; the Earth's albedo

Albedo

Albedo , or reflection coefficient, is the diffuse reflectivity or reflecting power of a surface. It is defined as the ratio of reflected radiation from the surface to incident radiation upon it...

; and global sea levels. It is funded by NERC

NERC

NERC may refer:* Natural Environment Research Council* Nashville & Eastern Railroad Corporation* North American Electric Reliability Corporation* National Engineering Robotics Contest...

, a UK Research Council

Research Council

The UK Research Councils, of which there are currently seven, are publicly-funded agencies responsible for co-ordinating and funding particular areas of research, including the arts, humanities, all areas of science and engineering...

.

CPOM comprises research groups from 3 Universities: University College London

University College London

University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...

, University of Bristol

University of Bristol

The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...

, and University of Edinburgh

University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...

.

In 2006, research carried out by CPOM resulted in the press report Secret rivers found in Antarctic. The survey used the European Space Agency

European Space Agency

The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...

's ERS-2 satellite radar to measure a region in East Antarctica

East Antarctica

East Antarctica, also called Greater Antarctica, constitutes the majority of the Antarctic continent, lying on the Indian Ocean side of the Transantarctic Mountains...

 with some of the oldest, thickest ice on the continent. The survey revealed synchronous changes in ice surface height (both rise and falls) at locations hundreds of kilometres apart. According to CPOM Director, Duncan Wingham

Duncan Wingham

Duncan Wingham is Professor of Climate Physics at University College London, and was the first Director of the Centre for Polar Observation & Modelling. He is a member of the NERC Science and Technology Board and is Principal Scientist for the CryoSat Satellite Mission.In the 90s, Wingham was...

, the only conceivable mechanism for the observations was the movement of water.