{"id":658099,"date":"2025-03-20T23:30:24","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T20:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-theyre-there-and-what-theyve-found\/"},"modified":"2025-03-20T23:30:24","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T20:30:24","slug":"why-theyre-there-and-what-theyve-found","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-theyre-there-and-what-theyve-found\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why they&#8217;re there and what they&#8217;ve found"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a32cfc1d7efa\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a32cfc1d7efa\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-theyre-there-and-what-theyve-found\/#What_do_researchers_focus_on_when_theyre_working_in_Antarctica\" >What do researchers focus on when they&#8217;re working in Antarctica?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-theyre-there-and-what-theyve-found\/#How_many_countries_have_teams_working_there_Where_does_South_Africa_fit_in\" >How many countries have teams working there? Where does South Africa fit in?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-theyre-there-and-what-theyve-found\/#What_have_been_some_of_the_biggest_%E2%80%98finds\" >What have been some of the biggest &#8216;finds&#8217;?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-theyre-there-and-what-theyve-found\/#What_conditions_do_scientists_work_under\" >What conditions do scientists work under?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-theyre-there-and-what-theyve-found\/#Why_it_is_important_to_do_scientific_work_in_the_area\" >Why it is important to do scientific work in the area?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2023\/antarctica.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2023\/antarctica.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2023\/antarctica.jpg\" alt=\"Antarctica\" title=\"Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/sanae-iv-base-antarctica-south-africa-researcher-accuse-colleague-violence\/\" target=\"_blank\">storm blew up<\/a> in mid-March 2025 when a researcher at South Africa&#8217;s isolated Sanae IV base in Antarctica accused one of its nine team members of becoming violent.<\/p>\n<p>The Conversation Africa asked geomorphologist David William Hedding, who has previously carried out research from the frozen continent, about the work researchers do in Antarctica, what conditions are like and why it matters.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_do_researchers_focus_on_when_theyre_working_in_Antarctica\"><\/span>What do researchers focus on when they&#8217;re working in Antarctica?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Currently, the main focus of research in the Antarctic revolves around climate change because the White Continent is a good barometer for changes in global cycles. It has a unique and fragile environment. It&#8217;s an extreme climate which makes it highly sensitive to any changes in global climate and atmospheric conditions. Importantly, the Antarctic remains relatively untouched by humans, so we are able to study processes and responses of natural systems.<\/p>\n<p>Also, the geographic location of Antarctic enables <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a> that is less suitable elsewhere on the planet. An example of this is the work on space weather (primarily disturbances to the earth&#8217;s magnetic field caused by solar activity). Studying space weather is significant because the magnetic field of the earth can impact communication platforms, <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a>, infrastructure and even human health.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_many_countries_have_teams_working_there_Where_does_South_Africa_fit_in\"><\/span>How many countries have teams working there? Where does South Africa fit in?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Currently, about 30 countries have research stations in the Antarctic but these bases serve a far wider community of researchers. Collaboration is a key component of research in the Antarctic because many study sites are isolated, logistics are a challenge and resources are typically limited.<\/p>\n<p>The South African base in Antarctica, named <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sanap.ac.za\/about\/gallery-sanae\" target=\"_blank\">SANAE IV<\/a> usually has between 10 and 12 researchers and base personnel. This research station is situated on a nunatak (a mountain piercing through the ice) in <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/figure\/Location-map-of-western-Dronning-Maud-Land-Antarctica-and-sample-localities-numbered-as_fig3_332860709?__cf_chl_tk=ciIKGxIY_4PIwTWZsUDRh3hgAL5HeyXVHVk4HotZLEA-1742471366-1.0.1.1-xvGHYPatS8uxAOxBWbNDrZ_C5E37nhCggDZJoD74ZVA\" target=\"_blank\">Western Dronning Maud Land<\/a>. It is an extremely remote location <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roximately 220km inland from the ice-shelf.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers and base personnel remain in Antarctica for approximately 15 months working through the cold and dark winter months.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_have_been_some_of_the_biggest_%E2%80%98finds\"><\/span>What have been some of the biggest &#8216;finds&#8217;?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The biggest research finding from the Antarctic was <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/315207a0\" target=\"_blank\">the discovery<\/a> of the ozone hole in 1985 by scientists from the British Antarctic Survey. This discovery led to the creation and implementation of the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/the-montreal-protocol-on-substances-that-deplete-the-ozone-layer#:~:text=The%20Montreal%20Protocol%2C%20finalized%20in,%2C%20fire%20extinguishers%2C%20and%20aerosols.\" target=\"_blank\">Montreal Protocol<\/a>, a treaty to phase out chlorofluorocarbons (synthetic chemical compounds composed of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon) which destroy ozone. This was a major breakthrough in terms of slowly healing the ozone layer.<\/p>\n<p>The second most significant piece of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bas.ac.uk\/media-post\/historic-drilling-campaign-reaches-ice-more-than-1-2-million-years-old\/\" target=\"_blank\">research<\/a> to come from the Antarctic has been the use of ice cores to reconstruct past climates. Ice cores preserve air bubbles which provide a wealth of information about the conditions of the atmosphere over time. Importantly, ice cores provide an uninterrupted and detailed window into the past 1.2 million years. This is important because only by understanding past climates and the earth&#8217;s responses to those changes are we able to predict future responses. This is significant because of the imminent threats resulting from anthropogenic (human-induced) climate change.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ads w-100 my-4 article-main__more bg-light p-3 border\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-3\">\n        Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over <strong>100,000 subscribers<\/strong> who rely on Phys.org for daily insights.<br \/>\n        Sign up for our <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/newsletter\/\" target=\"_blank\">free newsletter<\/a> and get updates on breakthroughs,<br \/>\n        innovations, and research that matter\u2014<strong>daily or weekly<\/strong>.\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_conditions_do_scientists_work_under\"><\/span>What conditions do scientists work under?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Conducting research in the Antarctic is extremely difficult for three primary reasons: remoteness, the cold and daylight.<\/p>\n<p>The remoteness of many study sites makes it difficult to reach. Distances are vast from the limited number of bases in the Antarctic. Thus, logistics for science in the Antarctic is a major challenge and requires collaboration and planning. For example, the geologists from the University of Johannesburg, who work from the SANAE IV base in Antarctica, often spend weeks in the field collecting samples. They <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a> significant distances via snowmobile and remain self-sufficient while conducting science in tough conditions.<\/p>\n<p>These tough conditions relate specifically to the cold. Most science only occurs in the austral summer months when temperatures become marginally bearable. Also, the summer season only provides a short window in which to operate because access to Antarctic by sea is limited by extent and thickness of the sea ice.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, during summer there is 24 hours of daylight which lengthens the working day but these conditions are also short-lived.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_it_is_important_to_do_scientific_work_in_the_area\"><\/span>Why it is important to do scientific work in the area?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The Antarctic is intricately linked to global systems and plays a major role in influencing these systems.<\/p>\n<p>For example, climate change will cause significant melting of land-based ice in Antarctica which when added to the oceans will cause sea-level rise and disruptions to global oceanic currents. Therefore, it is critical that we obtain a better understanding of how responses of terrestrial systems, such as the Antarctic, will impact oceanic systems because ultimately changes in ocean currents will impact the oceanic food web.<\/p>\n<p>In the context of climate change, sea-level rise is a major concern as it will have global impacts for society, so it is critical that the impacts are investigated to enable society to build resilience and adapt.<\/p>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium mt-4\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Conversation<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/phys.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/scientists-in-antarctica-why-theyre-there-and-what-theyve-found-252752\" target=\"_blank\">original article<\/a>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/252752\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tScientists in Antarctica: Why they&#8217;re there and what they&#8217;ve found (2025, March 20)<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tretrieved 20 March 2025<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfrom https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-03-scientists-antarctica-theyre-theyve.html\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-03-scientists-antarctica-theyre-theyve.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain A media storm blew up in mid-March 2025 when a researcher at South Africa&#8217;s isolated Sanae IV base in Antarctica accused one of its nine team members of becoming violent. The Conversation Africa asked geomorphologist David William Hedding, who has previously carried out research from the frozen continent, about the work&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":658100,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2023\/antarctica.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-658099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=658099"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658099\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/658100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=658099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=658099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=658099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}