A Journey In Antarctica - Exploring The Future Of The White Continent (Popular Science Series)

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The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Foreword Contents List of Figures 1: The Continent at the End of the World A Very Peculiar Place As Isolated as It Is Possible to Be 2: A Brief History of an Arduous Discovery Heroes of the Cold Shackleton and the Human Spirit 3: Paleoclimate: Looking for the Importance of Antarctica Hidden Traces in the Ice and in the Ground Who Was in Antarctica Before Our Time? Let’s Not Forget the Eocene 4: Survival Lessons: Mars on Earth Studying Life in Space Without Leaving Earth Changes in the Imperturbable 5: Perpetually Moving Glaciers: Where Icebergs Emerge Glaciers, Source of Titans Glacier Erosion The Giants of the Sea The Effects of an Iceberg Formation of a Single Crystal 6: The Antarctic Ice Floe White on Blue The Mechanism of Life Associated with Ice Ice Comes and Goes 7: Microbes The Smallest, the Most Important Water Warming and Microbial Biota The LOHAFEX Experiment 8: Ice, Algae, Krill A World That Revolves Around Algae and Zooplankton The Fundamental Role of krill 9: Life in the Dark: A Diversity Explosion Under the Ice Surviving in the Depths of Antarctica on Ice Manna The Surprise of Antarctic Biodiversity Ice Fish 10: Birds at the End of the World Penguins: The Bird that Came in from the Cold Fliers Consequences of Climate Change and Fisheries More Palpable Dangers 11: Large Mammals of the White Continent Why Do Whales Go to Antarctica to Feed? The Real Role of Whales in the Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles Recovering from the Catastrophe Bidding for an Illegal Hunt? Seals: From Shy Crabeater to Fearsome Leopard What Happens to Seals in Winter? 12: Climate Change: Not So Isolated Climate Change in Antarctica The Antarctic Peninsula: The Most Accelerated Zone Poles Apart 13: What Happened in Larsen? A Place on the Peninsula A Unique Expedition (R/V Polarstern ANT XXVII-3) 14: Organisms and Climate Change Changes at the Base of the Chain Benthos, Fish and Stenothermia Acidification at the Poles Large Consumers 15: The Ozone Layer and Antarctica The Hole in the Ozone Layer The Effects on Fauna and Flora in Antarctica 16: Pollutants in a Pristine Place Unintentionally Polluting? Long Time Series at McMurdo 17: The Final Resort Mining in Antarctica Pharmaceuticals from the Depths of Antarctica 18: Remote Fishing Grounds Krill: Savior of Mankind? The Impoverishment of “White Gold” 19: Ecotourism and Invasive Species A Seemingly One-Time Problem The Real Problem: Invasive Species 20: The Antarctic Treaty Something Unique in the History of Mankind Who Owns Antarctica? Some Further Thoughts 21: Antarctic Bases Scientific Occupation Strategies China in Antarctica 22: Living on an Ocean-Going Icebreaker Polarstern, the World’s Largest Polar Oceanographic Vessel A Day Onboard the Polarstern Scientists Have Fun 23: The Last Bastion of an Unspoiled Planet Feeling Isolated Bouvet, the Gateway to the End of the World Visions of the Last Bastion Epilogue Bibliography Having always been fascinated by these singular landscapes, Sergio Rossi reconstructs some of the episodes that have marked the exploration of these territories, such as the dramatic race between Amundsen and Scott to conquer the South Pole, and Captain Shackleton’s odyssey to save his crew from certain death. But also modern trips including his own to these remote areas, explaining many aspects of the current science and political competition that is underway. The book leads us on an entertaining overview of all the problems and opportunities that the planet’s most forgotten continent offers to humans. A remote mass of ice upon which our future as a species depends and which we cannot continue to ignore any longer. "Having always been fascinated by these singular landscapes, Sergio Rossi reconstructs some of the episodes gthat have marked the exploration of these territories, such as the dramatic race between Amundsen and Scott to conquer the South Pole, and Capgtain Shackleton's odyssey to save his crew from certain death. But also modern trips including his own to these remote areas, explaining many aspects of the current science and political competition that is underway."--Back cover