The chilly continent is an ideal location for Day's work because it lies beneath the biggest ozone hole in our planet's atmosphere. Since ozone helps to filter out ultraviolet light before it reaches the Earth, areas under ozone holes receive an extra dose of the dangerous radiation. Scientists already know ultraviolet exposure can lead to skin cancer and cataracts in humans. Laboratory studies have shown that UV also adversely affects plants. Day and his students are the first group to test this hypothesis under a natural ozone hole.
Plants are pretty sensitive to the type or quality of radiation they receive.
So, for the past three years, Day has gathered a group of students and trekked down to Palmer Research Station on the Antarctic peninsula. In late 1997, his team included postdoctoral student Fusheng Xiong, graduate student Christopher Ruhland, and undergraduate William Karl. The group travels to the site in a motorized, inflatable raft called a Zodiac. They only spend about half their days at the island, because severe weather often prevents them from taking out the Zodiac. Day's findings support earlier studies that claim UVB is harmful to plants.