02675nas a2200241 4500008004100000245018700041210006900228260001200297300000900309490000700318520179100325653003202116653002602148653002302174653003502197653001902232653002802251100002602279700002002305700002002325700002402345856006402369 2022 eng d00aPatterns of interdisciplinary collaboration resemble biogeochemical relationships in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica: A historical social network analysis of science, 1907–20160 aPatterns of interdisciplinary collaboration resemble biogeochemi c04/2022 a80370 v413 a

Co-authorship networks can provide key insights into the production of scientific knowledge. This is particularly interesting in Antarctica, where most human activity relates to scientific research. Bibliometric studies of Antarctic science have provided a useful understanding of international and interdisciplinary collaboration, yet most research has focused on broad-scale analyses over recent time periods. Here, we take advantage of a ‘Goldilocks’ opportunity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, an internationally important region of Antarctica and the largest ice-free region on the continent. The McMurdo Dry Valleys have attracted continuous and diverse scientific activity since 1958. It is a geographically confined region with limited access, making it possible to evaluate the influence of specific events and individuals. We trace the history of environmental science in this region using bibliometrics and social network analysis. Our results show a marked shift in focus from the geosciences to the biosciences, which mirrors wider trends in the history of science. Collaboration among individuals and academic disciplines increased through time, and the most productive scientists in the network are also the most interdisciplinary. Patterns of collaboration among disciplines resemble the biogeochemical relationships among respective landscape features, raising interesting questions about the role of the material environment in the development of scientific networks in the region, and the dynamic interaction with socio-cultural and political factors. Our focused, historical approach adds nuance to broad-scale bibliometric studies and could be applied to understanding the dynamics of scientific research in other regions of Antarctica and elsewhere.

10acritical physical geography10aenvironmental history10ahistory of science10ascience and technology studies10ascientometrics10avisual network analysis1 aChignell, Stephen, M.1 aHowkins, Adrian1 aGullett, Poppie1 aFountain, Andrew, G uhttps://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/803701803nas a2200133 4500008004100000022001800041245011100059210006900170250000800239260002200247520132400269100002001593856005601613 2019 eng d a978042942970500aPlacing the past: The McMurdo Dry Valleys and the problem of geographical specificity in Antarctic history0 aPlacing the past The McMurdo Dry Valleys and the problem of geog a1st aLondonbRoutledge3 a

This chapter uses the history of the McMurdo Dry Valleys to think about the problem of geographical specificity in Antarctica. As the largest predominantly ice-free region in the Antarctic continent, the McMurdo Dry Valleys are in some ways quite different from the surrounding landscape. But despite this difference, the region has been used by scientists to make broad claims about Antarctica as a whole. While using the McMurdo Dry Valleys in this way helps to increase the relevance of the research conducted in this part of the continent, it also risks ‘flattening’ the rest of Antarctica and assuming that there are connections and similarities where none may exist. These risks of flattening the continent are arguably exacerbated by the concept of the Anthropocene, which assumes a universal human impact across the planet. Such observations call for a nuanced understanding of regions such as the McMurdo Dry Valleys which acknowledge the specificity of place, but also consider how they fit into the broader picture of Antarctic history. The paper concludes by arguing that a one-size-fits-all vision of the Anthropocene does not seem appropriate for thinking about the past, present, or future of a continent where we are only just coming to appreciate the richness and diversity of place.

1 aHowkins, Adrian uhttps://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/978042942970502023nam a2200133 4500008004100000020002200041245004800063210004300111260002200154300000800176520161400184100002001798856007101818 2015 eng d a978-0-7456-7080-500aThe Polar Regions: An Environmental History0 aPolar Regions An Environmental History aCambridgebPolity a2483 a

The environmental histories of the Arctic and Antarctica are characterised by contrast and contradiction. These are places that have witnessed some of the worst environmental degradation in recent history. But they are also the locations of some of the most farsighted measures of environmental protection. They are places where people have sought to conquer nature through exploration and economic development, but in many ways they remain wild and untamed. They are the coldest places on Earth, yet have come to occupy an important role in the science and politics of global warming. 

Despite being located at opposite ends of the planet and being significantly different in many ways, Adrian Howkins argues that the environmental histories of the Arctic and Antarctica share much in common and have often been closely connected. This book also argues that the Polar Regions are strongly linked to the rest of the world, both through physical processes and through intellectual and political themes. As places of inherent contradiction, the Polar Regions have much to contribute to the way we think about environmental history and the environment more generally.

1 aHowkins, Adrian uhttp://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0745670806.html