Surface and sub-surface
Snow pits
By digging beneath the snow surface of Antarctica, the expedition will reveal the climate of the past. Each season the snow that falls in Antarctica forms a fresh layer on the ground. By digging a deep pit, the expedition will be able to see each layer of snow that has fallen in years past and be able to gather information about how the amount of snow that falls each year has changed. In turn, this information provides a clue to how Antarctica’s climate has changed in recent years.
Albedo
The expedition will be able to measure the reflectivity of different snow surfaces that they encounter, a characteristic known as albedo, which plays a crucial role in the delicate balance of the earth’s climate. The experiment will illustrate how the type of snow that falls in Antarctica has a direct impact on the rest of the world.
Atmosphere »Syllabus Information »
The planet's southernmost landmass also contains 80% of the world's fresh water. There are places where the ice is over 10,000 feet thick, and the ice cap itself is more than 40 million years old.-
The Antarctic is the coldest place in the world (lowest recorded temperature is -89.9 C). It is also the windiest place in the world (fastest recorded wind speed of 300km/h). And it is technically a desert: it has less than 5cm of precipitation in a year.
EXPEDITION
Andrew Moon and Andrew Regan will endeavour to cross the continent of Antarctica from the west coast to the South Pole...
