Desarrollo de la Antártica

Phillip Law I POSSIBILITIES POR EXPLOITATION OF ANTARCTIC RF~URCES be met by those who may wish to explore thís regíon, and this 1 shall try to do. THE SCliEJ.'lTIFIC VALUE OF ANTARCTICA Let us first consider the scientific value of Antarctica. Tlhis is due to its unique geogra.phical position on the globe. It has no counterpart in úhe NOTthern Hemisphere because, as you know, the Aretic Re– gíon surrounding the North PoIe is an oeean whereas Antaretiea is a ~Continent. This makes it an important regíon for researches in meteorology, seismology, geology, glaciology, gravity, marine biology, zoology and botany. Secondly, Antaretica is a new area of investigation and there is an immense amount of virgin material to be studied, particularly in geology, glaciology and biology. The cream :hasn't been skimmed off yet and there are many valuable observations whidh can be quite simply made. Thirdly, it is covered by a vast ice sheet similar to that which in Pleistocene times covered large areas of the temperate Northern Hemisphere and eertain areas of Australia and SO~lth America. Glaciologícal investigations of this ice are of great value to students of the history of the various ice ages which tbe Earth has experienoed. Fourthly, the presenee of the Geomagnetic Pole in the Antarctic makes the region of interest to those who are studying upper atmosp'heric physics .(which ineludes such subjects as the Aurora, Cosmic Rays and the [onosphere). Fifthly, Antaretica provides a unique, isolated, sterile laboratory for the study of bacteriological problems and for the monitoring of pol– lution, and a unique stress environment fOT those who are interested in studying physiological and psychological problems. There is no question, then, that rieh scientific dividends can be obtained from an lAntarctic investment. Further, úhe inmediate use which can be made of certain data, notably those from meteorological and ionos,pheric observations, has been found in itself to he of sufficient value to justify quite a high level of Antaretic eHort. There seems no longer to be any doubt amongst informed people as to tlhe great value and importance of such researoh. However, Cook was not to foresee such a development. Moreover, all this vague apparently unsubstantial stuff which we list as scientific research doesn't mean much to the man in the street; he wants to know what exploitable resources the Antarctic possesses. Let us, then, have a look at some of t:hese.