Antarctica is a special place to do science. For one thing, people haven’t been doing science there for very long. The first person set foot in Antarctica less than 200 years ago. More importantly, the world’s governments have set aside the continent as a place for peaceful scientific investigation. The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959, ensures that scientists from 47 nations have access to the continent and can freely share their data with one another.
Over the next two months I’ll tell you about some small steps in the journey of scientific exploration in Antarctica. On December 23, our five-person research team will start the journey south. When we get to Palmer Station about six days later, we will be researching a small midge (a type of fly) called Belgica antarctica.
I’ll share stories about the cool animals we see along the way, the landscape of the Antarctica Peninsula, and what it’s like to live at a research station for three weeks. But I’ll also share a bit of history. Every week, I will tell you about a scientific discovery made in Antarctica’s past.
While you’re waiting for my next blog entry, there are lots of things to explore on our website. You can also get shorter updates on our Facebook fan page.
Thanks for joining us!
**********
This week in Antarctic science history
Today is the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Antarctic Treaty, an agreement among 12 nations to use Antarctica for peaceful purposes only. Since the original treaty was adopted in 1959, five more agreements (such as the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals) and 35 countries have been added. The Antarctic Treaty System is one of the world’s most successful international agreements. You can see the full text of the original treaty here and a short video about the treaty here.
On December 2, 1902, Swedish geologist Nils Otto Nordenskjöld discovered the partial fossil of an extinct penguin on Seymour Island (northeast of the Antarctic Peninsula). After the initial find, his team and a 1946 British expedition discovered at least four more species. These penguins were big—up to six feet tall!—suggesting that Seymour Island used to be a lot warmer than it is now.
On, December 4, 2007, NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the British Antarctic Survey unveiled a new satellite map of Antarctica. The map is more detailed than any previous images of Antarctica—so detailed, that scientists were able to find 10 new emperor penguin colonies using the map. Click here to see the map.
Tags: Antarctic Treaty, Antarctica, fossils, maps, Palmer Station, penguins, science
