Secrets of the Ice: Antarctica's Clues to Climate, the Universe, and the Limits of Life - Hardcover

Meduna, Veronika

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0300187009 ISBN 13: 9780300187007

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2012

Synopsis

Sweeping research on the frozen continent of Antarctica is yielding insights of global importance.

Antarctica is the only continent without permanent human habitation, yet it may hold the key to our survival. More than just a frontier for exploration, Antarctica is now understood to be a crucial part of a global climate and environment. Each year hundreds of scientists travel to the bottom of the world to investigate the climate, examine the continent's hardy life forms, and seek answers to far-reaching questions about the universe. Veronika Meduna has accompanied some of them on their expeditions, and in this engaging book she tells their stories and explains their dramatic discoveries.

In remote field camps and icy laboratories on the frozen continent, geologists and glaciologists learn about past temperatures and levels of greenhouse gases, and about the implications of today's climate change for the future. Some scientists study migration patterns of emperor penguins as others focus on the antifreeze inside endemic fish species. Still others investigate the microbial "masters of survival" that may help to reveal how life evolved on Earth and what it may look like on other planets. In compelling, everyday language, Meduna provides a firsthand view of the wide range of scientific activity in Antarctica today along with fascinating portraits of the intrepid men and women conducting it. More than 150 stunning color photographs complete this arresting book.

About this title

About the Author:

Veronika Meduna, one of New Zealand's best-known science journalists, is a producer and presenter for Radio New Zealand's weekly science and environment program. She lives in Wellington, New Zealand.

From Booklist:

In this generously illustrated overview of international scientific research in Antarctica, science journalist Meduna puts readers at the heart of exploration’s new wave in a place that has captivated human interest since its discovery. In passionate prose, she details discoveries in a wide range of disciplines, including geology, biology, and glaciology. The work of men and women present and past is discussed and detailed as an overall picture emerges of the continent’s significant place in longtime climate studies. With a particular emphasis on wildlife, especially penguins, Meduna’s tour de force captures the powerful appeal of field research and its potential to educate us and prepare us for the future. Filled with dozens of photographs that showcase the breathtaking scenery and challenging environment, Meduna’s exceptionally well-crafted volume is both a large, welcoming, browsable book and a serious scientific resource. --Colleen Mondor

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0300187009
• ISBN 13: 9780300187007
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 232