and explore world heritage sites. t.w. world heritage $360.00 get me out now. i'm not laughing at the germans because sometimes they are placed on nothing with the do the job and they think into the general culture. you don't seem to think there's grandma there you go it's all about who they are no time rachel join me for me to get my feet up both . you and. your doctor the coldest continent on earth. a fragile ecosystem that we're only just beginning to understand. this climate change threatening the penguin colony is here. to get the sort of some of the species don't exist anywhere else if they

disappear that'll be that's. always global warming changing the face of an arctic and the lives of its inhabitants. and it even this far flung part of the world is being affected by climate change. scientists here are searching for solutions to one of the greatest environmental threats of our time. to do that they're prepared to forgo natural light for months on end. s.m.i. seeing the sun again was amazing everyone went out to take a lot snow. for this report we traveled to germany southern most scientific research facility.

we're taking a direct flight from cape town south africa to antarctica. there's just time for a quick farewell photo that we board a russian built transport aircraft. along with scientists and technicians from 10 different countries. technician holga shubert is heading for the new maya research station. the hardly a new comer he's looking forward to the visit. once he does come up with or you can see the normal station when we fly over the gray and the icebergs it's all fantastic. i've been doing this for 19 years now so it's a bit like coming home because you know it's not. all go and the rest of the passengers change into the cold weather gear. the plane's russian crew took off from an asphalt runway now they're getting ready to

land on a sheet of ice. a religious icon just to be on the safe side. the lead to is perfect. and the other german experts had originally planned to travel straight on to the new maya station about 700 kilometers away but they'll have to wait. venue all with get all the ship will unload the equipment check everything here and then stay here for a few days. he can't go now that you know the weather at 9 miles really bad we can't get there. it's not exactly clear how long they'll be stuck here. they don't need bussy like i was driving to new arrivals to a russian research station called noble outside it. it's also known as the oasis the station on. and in 1961. relics from the early

days of antarctic research. the russian station is located on one of the few parts of antarctica not completely covered with ice. inside it's pretty cozy you can also watch russian state t.v. . says. the station staff are happy to welcome stranded guests. and. there you go i spent most of his adult life work arctic and antarctic. back in the 1980 s. . my had to spend the winter at the north pole. my wife was pregnant at the time my daughter was born while i was away i held her in my arms for the 1st time when she was 8 months old. the antarctic contains about 90 percent

of the earth's supply of fresh water much of it in the form of glaciers. antarctica also has the world's coldest climate. one of the russians take some of the german visitors to visit a beautiful ice cave. the only way to get inside is to crawl on all fours. in the ice here thousands of years old this part of the white continent appears blue. temperatures can on rare occasions even drop to minus 58. on the coast of

antarctica. the cold doesn't bother these adelie penguins which are common along the entire antarctic coast. they're not used to seeing strangers and they come over to investigate. these and see and or your dailies in particular are very curious because they'll come right up to you and they're lots of fun to have around some of them talk to each boss. now 3 days later we're finally on our way to the neumeyer station located on the xterm ice shelf in east antarctica. and then all of a sudden there it is the german research they should. the

staff who have spent the winter here give the new arrivals a warm welcome. the equipment has to be unloaded quickly the pilots want to take off while the weather is still good. on the station has been cut off from the outside world for 8 months old home the facility looks like a space ship on stilts. for many of the staff this is the 1st time on the continent including dr begich tecla where. the medicine is for when you 1st arrive you'll sort of overwhelmed by the fact that you're in antarctica but this place has been made as german is this possible for better or for worse or not i'm glad. you can help yourself to typical german candy for instance. and in the well stocked pantry you can find food products that are available in any german supermarket. dr

be a good striker bagus used to carrying out complex operations but up to now she's only had to carry out routine checks. yeah yeah we don't have any insects here or any flu viruses we just have contact with the same people. but in some cases when these people return home and encounter normal circumstances they'll find that their stay here has affected their immune system. their camp and had. to get worked as a surgeon at a hospital and one off for more than 20 years but was intrigued by a newspaper ad about a job offer at the new maya station. she took the position after her 4 grown children gave their approval. i asked myself whether i wanted to spend the rest of my career until my retirement doing the same morning rounds at the hospital. perhaps it was time for something new i still want to know. the outdoor

working conditions are extreme. every day scientists. and most of our set off to do their research on penguins. although we always take a long emergency supplies including a tent. the ice here extends 200 meters beneath the surface. a few kilometers away we see the 1st ice floes large expanses of white that float on the sea surface there's nothing here but ice. and emperor penguins. these birds right in this harsh habitat.

are studying this penguin colony on behalf of the german government's environment agency. the birds breed in the extreme cold of the antarctic winter the scientists are monitoring the chicks feed. and using it is one of. the things from at this point they've grown quite a bit. and the parents often leave them alone while they go to look for food. from the us just you know now the chicks are slowly starting to form groups amongst themselves and that will give them some protections there's a. lot are going to launch a drone to help them count how many penguins are in the colony. all. because the camera takes photographs at specific intervals ideally those pictures should have quite

a bit of overlap so that afterwards we can take the photos and piece them together . preliminary estimates put the population of this colony at about 26000. the penguins migrate to the frozen sea ice every year to breed and raise their young. but some experts say that climate change could threaten the birds existence. explains why. do you think. for this particular colonies there is a real risk that the structure of the sea ice that they bring it on will change if the temperature rises on the ice receipts or breaks up earlier than expected the penguins breeding season will be cut short or maybe they'll have no place to breed at all. that could threaten. feature of the entire colony hit.

it's important to us that people in germany for example find out what is happening here and realize we need to protect these. does something has to be done now not in 30 is yesterday. was. penguins have hardly any natural enemies in the antarctic. 2 during the summer months emperor penguins forage the icy waters for food. after breeding the male incubates the female single egg during some of the harshest winter weeks. the researchers often find the carcasses of penguin chicks that have died in extreme cold. alexander vento and ben one of alice take the birds body back to their lab to try to determine the cause and time of death. if indeed it is the use of by that

i mean they probably died 2 or 3 months ago does she but you can tell by their size . these entire bodies are frozen so they've been well preserved this is of a god he's a lot of the chicks die young in these extreme conditions cells if it's really tough here. it's enough hard to do more in here we found a lot of dead chicks than what the same size we suspect that they died at same time maybe in a storm. but despite the deaths of many chicks the colonies population has remained fairly stable for years. alexander and ben wa are looking for some penguins that they tagged years ago either with g.p.s. devices or rings on their feet. that data will help researchers find out how far the birds traveled to find food. if you are you.

we're going to but today the researchers only come across more dead chicks. this summer taught. this one probably died recently. doing maybe just a few weeks ago. will measure the carcass be clanks a wing length and the weight to determine their age the time of death 2 years of age and said why did he just a. few other penguin colonies are studied as extensively as this one. thermal imaging cameras and high resolution lenses record the bird's movements especially during the winter months when they huddle together. as cool it seems from. the a movie each bird has to use as little energy as possible during the winter breeding season deceiving that's why they try to optimize their position in the

colony. and you know what's fascinating is that the creatures manage without any hierarchy anyone telling them what to do to rotate their position in the group you know very orderly and collective way of being. the researchers are concerned about the impact of global warming on the antarctic sea ice because it could permanently damage the fragile ecological balance in the region. then get us if we meet the 1.502 degree target agreed in the paris convention so we can save these pads if not they'll be extinct by 2100 at the latest poll all. the noise by a station requires year round make it so. the snow is being moved to the facilities underground garage and storage area to help shore up the bases of the 16 hydraulic columns on which the structure stands.

every year the technical crew raises the columns by about $100.00 centimeters to keep the structure above the surface of the snow and ice. is mad the idea is i like the way that science and technology interact here i science needs technology but without science there would be no technology to take anything. every year to get the snow grooming machines ready for the summer season . time is of the essence there are hundreds of kilometers of snow roads that need to be leveled but 1st the machines need a tutor and it's minus 15 degrees out here today. as it's done so when it's really cold it's better to work in pairs so you can keep an eye on each other's faces and look around for any signs of frostbite commitment or fair city. the researchers have adapted well to the extreme conditions.

electrical engineer told mashad has to keep everything up and running. one of his most important tasks is to collect fresh snow and convert it into drinking water. as oysters for your actual come from the snow that we brought in is melting now i want to temperature is about 6 to greece. id in 2 hours also thank you. thomas knows the station inside and out. during the long winter months the skeleton crew has to be self duties the maintenance of the sewage and waste water treatment equipment. is declared to be used purified waste water in the flush toilets and the water so clean that you could drink it at least in theory of trying to paint ball there. this is the station's heating system which keeps the facility at room temperature even during

the coldest days. the system is powered by 3 diesel generators the power plant also makes use of any waste heat that's generated outside a wind turbine brings in even more electricity. but up to now renewables only account for a quarter of the station's energy needs. as this all. go from there are. both. working on introducing more wind energy and harnessing other sustainable resources. in building but it's very difficult in these conditions. with these extreme temperatures and storms that. the wind turbine often ices up.

marcus schumacher is an atmospheric chemist. he has to walk a kilometer and a half every day to reach a site where he takes no samples. but he's going to pound this plastic tube into the snow. afterwards the sample will be carefully packed and shipped to germany for analysis. these tests are aimed at determining how new snow turns into glacial ice over time. marcos says it's pretty solitary work. and it's also. you spend a lot of time by yourself out here in the middle of nowhere. and the weather conditions are extreme. d.v.d. . to the temperature can drop to minus 40 and there's the wind chill in fact it's been dubbed by. marcos works at his own building which houses the air chemistry

observatory. he monitors the presence of greenhouse gases in the into arctic atmosphere. we have big pumps that feed into 4 different filtration systems. marcos records the increase and particles for example during large fires in the amazon rain forest. but his main focus is on carbon dioxide and other compounds that can damage the earth's atmosphere. he admits that's so you will measure the c o 2 and then capture the molecules in a sodium hydroxide solution. this milky liquid here that's a good this is. by analyzing the individual atoms marquess can determine where the carbon dioxide comes from. overall he seen

a significant rise in c o 2 levels known to be a major contributor to global warming just this short. list d.p. increase doesn't just represent a serious problem for the areas where these gases are produced the industrial regions of the northern hemisphere so i think you would see. those materials have now spread around the world and we've even found them here in. antarctica. and i have to say that. for years scientists like mark course have been calling attention to the increase in greenhouse gases but politicians have failed to take action. it is a shake and these are unsure the it's a scary situation because we've had there's an increase and we actually know what impact it will have it was a good just not despite our best efforts no one is willing to stand up and do something to try and stop and think it's 156 for scientists that's not any scary

it's really depressing if you take your measurements collect your data and your point your findings and those facts the just ignored is a bit unfair because of it. this prostration is why ma course organized what is almost certainly the world southern most climate change protest. pinas colleagues here at noise by a station wanted to show their support for young people around the world who are also taking part in demonstrations or you think asking them to. do it as a reason kids may be at the far end of the planet but even this far flung part of the world is being affected by climate change. a photograph with symbolic power moving. meteorologist mitchell koch is responsible for determining what impact global warming might already be having on the antarctic atmosphere. for his

research he collects data that include wind speed solar radiation and the reflective properties of the ice crust. german scientists have been taking such measurements in the antarctic since the early 1980 s. . these reports are sent to the un. intergovernmental panel on climate change. speaking and when we talk about climate we have to look at data over a period of at least 30 years. one year's worth of information simply isn't enough given so many feel i can just. hear michelle is getting ready to launch a weather balloon it goes up every morning at 11 o'clock and measures air temperature and the density of the ozone layer to an altitude of up to 30 kilometers. michelle says that so far his data show no evidence of global warming

at this specific spot. and just starts on. messing me up somebody should be at the station we haven't recorded any changes in temperature feel feed of i don't know any other research stations in antarctica i haven't either. but there has been a sizable increase in temperature in the antarctic peninsula. the act arctic peninsula is the northernmost part of the continent research out there has shown this rise in temperatures has led to accelerate a glacial melting. if it's coupled with ocean warming this could have a serious impact on the sea ice where penguins live and breathe. ocean warming could also further accelerate the melting of the glaciers. this would contribute to rising global sea levels. the scientists at the new maya station are making a substantial contribution to the complex research required in these fields.

but they're also studying how to grow vegetables and other produce in this harsh environment. this is the eden i assess project a high tech greenhouse that may 1 day provide astronauts with the technology they'll need to cultivate plants during extended space missions. and i never got off you've been here for a. few weeks in the darkness and you've only seen white it's a wonderful experience coming in here with the smell it makes you think of being on vacation in italy when you were in the window it's great that. tomatoes peppers and cucumber scroll without soil. the plants exposed roots are sprayed with a nutrient solution. this is. this is a real luxury for us indeed since june we've been able to serve fresh less this every evening. so we added tomatoes and cucumbers people love it. on their few

florida but i. says that this is probably the world's southern most vegetable garden. but. after the 1st tavis we celebrated. we used to have less is flown in from cape town but we hadn't had any for at least a month so this was a real event for people is saying finally something green. eggs. here talking to us even preparing a dish with fresh pesto made with basal beads from the greenhouse. the other ingredients come from the freezer. the researchers here are laying the groundwork for the development of plant cultivation technology that may be used in the future on board the international space station. there will be a. cutoff you know enjoys her work at new myra but she does get homesick sometimes

. my oldest nephew got married recently but i had to stay here. i wish i could have been there i really wanted to go so you do miss your loved ones once a month i miss the. sport is one distraction. regular work out of the research stations gym help keep the staff in good physical and mental shape. geophysicist it korg tries to get everyone involved. in this kind of mission and you. i can't just sit around for a whole year and do nothing. so we all ended up coming down here she was a good buy yes it's time to get mine done but 1st it was really hard and we all could just eat it but now we love her even give me what i did addition i didn't have a. staff at the new maya station can also look forward to

a drink at the end of the day. but they have to accept they'll have the same drinking buddies for months on end. if you prefer to avoid people you don't belong here. abouts is this invading your a small group. does not we all depend on each other. we have to help each other. and we really need to have a strong team spirit team to some note if barked. and so ends another day of the noise by a station a unique research facility located in one of the coldest and most remote places on earth.

how do people survive in one of the driest places on earth. for thousands of years they used melt water from the glaciers. but climate change is forcing people in the dark to find other solutions artificial mini glaciers made in winter now supply the valley with water. in 30 minutes on d w. the feel of a small u.s. town in southern spain. and the u.s. marine base in europe. it was established during the era of dictator franco and became an enclave of freedom. folks remember the good old days and the music they used to enjoy in their youth. group to roll. 75

on t.w. . every journey begins with the 1st step and every language with the 1st word published in the group. nico is in germany to learn german one o one with him simple online on your mobile and free to suffer from d w z learning course nikos free german made easy to get out of. this is the news and these are our top stories huge crowds have gathered in tehran to mourn the country's top general qassam sulaimani he was killed by u.s. drone strike in baghdad so the money successor is vowing to expel american forces from the middle east and respond. in an important advance forces loyal to libyan rebel general say they have taken the city of sirte of the coastal city

is located midway between the capital tripoli and benghazi.