Journey to the End of the Earth
Tishani Doshi
Summary
This travelogue is written by Tishani Doshi. The author goes on a trip to Antarctica onboard a Russian research ship named Akademik Sholaskiy. When the author reaches, she is stunned at seeing the vastness of Antarctica. The author says that if we want to understand the present, past and future of the earth, then we must go to Antarctica.
The author explains the importance of microscopic creatures in maintaining the ecological balance. She also highlights the damage which human beings have wreaked on our planet.
Reading With Insight
Question 1: ‘The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica.’ How is the study of this region useful to us?
Answer: Antarctica was once the integral part of the great landmass called Gondwana Land. The Indian Peninsula was also one of the parts of the Gondwana Land. While other continents which were formed from drifted landmasses from the Gondwana Land have undergone massive changes over millions of years, Antarctica is more or less in pristine form. So, the author says that Antarctica still hides many mysteries of the geological history of the earth.
Question 2: What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the Students on Ice expedition?
Answer: Geoff Green was busy ferrygin rich tourists to Antarctica. But he was of the opinion that such rich people could not give back anything worth mentioning to Antarctica. So, he decided to take high school students on expedition. High school students are highly curious which is natural for their age. Such students hold the prospect of coming with new insights and such revelations can be highly useful for the mankind.
Question 3: ‘Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves.’ What is the relevance of this statement in the context of the Antarctic environment?
Answer: Phytoplanktons are tiny plants which play important role in the simple ecosystem of Antarctica. These plants make food through photosynthesis, and provide food for the whole food web of the Antarctic ecosystem. Scientists predict that slight changes in the environment would damage the ozone layer, which in turn would harm the phytoplanktons. This will prove disastrous for the whole ecosystem. Life of all the big animals, like whales and seals would be endangered. This signifies the relevance of the statement ‘take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves.’
Question 4: Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past and future?
Answer: The landmass of Antarctica is millions of years old, and it was once a part of the huge landmass called the Gondwanaland. Many continents and countries, including the Indian Peninsula were once part of the Gondwanaland. While other places have undergone massive changes due to proliferation of human beings, Antarctica is still in its pristine form. Antarctica still holds carbon records in its deeper layers. These records can reveal a lot about the geological history of the planet. So, it is true that Antarctica is the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past and future.