Voices from Antarctica

Alison Ballance finds out what it takes to live in and do science in Antarctica, in a podcast series recorded on the frozen continent in November 2019.

Hosted and produced by Alison Ballance

A centred image of Hillary Hut in the New Zealand Antarctic station of Scott Base. The hut is named in honour of Sir Edmund Hillary and was a kitset erected in 1957. It was recently repainted in its original colours of yellow and orange. Mountains can be seen in the background and 'Voices from Antarctica' text sits above against blue sky.

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Ice Flight

Ice Flight

Episode 1
Alison Ballance dons her extreme cold weather clothing for a trip to Antarctica - but getting to the frozen continent can take time.
A US Airforce C17 Globemaster on the Phoenix airfield near Scott Base and McMurdo Station on the Ross ice shelf.

Scott Base

Episode 2
Alison Ballance has her first day at New Zealand's Antarctic station, Scott Base, and visits the historic Hillary's Hut.
Hillary Hut was the first building erected at Pram Point in what would become the New Zealand Antarctic station of Scott Base. The hut is named in honour of Sir Edmund Hillary and was a kitset erected in 1957. It was recently repainted in its original colours of yellow and orange.

Flags to physics

Episode 3
Keeping Scott Base warm and well-lit no matter the weather outside, and a physics experiment that eavesdrops on messages to submarines.
Small flags mark the safe route to walk during a white-out on the sea ice in front of Scott base, Antarctica.

Best journey in the world

Episode 4
Alison Ballance meets a colony of Emperor penguins and their NIWA researchers, and finds out about making water on the frozen continent.
Emperor penguins at Cape Crozier on Ross Island. The photo was taken in mid November when the chicks were about half-grown.

Waiting for Emperors

Episode 5
Emperor penguin researchers are waiting for tagged birds to return, and an elderly radar system sheds light on a very windy part of the atmosphere.
Young Emperor penguins that haven't begun breeding are curious wanderers, interested in checking out their environment.

Seal songs

Episode 6
Alison Ballance eavesdrops on the songs of the world's southern-most mammal, the Weddell seal, and finds out about sea ice.
A Weddell Seal pup and its mother.

What the ice is saying

Episode 7
Researchers are using hot water to drill through the Ross ice shelf, to discover what has happened to Antarctic ice during previous periods of warm climates
Research camp - the large tent houses the hot-water drill, used to drill through 600 metres of ice to access the seawater below the Ross ice shelf.

Under the ice

Episode 8
Tiny plants that live on the underside of sea ice form an upside-down garden that feeds krill and is the base of the Antarctic food web.
Less than one percent of ambient light makes it through the sea ice but it is enough to trigger a bloom of ice algae in spring. Snow on the ice surface creates the darker patches.

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