The Ohio State University may become the new home for a dome which houses the U.S. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station for Antarctic research. “We would have to have our plans complete in order to receive the dome in 2002,” said Ken Jezek, director of the Byrd Polar Research Center.The center conducts geological research on Antarctica. If brought to OSU from Antarctica, the dome would be used to house an interactive museum and resource center for educating people about Antarctica, Jezek said.”It will be good to have something on campus to mark our involvement in Antarctic research,” said Ian Whillans, professor of geological sciences.Sandra Markle, author of children’s books from Fostoria, Ohio, brought to the center’s attention the idea of bringing the dome to OSU after visiting the station as part of a National Science Foundation-sponsored program for writers. Having the dome at OSU will put it at a very central location of the U.S., and it will bring recognition to OSU, she said. “Let’s bring home the dome and make it a part of Ohio State,” Markle said. “I want to bring the essence and science of Antarctica back to OSU.”Polar museums have been successful in other parts of the world, Whillans said.The museum would be a way to reach out and teach the community about Antarctic research, said Rosemary Askin, geologist at OSU.The museum could be used as a way to motivate children to learn, not only about Antarctica, but science as well, Markle said.”We need to inspire the future,” she said. “We need to inspire kids to be interested in science.”In addition to a hands-on museum, a collection of Antarctic rocks would also be housed within the dome, Askin said.It was going to be required that the dome be torn down and brought back to the United States as scrap, Markle said.Instead, the aluminum dome, which has a 165-foot diameter and stands 55 feet tall, will have to be disassembled in order to ship it back to the U.S., Whillans said.As it does not rain in Antarctica, the dome will require added protection to deal with Ohio’s acid rain, he said.The dome would be a good addition to OSU if the plans work out, Jezek said.”It is a very preliminary idea right now,” he said.