1We're pleased to welcome Dr Martin Merrywhether of the Antarctic Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand
2who has come along to talk to us today about the role of the Centre and the Antarctic Treaty.
3Now my first question is about the choice of location for the centre.
4Why Christchurch? Was it because of the climate?
5Well, actually, New Zealand is the second closest country to Antarctica
6and Christchurch is often used on Antarctic expeditions.
7Right, so it's because of where we are... coupled with our historical role.
8So tell us - what is the main purpose of the centre?
9Oh well... we have two complementary roles.
10One is as a scientific base for expeditions and research
11and the other is as an information centre.
12Tell us something about the role as a scientific base.
13We're able to provide information about what scientists should take with them to the South Pole -
14for example, the centre contains a clothing warehouse
15where expeditions are supplied with suitable clothing for the extreme conditions.
16I suppose you need a bit more than your normal winter coat!
17Yes, exactly
18and then there's also the specialist library and mapping services.
19Right.
20And which countries are actually located at the centre?
21Well... the centre houses research programmes for New Zealand,
22for The United States as well as for Italy...
23there's even a US post office at the American airforce base here.
24Really?
25And what does the visitor's centre offer?
26Well, since very few people will ever experience the Antarctic first hand,
27the visitors' centre aims to recreate the atmosphere of Antarctica.
28There's a mock camp site where you can see inside an Antarctic tent and imagine yourself sleeping there.
29And the centre also acts as a showcase for the unique international co-operation
30which exists in Antarctica today.
31What is it actually like at the South Pole?
32I know you've been there on a number of occasions.
33Yes, I have and each time I'm struck by the awesome beauty of the place.
34It's magnificent
35but you can really only visit it in the summer months.
36October to March.
37Yes, because it's completely dark for four months of the year...
38and, in addition, it has to be the coldest place on earth.
39Colder than the North Pole?
40Why's that?
41Well, unlike the North Pole, which is actually a frozen sea,
42Antarctica is a land mass shaped like a dome,
43with the result that the winds blow down the slopes at speeds of up to 150 km an hour
44and that's what makes it so cold.
45And one other interesting thing is that Antarctica is the driest continent on earth,
46surprisingly, and so you have to drink large amounts of water when you're there.
47How old is Antarctica?
48Oh, we're pretty sure it was part of a larger land mass but it broke away from the rest of the continent...
49170 million years ago.
50How can you be certain of this?
51Because fossils and rocks have been discovered in Antarctica
52which are the same as those found in places such as Africa and Australia.
53Amazing... to think that it was once attached to Africa...
54Now let's just have a look at the Antarctic Treaty.
55How far back does the idea of an international treaty go?
56Well, as far back as the 19th century,
57when 11 nations organised an international event.
58When was that exactly?
59In 1870.
60And it was called the Polar Research Meeting.
61And then, not long after that,
62they organised something called the First International Polar Year.
63And that took place when exactly?
64Over two years from 1882 to 1883.
65But it wasn't until the 1950s that the idea of an international treaty was proposed.
66And in 1959, the Treaty was actually signed.
67What do you see as the main achievements of the treaty?
68Well, firstly, it means that the continent is reserved for peaceful use.
69That's Article 1, isn't it?
70Yes...
71That's important since the territory belongs to everyone.
72Yes but not as important as Article 5,
73which prohibits any nuclear explosions or waste disposal.
74Which is marvellous.
75Well, I'm afraid we're going to have to stop there because I'm afraid we've run out of time.
76Thanks for coming along today and telling us all about the centre and its work.