The coldest, windiest, and driest continent on the planet, where little life can flourish, is a scientific wonderland that offers a platform for the world to learn about earth's past and future. Those who brave Antarctica's severe environmental conditions are rewarded with 5.4 million square miles of relatively unknown land that holds discoveries waiting to be found. Information about the planet's past is frozen in Antarctica's ice. Ice sheets studied on the continent contain cores with a detailed history of climate changes, illustrating conditions during agricultural and industrial birth. These discoveries, as well as others from experiments in many scientific fields, lead to possible patterns that could carry into the future.

The barren continent cannot sustain much life and receives less than two inches of precipitation a year, yet it contains 70 percent of the world's freshwater supply locked in its ice. Many scientific explorations take advantage of Antarctica's range of environmentally extreme conditions. From the ice shelves that descend for miles and ozone depletion effects to climate change and meteorite collection, Antarctica contains many characteristics not found anywhere else on the planet.

Research conducted on such a vast, little known area requires precise analysis of spatial data and the ability to monitor specific geographic location changes. With a continent that is 98 percent thick surface ice and 2 percent surface barren rock, it is crucial to be able to visualize the data collected from the field. GIS and mobile GIS technology not only provides the tools necessary to monitor and conduct research projects but also to maintain research structures that serve as a temporary home to dedicated scientists, as well as determine how to effectively live and research in harsh conditions.