Submitted by Sarah Brown on the 2020 winter session program in New Zealand sponsored by the Department of Animal and Food Sciences…
While studying in New Zealand, our group took a day trip to the International Antarctic Center. There, we learned about the climate in Antarctica, its effect on the rest of the world, and the United States and New Zealand’s involvement in research on the continent. New Zealand is only a five hour flight from Antarctica, so the center had a lot of interesting things to teach us!
First, we arrived at the Center and had a short lecture about the climate and life on Antarctica. Our guide explained that unlike in the Arctic, the glaciers in Antarctica cover rocky ground, which gets much colder than ice and makes Antarctica the coldest region on earth. As a result, Antarctica cools the surrounding ocean currents, which run globally and cool the rest of the planet. It is also incredibly quiet there, inhabited by penguins and seals, which only make noise if necessary to avoid attracting predators. We saw lots of beautiful footage and pictures of these animals during our visit!
We then got to experience what a day on Antarctica is like. We wore heavy coats and entered a room that simulated a storm on the continent, complete with snow, wind, and subzero temperatures. Then we rode in a Hagglund, a large, tank-like snowmobile that can maneuver over cracks in ice or through snow drifts. We drove up, down, and sideways on steep hills representing those in Antarctica. Our guide told us that the Hagglund could drive almost sideways before getting into trouble! There are several countries involved in research on Antarctica and a Hagglund from each country was present for the field trip. At the end, as most of our group is majoring in pre-veterinary medicine, many were excited to meet Max the husky, a former sled dog from Antarctica. Max enjoyed all the pets he got!
These experiences at the International Antarctic Center helped me to learn about a continent that both my country and New Zealand are involved with, but that I knew little about before. I am thrilled that I got to learn about a continent that seems unexciting, but actually plays a big role in earth’s climate.
