Antarctica – The Giant Awakens 

The melting of the Antarctic ice sheet is a growing concern particularly for coastal cities such as Singapore which have been facing rising sea levels. Understanding why and how fast Antarctic ice has been changing as well as its impacts is vital to tackle the climate crisis. 

In February 2023, the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) led an expedition to Antarctica - the first scientific mission from Singapore. This new 52-minute documentary follows EOS scientists as they embark on the research expedition to understand the impacts that a frozen land thousands of kilometres from Singapore could have on sea-level rise this century.

“The EOS expedition went to observe West Antarctica’s massive ice shelves. Melting ice is a major focus of our research - where, when, how quickly - and loss from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is one of the largest contributors to global sea level rise,” said Professor Benjamin Horton, the Director of EOS, in a commentary for ChannelNewsAsia published shortly after the expedition.

"My expedition to Antarctica was a humbling experience and has brought me a renewed sense of purpose in what I do as a sea-level scientist. Our actions and climate change affect the ice sheets in Antarctica, which in turn impact us," said Dr Fang Yi Tan, a Research Fellow at EOS who was part of the expedition and shared her reflections in an EOS blog post. 

Watch this documentary as it delves into the problems of melting ice and rising sea levels. 

Trailer: