Antarctica: closer than you think

• Main Author: Rapley, Chris
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Natural Environment Research Council 2006
• Subjects: Marine Sciences; Meteorology and Climatology; Glaciology; Hydrology; Arctic; Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica; British Antarctic Survey; International Polar Year; IPY
• Online Access: http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/12034/; https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/12034/1/win06-antarctica.pdf; http://www.nerc.ac.uk/publications/planetearth/2006/winter/win06-antarctica.pdf

British Antarctic Survey director Chris Rapley (above) first conceived the idea of an International Polar Year back in early 2003. It has now grown into the world’s largest coordinated science programme in 50 years. While IPY will refine our knowledge of both the Arctic and Antarctic, here Chris explains the importance of Antarctica to the whole Earth system and why the planet needs IPY now more than ever.