News Direct's video: Engineers fix ice station amid risk of ice calving

For story suggestions or custom animation requests, contact tips@nextanimation.com.tw. Visit http://archive.nextanimationstudio.com to view News Direct's complete archive of 3D news animations. RESTRICTIONS: Broadcast: NO USE JAPAN, NO USE TAIWAN Digital: NO USE JAPAN, NO USE TAIWAN Amid fears that the structure might meet a catastrophic end when the ice it stands on breaks off into the ocean, a small party of engineers has reopened the UK's Halley research station in the Antarctic. The BBC reports that the base had been "mothballed"; in part because of Covid, but also because the ice shelf it stands on could soon calve into the ocean. RUNDOWN SHOWS: 1. Show worst-case scenario, station falling into abyss if iceberg breaks off under it 2. We see current situation, base sunk in snow, maintenance crew arriving by plane 3. Maintenance crew working on generator, research machines, research balloons 4. Aerial view of at-risk ice shelf, showing size and enormous depth 5. Workers prep base for ski dragging, show tractors pull modules one by one 6. Show map view of ice crack, remaining connection, how base was moved VOICEOVER (in English): Amid fears that the structure might meet a catastrophic end when the ice it stands on breaks off into the ocean, a small party of engineers has reopened the UK's Halley research station in the Antarctic. The BBC reports that the base had been "mothballed"; in part because of Covid, but also because the ice shelf it stands on could soon calve into the ocean. The British Antarctic Survey, or BAS, is trying to avoid having staff in the base when this happens. But some maintenance still has to be performed and a suite of instruments needs servicing. The party of ten will only stay until mid-February before shutting Halley down again. Halley station sits on a floating platform of ice known as the Brunt Ice Shelf. The shelf has developed a number of cracks over the years, and the widening of two of these prompted BAS in 2017 to move Halley to a more secure location. The whole station was dragged on skis over 20km upstream. The most obvious piece to break away has been stubbornly hanging on by a thread for months. This 1,500 square kilometer chunk of ice needs to calve before the station can be reopened. SOURCES: BBC, Mirage News https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-55573397 https://www.miragenews.com/bas-field-season-underway/ *** ----------------------------------------­­---------------------------------------­-­---------------- Next Animation Studio’s News Direct service provides daily, high-quality, informative 3D news animations that fill in for missing footage and help viewers understand breaking news stories or in-depth features on science, technology, and health. Sign up for a free trial of News Direct's news animations at http://newsdirect.nextanimationstudio.com/trial/ To subscribe to News Direct or for more info, please visit: http://newsdirect.nextanimationstudio.com