Willis Resilience Expedition facts for kids

The Willis Resilience Expedition was an exciting journey to Antarctica that happened from November 2013 to January 2014. Its main goals were to learn more about how the Earth's climate is changing because of global warming and to understand risks related to weather.

The expedition was announced in August 2013. It was led by Parker Liautaud, a young adventurer who explores polar regions and works to protect the environment. Another explorer, Douglas Stoup, was also a leader. A company called Willis Group helped fund the expedition.

The team had a special 6x6 expedition truck built by Arctic Trucks. This truck carried a communications team. This team included Eyjo Furteitsson (driver and mechanic), Nathan Hambrook-Skinner (communication manager), and Paddy Scott (cinematographer).

The expedition had three main parts:

• Science. Parker Liautaud and Douglas Stoup collected snow samples across Antarctica. Scientists will study these samples to understand Antarctica's climate better and how it might change.
• World Record Attempt. Parker Liautaud tried to ski 640 kilometers (about 400 miles) from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole. He did this without outside help in 22 days, setting a new speed record for this route. At 19 years old, he also became the youngest person to ski to both the North and South Poles.
• Live Communications. The expedition had a special truck with equipment that allowed them to connect to the rest of the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This helped Paddy Scott, the cameraman, share Liautaud and Stoup's journey as it happened. He helped with live broadcasts from the Antarctic Plateau and the first live broadcast ever from the South Pole.

Antarctica: A Clue to Earth's Climate

Antarctica is one of the coldest and harshest places on Earth. But it gives scientists important clues about how our environment is changing. Its huge ice sheet holds a record of past climates. It shows how temperatures and greenhouse gases in the air have changed over hundreds of thousands of years.

Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey say that the Antarctic Peninsula is one of the fastest warming places on the planet. If Antarctica's ice sheets melt, sea levels could rise much more than expected. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) thinks sea levels might rise by 18 to 59 centimeters (7 to 23 inches) in the next 100 years.

Setting Up Weather Stations

Liautaud and Stoup set up a special lightweight weather station called the ColdFacts-3000BX. This station was made at the Delft University of Technology. It had never been tested in Antarctica before. The team placed it near Union Glacier camp. It worked for five weeks, sending weather data every 30 minutes.

Collecting Water Samples

The expedition also collected samples to study stable isotopes across Antarctica. They traveled hundreds of kilometers in areas that had not been studied before. These samples give new information about how fast Antarctic temperatures have changed recently. The samples were sent to the International Atomic Energy Agency for analysis.

Studying Tritium Across Antarctica

The team also studied how much tritium is found across Antarctica. Tritium is a radioactive form of hydrogen. Because tritium breaks down fairly quickly, it can be used to figure out the age of snow and ice up to about 150 years old. This information helps scientists understand the global water cycle better. The water cycle is closely linked to changes in climate. This was the first big study of tritium in Antarctica since its levels went back to normal after nuclear tests in the 1960s. The samples were sent to GNS Science in New Zealand for analysis.

Breaking a World Speed Record

After finishing their science work, the Willis Resilience Expedition started their speed race on December 3, 2013. Parker Liautaud and Douglas Stoup began skiing from the Ross Ice Shelf. They skied 640 kilometers (about 400 miles) to the South Pole. They crossed the Transantarctic Mountains, which can be as high as 4,500 meters (14,760 feet).

They set a new speed record for skiing from the coast to the South Pole without outside help. They broke the record set in 2011 by Christian Eide from Norway, who used a different route. Parker Liautaud also became the youngest person to reach both the North and the South Poles.

Sharing the Journey Live

The expedition truck was used to carry samples during the science part of the trip. It was also used to send live video and data online during the speed race. The communication system used special satellite equipment and cameras. However, the truck did not provide direct support to the explorers during their race to the Pole.

Another way they shared their journey was through interactive maps and information. A company called EMC Corporation provided these. They showed the data collected during the expedition in a fun and easy-to-understand way.