Sky News is travelling to the Antarctic to look at the vital research taking place in one of the most vulnerable places on earth.
Science Correspondent Thomas Moore is joining scientists on the Royal Research Ship (RSS) James Clark Ross for the 1,300 mile voyage south from Punta Arenas in Chile to Rothera.
It is the site of British Atlantic Survey’s main science base on the Antarctic Peninsula.
From there we will head north again to study three fjords where glaciers that used to flow into the sea are retreating rapidly.
The aims is to understand the rapid changes Antarctica is undergoing. It is feared that if the Antarctic ice sheet melts, it could add metres sea levels, putting many low lying cities in the UK and around the world under water.
Every day, Thomas will post an update, telling the story of what he finds. Follow his story below as he explores the bottom of the world.
By Thomas Moore, science correspondent
30 December
Day one – Excitement over what lies ahead
The James Clark Ross ship which Sky News will be travelling on
The wind’s picking up in Punta Arenas and that’s not good news for our voyage south to Antarctica.
We have to cross the Drake Passage, 700 miles of notoriously rough water where the Southern Ocean is squeezed between South America and the Antarctic Peninsula.
The Captain’s predicting four-metre waves – almost the height of a double-decker bus.
The good news, he tells me, is that the James Clark Ross is a “stiff” ship, so the roll isn’t too bad.
But we’ve come prepared with pills, patches, ginger and acupressure bands. Hopefully one of those will settle our stomachs and keep us upright.
The journey is going to be cramped. Scientists and support staff that should have flown on the Dash 7 that also shuttles between Chile and the British Antarctic Survey bases are hitching a ride. The aircraft is currently marooned at a remote field station on the ice awaiting a spare part and an engineer.
So every bunk is taken, they’re working out a second sitting for meals and we’ve stashed some of our kit in the linen cupboard because space is at such a premium.
But put all that aside because there is a buzz on board the ship. Antarctica gets under your skin – so for first-timers and the returners there is huge excitement over what lies ahead.
