. 24/7 Space News .
A Life Of Ice And Cold In Antarctica

Tanya with a few of the 5 million Adelie penguins that live in Antarctica. They build their nests out of pebbles which they either collect from the slopes around them, or steal from other nests! Image credit - Tanya Patrick, CSIRO
by Staff Writers
Hobart, Australia (SPX) May 30, 2007
Where do penguins go to dance? What is it really like in Antarctica? How do animals and humans survive down south? In January this year, Tanya Patrick, editor of CSIRO's kids' science magazine Scientriffic, travelled to Antarctica to find out the answers to these questions and more.

"I fell in love with Antarctica about three years ago through a friend who visited there," Tanya says.

"It seems I'm not alone! I was bombarded with nearly 1800 questions from kids across Australia. Their questions varied from the serious, such as 'How bad is global warming going to get and what will happen if the ice melts in Antarctica?', to the practical, 'Can you sleep in the summer because there's no night?' and 'How do you go to the toilet?'!"

Tanya has written about her journey and answered many of these questions in the latest issues of Scientriffic and The Helix, the magazines of CSIRO's Double Helix Science Club.

While in Antarctica, Tanya interviewed scientists working on many International Polar Year projects, from studying ancient atmosphere samples trapped in million-year-old ice cores to looking in frozen lakes for extremophiles - microorganisms that thrive in places where other creatures don't dare venture. "I flew to Ace Lake, in the Vestfold Hills, which is the largest ice-free area in Antarctica. It was an amazing sight seeing the scientists hard at work in the middle of the frozen lake," she says.

She also learnt how to build an igloo, visited an Adelie penguin colony and flew over giant glaciers on exhilarating helicopter flights.

The latest issues of Scientriffic (May/June) and The Helix (June/July) magazines feature Tanya's Antarctic stories and hands-on activities, plus a bonus poster and stickers to celebrate International Polar Year.

Tanya's trip was made possible through the Australian Antarctic Division's Arts Fellowship program.

CSIRO's Double Helix Science Club has more than 25,000 members across Australia. Members receive either Scientriffic (ages 7+) or The Helix (ages 10+) magazine every two months with science news, hands-on activities, experiments, comics, competitions and giveaways.

Email This Article

Related Links
International Polar Year at CSIRO
Beyond the Ice Age



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


Northern Sea Route Of Russia Nothing But A Dotted Line On A Map
Moscow (RIA Novosti) May 28, 2007
Debates over the Northern Sea Route, a shipping lane from the Atlantic to the Pacific along the coast of northern Russia, have been going on for many years. Local residents are sounding the alarm, scientists and journalists are crossing swords, and even MPs are worried about this problem, unable to take a nap in their comfy chairs.







  • Malaysian Astronauts Head To NASA For Training
  • Science Subcommittees Focus On Ensuring Health And Vitality Of NASA Workforce
  • Using History To Design The Future
  • Amid Turtles And Sharks, Astronauts Train For Lunar Mission

  • Spirit Continues Soil Analysis
  • Opportunity Turns Up The Amps
  • Seeking Mars Survival Secrets
  • Breathtaking Views Of Deuteronilus Mensae On Mars

  • Proton-M Carrier With US Telecom Satellite To Lift Off In June
  • Arianespace Maintains Launch Campaign Pace As Another Ariane 5 GEO Truck Takes Form
  • Microgravity Enterprises Launches Commercial Payload From New Mexico Spaceport
  • Energia Posts 220 Percent Rise In 2006 Net Profit

  • Tracking A Hot Spot In The Center Of The Biggest Ocean On Earth
  • MetOp-A Takes Up Service
  • General Dynamics Awarded Contract For NASA's Landsat Data Continuity Mission Study
  • ESA Presents The Sharpest Ever Satellite Map Of Earth

  • First Observation Of A Uranian Mutual Event
  • A Goofball Called Pluto
  • Continuing Our Jovian Journey
  • Rosetta And New Horizons Watch Jupiter In Joint Campaign

  • Metals Not Needed For Construction
  • UD Scientists Build An IceTop At The Bottom Of The World
  • Gamma-Ray Bursts Active Longer Than Thought
  • Andromeda Way Will Make For A Nice Retirement Home For Our Sol

  • No Plans To Join NASA Lunar Program Says Russian Space Agency
  • First China Mission To Moon To Launch By Year End
  • Oresme Crater Show Many Signs Of The Early Lunar Heavy Bombardment
  • US Rejected Russian Request For Joint Moon Program

  • GNSS And ESA Sign Cooperation Agreement For Satellite Navigation Technologies
  • Russian Satellite Navigation Devices On Sale This Year
  • Putin Makes Glonass Navigation System Free For Customers
  • EU Sees Public Money Saving Galileo From Drifting Off Course

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement