Life's origins a focus of polar science
- From: AAP
- August 07, 2014
ANTARCTIC scientists are unlocking the secrets of the earth's climate and may help us understand the origins of life and the universe.
BUT there are so many questions and scientists are battling various elements to answer them.Eight hundred questions, in fact, were submitted from scientists around the world to be considered by 75 Antarctic scientists and policymakers from 22 countries in Queenstown in April for priorities to be set on future research. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) has whittled that list to the 80 most pressing questions and those have been condensed to six broad themes, published in science journal Nature on Thursday. One of the themes is observing space and the universe. "The dry, cold and stable Antarctic atmosphere creates some of the best conditions on earth for observing space," a group of the SCAR scientists, including Monash University's professor of biological sciences Steven L. Chown, write in Nature. "Lakes beneath Antarctic glaciers mimic conditions on Jupiter and Saturn's icy moons, and meteorites collected on the continent reveal how the solar system formed and inform astrobiology." The other research themes are: * defining the global reach of the Antarctic atmosphere and Southern Ocean * understanding how, where and why ice sheets lose mass * revealing Antarctica's history * learning how Antarctic life evolved and survived * recognising and mitigating human influences. "Once seen as a desolate place frozen in time, Antarctica is now known to be experiencing relentless change," the Nature editorial says. "Local transformations such as the loss of ice, changes in ocean circulation and recovery of atmospheric ozone have global consequences - for climate, sea level, biodiversity and society." But the scientists warn of budget cuts' potential to ruin years of research and their own potential to spoil the pristine Antarctic environment. "More scientists will need to visit, and tourist numbers have almost tripled in the past decade to more than 34,000 a year plus support personnel. This growth increases the risk of introducing non-indigenous species and the likelihood of fuel spills that we are ill-equipped to respond to effectively." They called for the "southern polar community" to act together to maximise scientific return while minimising their human footprint.