Kiwi scientists spending Christmas braving the Antarctic wilderness

As New Zealand bakes in the summer sun, spare a thought for those spending their Christmas battling freezing conditions in Antarctica - for the sake of science.

One Kiwi research team are spending Christmas Day digging into frozen ground while camping in the middle of the barren Lower Taylor Valley, more than 4000km south of New Zealand.

Among them is 22-year-old Otago student Rachel Worthington, who was awarded the BLAKE Antarctic Ambassadorship out of more than 100 entrants.

She says she didn't really think about the timing meaning she'd miss Christmas.

"I think my mum was the one who brought it up and was fussed about it. Ultimately though, she was still super excited for me," she told 1 NEWS.

Otago University PhD student Jacob Anderson is an old hat at the ordeal - this is his sixth expedition.

"It'll be a unique Christmas for sure! We have a great team so it'll be a fun experience," the BLAKE programme manager told 1 NEWS.

It's not just unique, but challenging too. They'll be battling to stay warm and dry in the frigid, unpredictable environment, piling on layers of clothes and sleeping in polar tents designed for the conditions.

Temperatures will as low as -15C and their food will be, perhaps unsurprisingly, frozen.

"Despite what you might think, if we can avoid it, we try not to eat any dehydrated meals," Mr Anderson says.

"Working long, physical days in the cold takes a lot out of you so to keep everyone safe the challenge is managing fatigue and making sure everyone is hydrated, fed and getting enough sleep."

There's little to no communication with the outside world, except for regular radio communication to check in with those base at Scott Base.

That's something Ms Worthington is looking forward to.

"From past experience in the field and on tramps, it's quite nice to be able to just turn off my phone and not worry about communication as it gives you time to just soak in the experience," she says.

But a special treat is planned for Christmas day. There'll be Christmas cake and pancakes, as well as another little surprise from Mr Anderson.

"I'll be giving everyone 100 GRAND," he joked, quickly clarifying he means the chocolates.

However this isn't a holiday. The team are at the camp for a very specific reason - to look at the permafrost, frozen soil on the continent.

As that warms, it's likely to release methane and carbon into the air.

"Scientists have predicted Arctic permafrost holds twice as much greenhouse gas as the atmosphere, but the greenhouse gas potential in Antarctica is unknown," Mr Anderson says.

"To see what the Antarctic permafrost greenhouse gas potential may be, we'll be mapping the permafrost landscape and measuring how much methane and carbon dioxide is being released from the surface."

The warming climate could hit a "tipping point" where the gases, released from previously frozen ground, further increases climate change, Mr Anderson explains.

Despite the challenges they'll be facing, Ms Worthington is confident it's all worth it.

"To me it's not a sacrifice at all as I am incredibly concerned with what we are doing to our planet, and I am passionate about trying to contribute to climate research and change behaviours."

Summer - and its 24-hour daylight - is the most productive season for scientists working in Antarctica, so while this team will be isolated, they're not alone in giving up their Christmastime.

"Many people are working hard on the continent over the Christmas period to help understand how Antarctica is changing in a warming world and how that impacts all of us – it's a privilege to play a small part in this," Mr Anderson says.

"We all need to do more to reduce carbon emissions and reduce the impacts of the climate and ecological crisis."

The team won't return home until the end of January.