Press Release
Monday, May 15, 2000
Antarctica split wins UK visit
A new geological study in the Antarctic has shown that the coldest continent split in two about 45 million years ago, and even explains the differences between the two islands of New Zealand.Press Release
Monday, May 15, 2000Antarctica split wins UK visit
The study, and its presentation at ScienceNOW! has won the University of Sydney geophysicist, Dietmar Müller, a study tour of the United Kingdom thanks to the British Council.
Geoscientists try to understand the evolution of the land masses which form continents and ocean basins in today's world, by reconstructing the movements of tectonic plates.
"We always had a lot of trouble carrying out these reconstructions because there were misfits we couldn't explain, particularly between the north and south islands of New Zealand," Dietmar said.
Dietmar and his international collaborators including Steven Cande and Joann Stock from the USA and Takemi Ishihara from Japan published their findings in Nature on March 9 this year.
"We now understand New Zealand! The North Island is part of the Australian plate and the South Island is part of the Pacific plate and there's been some 1000 km of horizontal motion between them, but not much convergence, as implied in previous models."
Dietmar was the best of 16 Fresh Scientists selected competitively across Australia for presentation to the public and the media at ScienceNOW! in Melbourne from 4 to 7 May. Not only did he present a complicated piece of research clearly, but the judges thought he did it with humour, style, and excellent visual material.
The British Council wants to build strong UK-Australia
science links according to Simon Gammell, Director of the British Council
in Australia. "We are working to create opportunities for young scientists
in the two countries to communicate with each other and share their ideas.
Our support
of Fresh Science will be an important step in identifying
some of Australia's leading younger scientists and putting them in touch
with their counterparts in the UK."
Dietmar Müller's award comprises $4,000 towards travel expenses - contributed equally by the British Council and ScienceNOW!
The British Council will also contribute $500 conference expenses for participation in an appropriate UK conference and the Council's Manchester Secretariat will help him plan his itinerary and identify appropriate UK contacts.
Two runners-up each received a one year subscription to
New Scientist - the international weekly science news magazine: Stuart
Newman from Hobart for "Cunning crustaceans beat ozone hole", and Paul
Thomas for "Mutant Mouse Reveals Key to Brain Disorder."
For further information please visit www.sciencenow.org.au
or contact:
Niall Byrne, Acting Chair, ScienceNOW! ph 03 5253-1391
Michael Harvey, British Council Science Officer ph 02
9362-6712
Dietmar Müller, University of Sydney ph 02 9351-2003
About ScienceNOW!
ScienceNOW! was founded three years ago to bring leading
edge science directly to the media, students and the general public.
It provides a national forum where young scientists explain their work
and interact with the audience to make science interesting, relevant and
accessible.
ScienceNOW! 2000 runs from 4 to 7 May 2000. Sixteen scientists, selected by national competition, will present their work. One of them will win a scientific visit to the UK sponsored by the British Council.
ScienceNOW! is sponsored by the Victorian Department of
State and Regional Development and the Commonwealth Department of
Industry, Science and Resources.
To Nature paper "Cenozoic motion between East and West Antarctica"
To ScienceNow
site:
http://www.sciencenow.org.au/2000_winner.htm