Journey to the End of the Earth 12

Chapter: Journey to the End of the Earth
Author: Tishani Doshi

 

Paragraph 1:

Early this year, I found myself aboard a Russian research vessel — the Akademik Shokalskiy — heading towards...

Explanation:
The author, Tishani Doshi, begins by describing her journey to Antarctica. She travels on a Russian research ship called Akademik Shokalskiy. She starts from Madras (now Chennai), which is 13.09° north of the Equator. To reach Antarctica, she crosses nine time zones, six airport checks, three oceans, and many types of natural environments (ecospheres).

Word Meanings:

• Research vessel – a ship used for scientific study
• Ecospheres – different natural zones like forests, oceans, etc.

 

 Paragraph 2:

By the time I actually set foot on the Antarctic continent...

Explanation:
After more than 100 hours of travelling by car, plane, and ship, the author finally reaches Antarctica. Her first feelings are relief and awe. She is amazed by the huge white land, the blue sky, and how India and Antarctica were once connected long ago.

 

Paragraph 3:

Six hundred and fifty million years ago, a giant amalgamated southern supercontinent — Gondwana...

Explanation:
This part talks about Earth's geological history. About 650 million years ago, there was one big landmass called Gondwana, which included India and Antarctica. At that time, there were no humans, and the climate was warmer, supporting many plants and animals. After 500 million years, this landmass broke apart into different continents.

Word Meanings:

• Amalgamated – combined
• Gondwana – ancient supercontinent
• Thrived – grew successfully

 

Paragraph 4:

To visit Antarctica now is to be a part of that history...

Explanation:
When we go to Antarctica, we can understand how Earth changed over time. We learn about mountains, rocks, ozone layer, carbon, and how life evolved and went extinct. For example, India moved northward and hit Asia, forming the Himalayas. South America moved and created a cold water current that keeps Antarctica frozen.

Word Meanings:

• Cordilleran folds – mountain ranges
• Pre-Cambrian granite – very old rocks
• Circumpolar current – cold ocean water around Antarctica

 

 Paragraph 5:

For a sun-worshipping South Indian like myself...

Explanation:
The author, being from warm South India, finds it hard to live in a freezing place like Antarctica. It’s like being inside a giant white ball with no trees or buildings. Time feels different here, and the sun never sets during summer, creating 24-hour daylight. There is a deep silence, and this environment makes people reflect on Earth’s long history.

Word Meanings:

• Ubiquitous – everywhere
• Calving – ice breaking from glaciers
• Perspective – sense of distance or size

 

 Paragraph 6:

Human civilisations have been around for a paltry 12,000 years...

Explanation:
Humans have only existed for 12,000 years — a short time in Earth's history. Yet we have caused great harm by building cities and burning fossil fuels. This has created a layer of carbon dioxide that is warming the Earth and melting ice. Antarctica can help us understand climate change because it has old ice layers with carbon records.

Word Meanings:

• Paltry – very small
• Unmitigated – uncontrolled
• Fossil fuels – coal, oil, gas

 

 Paragraph 7:

Students on Ice, the programme I was working with...

Explanation:
The author joined the ‘Students on Ice’ programme led by Canadian Geoff Green. He takes high school students to Antarctica to teach them about nature and climate change. Earlier, he used to take rich tourists, but he realized that students can learn, absorb, and take action to protect the planet.

 

 Paragraph 8:

The reason the programme has been so successful...

Explanation:
Antarctica deeply impacts everyone who visits. People may ignore climate change when sitting at home, but when they see melting glaciers and collapsing ice, they realize how serious the problem is.

 

 Paragraph 9:

Antarctica, because of her simple ecosystem...

Explanation:
Antarctica has a very basic ecosystem with few species. It is a good place to study how small changes can lead to big effects. For example, phytoplankton (tiny sea plants) support the entire ocean food chain and help with photosynthesis, which removes carbon dioxide. If the ozone layer is damaged, it can harm phytoplankton, affecting the whole world.

Word Meanings:

• Phytoplankton – microscopic plants in the sea
• Photosynthesis – plants making food using sunlight

 

 Paragraph 10:

My Antarctic experience was full of such epiphanies...

Explanation:
The author had many eye-opening moments. The most memorable was when the ship got stuck in ice and everyone got off to walk on the frozen ocean. Beneath them was just a thin layer of ice, and below that, deep seawater. She saw seals resting on ice like stray dogs — a reminder of the connection between all life.

Word Meanings:

• Epiphany – sudden realization
• Gangplank – a small bridge to get off a ship
• Crabeater seals – a kind of seal in Antarctica

 

 Final Paragraph:

Nine time zones, six checkpoints...

Explanation:
After such a long journey, the author reflects on how fragile and beautiful Earth is. She wonders what will happen in the future — will Antarctica become warm again? Will humans survive? She feels hopeful because the students she traveled with truly want to save the world. A single day or action can make a big difference.

 

 

 Word Meanings (Paragraph-wise)

Para 1–2:

• Aboard – on a ship
• Research vessel – a ship used for scientific studies
• Expansive – very wide
• Profound – deep, strong
• Amalgamated – joined or combined
• Ecospheres – different natural environments
• Immensity – vastness, greatness
• Landmass – a large area of land

Para 3–4:

• Thrived – grew or flourished
• Cordilleran folds – mountain folds in Earth’s crust
• Pre-Cambrian – very ancient geological time
• Mind-boggling – hard to believe, confusing
• Jamming – pressing tightly

Para 5–6:

• Ping-pong ball – metaphor for a white, round, smooth surface
• Ubiquitous – everywhere
• Calving – when ice breaks off from glaciers
• Consecrates – makes something sacred or special

Para 7–9:

• Paltry – very small
• Unmitigated – uncontrolled, total
• Foster – encourage or develop
• Blasé – uninterested or unimpressed
• Repercussions – consequences or effects

Para 10–12:

• Phytoplankton – microscopic sea plants
• Photosynthesis – the process by which plants make food using sunlight
• Epiphanies – sudden realizations
• Gangplank – a small bridge used to get off a ship
• Crabeater seals – seals found i Antarctica

 

 Explanation (Simple English)

Introduction:
Tishani Doshi travels to Antarctica on a Russian research ship called the Akademik Shokalskiy. She starts her journey from Chennai and travels for over 100 hours to reach the coldest, driest, and windiest continent on Earth.

History and Geology:
Antarctica helps us understand Earth's history. Millions of years ago, all the continents were part of one supercontinent called Gondwana. Over time, it broke into pieces to form the continents we know today. Antarctica still carries traces of that ancient time.

Geographical Wonders:
Antarctica is huge and very different. It has no trees, buildings, or people — just endless ice and silence. This makes it the best place to study Earth's geology and climate.

Human Impact:
Humans have existed for only 12,000 years but have already caused a lot of damage. Global warming, caused by burning fossil fuels, is melting ice and increasing Earth’s temperature. Antarctica holds old carbon records in its ice, which help scientists study climate change.

Students on Ice:
The author joins the Students on Ice program that takes students to Antarctica. It was started by Geoff Green, who believed students should experience nature directly to care for the planet.

Final Realization:
Walking on the frozen ocean and seeing nature so closely made the author realize how everything on Earth is connected. Even small things, like phytoplankton, affect the entire food chain and carbon cycle.

 

Questions and Answers

1. ‘The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica.’ How is the study of this region useful to us?

Answer:
Antarctica helps us understand how the Earth looked millions of years ago. It shows how continents were once connected and later broke apart. It also holds ice with carbon records, which help scientists study climate change and predict the future.

 

2. What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the Students on Ice expedition?

Answer:
Geoff Green believed that students are the future decision-makers. By taking them to Antarctica, he wanted them to see the effects of climate change with their own eyes and become more responsible towards the environment.

 

3. ‘Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves.’ What is the relevance of this statement in the context of the Antarctic environment?

Answer:
This means that small creatures like phytoplankton are very important. If they are affected, the whole food chain and climate can be disturbed. By protecting small organisms, we protect the whole planet.

 

4. Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past and future?

Answer:
Antarctica has been untouched by human life and holds ancient ice layers with valuable climate data. It shows how Earth changed over millions of years, how humans are affecting it now, and what may happen in the future due to global warming.