Outer Space, Inner Antarctica

• Main Author: Rush, Caitriona
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: University of Canterbury 2003
• Subjects: Lake Vostok; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10092/14014

Antarctica, with its extreme environment, has long been used as a terrestrial analogue for other places in our universe. Areas such as Lake Vostok and the Dry Valleys for example are considered similar, in some respects, to (a Jovian moon) and Mars respectively. Scientific studies carried out on Antarctica have significantly increased our knowledge of other worlds and are paving the way for more advanced extra-terrestrial travel. Antarctica's unique environment has an added bonus in that it has become a valuable hunting ground for meteorites. These meteorites help deepen our understanding of the history and make-up of the world around us. This wealth of knowledge is not achieved without a cost however. Environmental contamination and commercialisation of meteorites are identified as two such issues when one looks at the (negative) effect modern day science has on Antarctiea's unique environment. Keywords: Antarctica, Dry Valleys, Lake Vostok, terrestrial analogue, Europa, Mars, meteorite. Antarctica, with its extreme environment, has long been used as a terrestrial analogue for other places in our universe. Areas such as Lake Vostok and the Dry Valleys for example are considered similar, in some respects, to (a Jovian moon) and Mars respectively. Scientific studies carried out on Antarctica have significantly increased our knowledge of other worlds and are paving the way for more advanced extra-terrestrial travel. Antarctica's unique environment has an added bonus in that it has become a valuable hunting ground for meteorites. These meteorites help deepen our understanding of the history and make-up of the world around us. This wealth of knowledge is not achieved without a cost however. Environmental contamination and commercialisation of meteorites are identified as two such issues when one looks at the (negative) effect modern day science has on Antarctiea's unique environment. Keywords: Antarctica, Dry Valleys, Lake Vostok, terrestrial analogue, Europa, Mars, meteorite.