Casey+Base+-+Isabella

=** What research are they currently undertaking there? **= = **How do the scientists or other people live there?** = = **What is the range of temperature experienced there?** = = **What wildlife is found near there?** = = **How would you travel to and from Australia to reach the base station?** = = media type="youtube" key="qD3jxSIxlBQ" height="349" width="425" = =__Introducing Antarctica__= Antarctica is the coldest, driest and windiest place on Earth. It is also the 5th largest continent on Earth with an area of 14 million km2. Antarctica is considered a desert because of such little rain there and not because it is extremely hot in fact it is the opposite. 98% of Antarctica is covered in ice. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica is -89 °C and the highest temperature ever recorded is 14.6 °C. Antarctica holds 70% of the world's fresh water and if Antarctica melted the sea level would rise 60 to 65 metres but scientist predict that it would be 7000 years until Antarctica melts. The first explorer on Antarctica was Roald Amundsen. The Name Antarctica comes from the Greek word 'Arktiki' meaning 'opposite of the north'.

__History Behind__ __Ca____sey__ __Base__
Australia took over Wilkes Base in January 1959.Casey Base was built in replacement of Wilkes Base. They rebuilt Wilkes Base because it was getting buried deep in snow that was quickly turning into ice. The Australian Government started rebuilding Wilkes Base in 1964. They called the project 'repstat' they located the new base 2km from the Wilkes Base. The new base was able to be used in February 1969 and then 'repstat' was then renamed case base. Casey base was named after Richard Casey. Richard Casey was the Governor General at the time who was a committed supporter of the Repstat project. Casey base was then official open in 1988. This is a picture of Richard Casey

**__Training__**
You must travel to Hobart, Australia to under take your training. Different training depends on the work you will be conducting in Antarctica. If you don't attend the training you have been assigned to you will be prevented from traveling to Antarctica. But in exceptional cases an exemption may be given. The compulsory training that is under taken by everyone that goes to Antarctica day includes use and care of clothing, field equipment, field trip procedures, survival techniques, self rescue, basic navigation, radio procedures, safety around bases and aircrafts and environmental responsibilities. Some field training must be under taken in Antarctica and others in Hobart, Australia.

__Casey____Base Studies__
Casey Base studies the law dome, ice core, glaciology, human impact, medicine and climate change. The law dome is large ice dome that is 1395 metres high. The main study there is ice core studies. In ice core studies scientists drill ice sometimes kilometres deep and study it in hope of discovering something to do with the changes of the atmosphere in the past.

What Scientists Have Already Discover in Ice Core Studies
Scientist studying ice core have discovered that when temperatures are warmer the carbon dioxide and methane levels are higher. At the present time in history methane and carbon dioxide are much higher than they ever were in the past 800 000 years due to the burning of fossil fuels. Anther big discovery is that climate change can happen very fast for example in the past the climate has changed from ice age to warm condition in less than ten years.

__Wild Life Seen At Casey Base__
There is a variety of different types of animals seen at Casey Base which these are only four the Adelie penguin, Emperor penguin, Elephant seal and Leopard seal.

__Adelie Penguins__

 * Weight || 3-6 kg ||
 * Height || 70cm and under ||
 * Life expectancy || 10-20 years ||
 * Breeding season || October-March ||
 * Eggs || 2 eggs ||
 * Diet || Krill, fish, amphipods ||
 * Predators || Skuas, Leopard seals ||

__ Emperor Penguins __
 * Weight || Up to 40kg ||
 * Height || Up to 1.15 metres tall ||
 * Life expectancy || 15-40 years ||
 * Breeding season || April-June ||
 * Diet || Fish, krill, some species of squid ||
 * Predators || Skuas, gulls, giant petrals ||

__Elephant Seals__

 * Weight || 40-3000kg 40kg at birth ||
 * Length || 1.5-6 metres ||
 * Life expectancy || 20-22 years ||
 * Breeding season || September-November ||
 * Diet || Fish, squid ||
 * Predators || Great white sharks, killer whales ||

__Leopard Seals__

 * Weight || 320-500kg babies 30kg ||
 * Length || 2-3 metres ||
 * Life expectancy || 26 years ||
 * Breeding season || November-Febuary ||
 * Diet || Penguins, fish, squid, crustaceans, seals ||
 * Predators || Killer whales ||

__Living at Casey Base__

This is what Casey Base looks like from the air.

This is a normal bedroom in Casey Base.

During the summer in Antarctica about 150 people stay at Casey Base but during the winter only about 20 people stay at Casey Base.

__Buildings and Rooms__
If you look at the picture above of Casey Base from the air you will see a red building, that red building is the main living area. Inside of the red building is indoor climbing, a home theatre, a gym, photographic dark room, a library and lots of community sitting areas for the people staying there. There is also a local supermarket called 'Woollies' for people staying in Casey Base to get soap and stuff. In normal supermarket you have to pay but in Casey Base's supermarket Woollies you don't need to pay because there is not money in Antarctica. Casey Base also has a hydroponic building growing things like lettuce, green vegetables, tomatoes and herbs.

__Bedrooms__
In Casey Base everyone gets their own room but a bathroom is shared between three people. During winter there is not enough water for everyone to have long shower so sometimes it is limited to two minute showers every two days.

__ **Helping the Community** __ Casey Base is very communal everyday everyone who stays at Casey Base has a chore to help the community work. For example there is a job that they call slushy duty which is helping the chef cook to feed the base. There are all sorts of thing they do to help out such as vacuuming the living area, shovelling snow and cleaning the cold porches.

__Environment__
In Antarctica it is rare to see plants or bacteria but very close to Casey Base there is an ASPA (Antarctic Specially Protected Area ) which has mosses and lichen growing there so Casey Base is able to study it easily.

**__Weather__**
The highest ever recorded wind gust in Antarctica was 240.8 km/h. The lowest ever temperature ever recorded in Antarctica was -89.2°C. The highest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica was 14.6°C. The average temperature yearly in Antarctica is -9.1°C.

__Travelling to Antarctica__
As you can see Antarctica is quiet close to Australia from Hobart. In Australia you can travel to Antarctica by ship or plane. Traveling to and from Antarctica can take up to 14 days. Anyone who doesn't show up on time to leave will be excluded from attending this magnificent journey.

__Traveling By Ship__
Everyone traveling to Antarctica must attend a compulsory voyage briefing. It is usually held on the day before sailing.

__Traveling By Air__
Everyone traveling by air to Antarctica must attend a compulsory flight briefing. The flight briefing is usually held on the day before flight.