Breaking the Ice: Antarctica, climate change and me

Book excerpt: Antarctica fascinates us with its awe-inspiring beauty, wildlife, and tales of the heroic age of exploration. Often described as the last frontier, this frozen continent is critical to all life on earth. Professor David Vaughan shares the excitement of his first trip to Antarctica, his passion for the ice, and his 40-year quest to solve a scientific conundrum – is the West Antarctic Ice Sheet stable and will climate change drive it into irreversible retreat. For the first time we go behind the scenes to discover what it takes to undertake polar research. “This is a gripping memoir by a pioneer in Antarctic science who did so much to uncover and communicate the rapid changes taking place on Earth’s southernmost continent. There are fascinating, funny and startling stories from forty years of expeditions taking scientific measurements in this most chilly and remote of environments. And there are insightful and moving reflections on the nature of planetary change and the inadequate political response, on collaborating across boundaries for the common good, and on facing a terminal diagnosis.” Professor Peter Stott MBE, Professor in Detection and Attribution, University of Exeter and Science Fellow, Met Office. Author of “Hot Air”.