 Price$150 |  Duration2 hours |  DeliveryOnline |  StartsAnytime |
About this course
Explore Antarctica's ice, from the high interior plateau to the floating shelves, icebergs and seasonal sea ice at the coast. The course follows the ice from the interior to the sea, then examines how ice cores and seafloor sediments record Earth's climate history and what monitoring and modelling suggest about the future.
This comprehensive short course is part of the Antarctic Insights Course Series, an educational partnership between HX and the University of Tasmania's Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS). The series brings peer-reviewed polar science to anyone with an interest in the far south, whether you are preparing for a voyage, remembering one, or simply curious. This course stands alone, so no prior HX | UTAS study is required.
The course is organised into four parts and closes with what can be done, from emissions reductions and proposed climate interventions to everyday actions. Interviews with researchers sit alongside the written sections. Where a topic is covered in more depth elsewhere, you will be directed to the relevant companion course.
The course takes around two hours to complete. By taking this course, you are helping to fund the next generation of Antarctic researchers. A portion of your enrolment supports travel grants that enable researchers to reach departure ports, join HX expedition vessels and conduct new research, contributing to Antarctica's future as a continent for peace and science.
Course Structure
Follow Antarctica's ice from the high interior plateau to the open ocean, and see why it matters for global sea level.
This part explains how snow becomes ice and flows through glaciers into floating ice shelves and icebergs. It looks at how satellites monitor the ice sheets, why parts of West Antarctica are of particular concern, and why Antarctica is the largest source of uncertainty in projections of sea level rise.
Discover how the ocean's frozen skin forms, moves and shapes climate, ocean circulation and Antarctic wildlife.
This part covers the physics of sea ice formation and melt, and its role in reflecting sunlight, driving deep ocean circulation and providing breeding habitat for emperor penguins and ice seals. It also introduces the field and satellite methods used to observe sea ice, and what climate models project for its future.
See how ice cores and seafloor sediments reveal Antarctica's climate history, and what that record suggests about the future.
This part explores how scientists read the past from ice cores and marine sediments, from the growth of the ice sheet around 34 million years ago to the glacial cycles that followed. It then turns to projections of future sea level rise and to potential tipping points in the ice sheets, sea ice, ocean circulation and ecosystems.
Consider what can be done, from global emissions reductions to the steps individuals and visitors can take.
This part sets out the Paris Agreement targets and the role of net zero emissions, then examines proposed climate interventions relevant to Antarctica, including ocean iron fertilisation, solar radiation management and glacial geoengineering, along with the ethical questions they raise. It closes with practical ways to act as an informed steward of Antarctica.
What you will learn
Learn how Antarctica's ice forms and moves, how scientists monitor it and reconstruct its history, what current research reveals about its contribution to sea level rise, and which interventions and everyday actions can help protect its future.
You can work through the four parts at your own pace, in one sitting or one part at a time. The course includes interviews with researchers, a glossary to help you understand specialist terminology, and a quiz that allows you to test your understanding. Completing the quiz with a score of 50% or higher makes you eligible for a Certificate of Completion, and you can attempt the quiz as many times as you like.
You can also combine this course with others in the Antarctic short course series to build your own bespoke Antarctic learning journey.
Interested in further study?
Expand your Antarctic knowledge with our Antarctic Insights Course Series.