Science Projects
While in Antarctica each teacher will be undertaking a science project.
An ecological footprint is the measure of consumption of resources. It is calculated in terms of the total area of land required per person to meet their food, energy, raw material, water and wastewater disposal needs. The larger the footprint, the larger the impact. What impact will the Fuchs Foundation Antarctic Expedition make?
Ruth’s Project: Funky Fieldwork – A Virtual Fieldtrip to Union Glacier
Ruth will investigate the distribution and characterstics of cryoconite holes on Union Glacier. Cryoconite holes are dark patches on the surface of glaciers and are formed by sediment on the surface of a glacier absorbing solar radiation, warming, and melting into the ice. Cryoconite holes are common to many glaciers worldwide, but in Antarctica, ice lids often form, trapping sediment and isolating the water, producing unusual water chemistries that are quite different from the surrounding ice. The results will be set up in a virtual fieldtrip to allow students to experience Antarctica from the comfort and warmth of their classroom.
Phil’s Project: Temperature Torture
To cope with extreme cold should you be fat or fit? Lunching on lard or Weetabix? Clothed in cotton or Gore Tex? Phil will be trying to understand how humans survive temperatures as low as -90c (plus wind chill of course!). The team will be lending their bodies to the study and while surviving in Antarctica will have their faces and hands regularly plunged into iced water to see if it really does cause the heart rate to slow. The ice will not be the only thing that is blue!
Amy’s Project: Naked in Antarctica (and loving it)
Lichens are one of the only living organisms that have adapted to survive the extreme conditions of the Antarctic continent. They are also extremely sensitive to environmental pollution and potentially can be used as bio-indicators for atmospheric changes resulting from human activity. The aim is to collect lichens and investigate their ecology in areas of Antarctica where they have not previously been studied.
Ian’s Project: There’s No Way to Degrade a Tardigrade!
Ian’s project aims to study the remarkable microfauna of the Ellsworth Mountains.The qualities needed to survive the extraordinary environmental conditions of the inner reaches of the Antarctic continent are shown by a unique collection of microscopic organisms. Among them are the strange and cuddly tardigrades (or ‘Water Bears’). These creatures can enter a remarkable state of suspended animation called cryptobiosis, in which they can endure the most punishing temperatures with apparent ease. There are at least three species unique to the Ellsworth Mountains and we know little about them. Who knows what else we might find?
