Description:

‘On Thin Ice; Mapping Antarcticas Doomsday Glacier’ is a project developed in response to the 2023 ISTD brief, "Mapping the World," which tasked participants with exploring the intricate art of cartographic representations. These maps not only facilitate navigation but also provide profound insights into how we perceive and interpret spatial relationships among objects, concepts, and events in our world.

This book tells the compelling story of Antarctica's melting ice caps—a consequence of climate change over the last 50 years. While numerous scientific articles cover aspects of Antarctic climate change, ‘On Thin Ice’ consolidates this wealth of information into a comprehensive narrative. Organised into three sections—past, present, and future—the book offers readers a cohesive understanding of the issue. It serves as a vital link, connecting readers to the scientific realities of climate change in Antarctica.

Given the state of the world currently with a recession looming, inflation at an all-time high, ongoing conflicts overseas and the aftermath of a global pandemic the loss of an ice shelf on a far away continent populated by penguins might not seem to be big news. But in fact , the West Antarctic ice sheet is one of the most important tipping points in the Earth’s climate system. If Thwaites Glacier collapses, it opens the door for the rest of the West Antarctic ice sheet to slide into the sea. Globally, 250 million people live within 1 metre of high tide lines. If left unchecked, the complete melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet would cause a global sea level increase of 3.3 metres in the future. At present, the world is heading towards a warming of 2.8C by the end of this century; the Antarctic ice sheet will therefore continue to melt and contribute to sea level rise, which will test the adaptive capacity of humanity.

The overall design of ‘On Thin Ice’ is contemporary and authentic, reflecting its forward-thinking approach to addressing climate change. The primary typeface, 'Antarctica,' is clean and approachable, enhancing accessibility and readability; complementing this, 'PP Frankton Mono' is employed for statistics, graphs, and interviews, providing a structured contrast that underscores reliability. Colour plays a pivotal role, with serene green and blue hues representing Antarctica's tranquillity, while accents of orange highlight critical information and underscore the urgency of warming temperatures. This high-contrast palette enhances visual impact and readability. The layout, characterised by generous white space above and below the grid-bound content, echoes Antarctica's vast openness. The minimalistic approach focuses attention on the core message, while running headers and page numbers maintain structure.

‘On Thin Ice’ targets young individuals interested in climate change, aiming to bridge the gap between scientific jargon and public understanding. Its binding—a simple rubber band—symbolises impermanence, mirroring the transient nature of Antarctic landscapes in the face of climate change. This holistic approach ensures that ‘On Thin Ice’ not only educates but also engages and empowers its audience to confront the pressing challenges of our time.