OLLI0068 - Antarctica: At the Heart of it All

Course Description

Antarctica is the coldest, driest, highest, windiest, brightest, loneliest, most peaceful, and least explored continent on Earth. Since its discovery 200 years ago, it has motivated a golden age of exploration and the race to the South Pole, and it continues to inspire modern scientific inquiry and governance. Despite its isolation, Antarctica is central to our understanding of the global climate and ecosystem and understanding how the Antarctic Ice Sheets are changing is key to our ability to predict how much and how fast sea level will rise in the coming years. Antarctica contains 90% of the world’s surface freshwater resources, is the site of the first arms control treaty signed during the cold war, and is the world’s largest wildlife refuge. What happens in Antarctica affects all of us on Earth, and the continent is truly at the heart of it all. This course will cover the geologic history of Antarctica, the exploration of the continent from its discovery to present day investigations, and the role that Antarctica plays in modern political systems. Watch video