JOHOR BARU: Six scientists from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) will conduct an expedition in Antarctica on climate changes and the impact on global warming.
The team led, by the Institute of Geospatial Science and Technology director Prof Dr Mazlan Hashim, will spend 13 days doing field research in extreme weather conditions which could plunge to below minus 25°C.
The team will spend 21 days on the expedition, including travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Buenos Aries, Argentina via Dubai and back home.
The other members are Prof Dr Abdul Hafidz Omar, Dr Mohd Nadzri Mohd Reba, Dr Mohd Farid Muhamad Said, Dr Mohd Firdaus Abdul Wahab and Kamaruzaman Soeed.
“This will be the first time an expedition team from Malaysia to Antarctica is made up of entirely Malaysian scientists,’’ Dr Mazlan told reporters yesterday.
He said the focus of the expedition includes taking samples of the ocean water, earth and ice around the Antarctica, and how global climate changes affected the area.
Dr Mazlan said that previously there were Malaysian scientists involved in scientific expeditions to the Antarctica but they joined scientists from other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Britain and Chile.
“Joining scientists from other countries does not give you total freedom as they (Malaysian scientists) have to follow the schedules of the host country of the expedition,’’ he said.
Dr Mazlan said it was more expensive to join expeditions conducted by countries which already have base camps in Antarctica adding that it would cost at least RM500,000 per person.
He said the total expenditure of the UTM expedition was much lower as it only involved about RM37,000 per person and the money comes from the university research grants.
“We hope to share our findings not only with Malaysia but also with the global community,’’ said Dr Mazlan.
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