Introduction: Antarctica and Planet Earth

Awe-inspiring and culturally unique, Antarctica’s remoteness and extreme conditions have long challenged exploration and understanding. Its vast ice sheet conceals secrets of ancient landscapes and harbours clues to Earth’s past and future. It hosts complex ecosystems and some of the most remarkable lifeforms on our planet. The presence of a giant frozen southern continent shapes all other elements of Earth’s environment and exerts a profound influence on all its life. The connectivity of Antarctica is two-directional, however, and there is increasing evidence that planetary change and human actions are driving significant changes in Antarctica. The purpose of this book is to draw together the latest thinking and understanding of how Antarctica connects to the rest of the planet and shapes our environment, societies, and cultures, and also how our actions are exerting an ever-increasing influence on Antarctica itself. This introduction sets the scene and provides the motivation and context for this examination, which is conducted in detail in the interconnecting chapters that follow.