Polar Quest

                              The Process

1. Biologist   Tracking changes in animal and plant populations due to natural and manmade influence.   Note possible effects of conditions such as global warming and expanding human populations.  Responsible for model demonstration of changing plankton “blooms,” in both arctic and Antarctic regions.   Determine what impacts the biomes and creatures that permanently or temporarily live there.  Decide which hemisphere is most stable and which is most vulnerable to change and why.  List websites appropriate to your investigation.  List web sites appropriate to other team members.  Explain uses of remote satellite sensing as a tool to study polar events and changes such as animal migrations, plankton “blooms," upwelling, and sea ice changes.

2. Geologist/paleontologist   Actively determine history of ancient life in both areas (fossil evidence) and include sea level changes and ice age events as they influenced the regions.  Record geological changes such as continental drift, magnetic polar drift, magnetic reversals, volcanism, earthquakes and erosion.  Assess what mineral resources are available at each pole and research and report on international agreements on mining, petroleum access, and human activities.  Determine the significance of Lake Vostok in the Antarctic.  Research the significance of the Transantarctic mountain range.  Compare the poles of planet Earth to Mars.  Compare continental shelf areas and nearby deep sea basins, especially as they relate to seasonal sea ice and upwelling currents.  List websites appropriate to your investigation.  List web sites appropriate to other team members.  Explain uses of remote satellite sensing as a tool to study polar events and changes.

3. Meteorologist   Determine patterns and processes of weather including influence of natural and manmade events such as volcanism, the El Nino effect, seasonal change, current upwellings, and industrialization throughout the world.  Responsible for tracking historical changes that affect climate world-wide and predictions for future events.  Determine the albedo effect on both regions compared to the open ocean and land surfaces.  Investigate snow deserts, Katabatic wind conditions, and which hemisphere is most susceptible to seasonal change.  Determine how ocean currents affect local conditions and map oceantemperatures throughout the year.  Investigate the aurora borealis and aurora australis.  List websites appropriate to your investigation.  List websites appropriate to other team members.  Explain uses of remote satellite sensing as a tool to study polar events and changes.

4. Glaciologist  Responsible for ice core studies that explain relative health and history of conditions in the areas as well as process of glacier formation and development.  Compare arctic/Antarctic glaciers with alpine glaciers.  Determine glacial changes and condition of the ice pack throughout the year, including iceberg calving and migration.  Knowledgeable about ocean currents as they influence glacial changes.  Research the potential of arctic and Antarctic meltdown on world populations and environments.  Study of albedo effect on snow fields and glaciers.  List websites appropriate to your investigation.  List web sites appropriate to other team members.  Explain uses of remote satellite sensing as a tool to study polar events and changes.

                           Universal Resource Locators:

Make use of these Internet sites for excellent information about the north and south poles:

http://www.terraquest.com/antarctica/index.html

http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/AboutAntarctica/FAQs/faq_intro.html

http://www.awi-bremerhaven.de/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/warnings/stories/

http://www.nicl-smo.sr.unh.edu/educ_links.html

http://www.nsf.gov:80/od/opp/arctic/start.htm

http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

http://www.earth.nasa.gov/ 

http://www-bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu/polarpointers/PolarPointers.html