The International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) is an international NGO devoted to the development of international cooperation for the advancement of knowledge, research, development and education in the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, their integartion and application, to contribute to the well being of humanity and sustainability of the environment.

The ISPRS working group WG VIII/8 Alpine and Polar Research has been founded in 2004 to bring together scientists and professionals interested in studying the cryosphere. It promotes collaborations in various fields, such as polar and alpine research and studies of snow cover, permafrost and sea ice.

The Terms of Reference of ISPRS WG VIII/8 are:

• Identifying and conducting remote sensing initiatives supporting the International Polar Year (2007-2008)
• Improving the retrieval of geophysical parameters relevant to the different elements of the cryosphere
• Developing strategies and algorithms for assimilating remotely sensed data in models of polar processes
• Developing long-term records and studying on-going changes in polar and alpine regions, for example changes in terrestrial polar ecosystems, ice sheet and glacier mass balance, and sea-ice cover