Notes on the history of International Polar Years in Catalonia and Spain

On the occasion of the celebration of the current International Polar Year, this work presents a revision of the meaning and contributions of the three previous Polar Years, and the Catalan and Spanish contributions to previous editions. Although in the current edition there are scientific expeditions sent from the Iberian Peninsula to the Antarctic and the Arctic for the first time, participation in previous editions has not been insignificant, and has resulted in an improvement in Earth sciences in Catalonia and Spain.