NASA images of Eagle Island, Antarctica on February 4 and February 13, 2020
Sif Island The ice in Antarctica is melting. There were multiple stories in the news yesterday about ponds forming in the land ice- thanks to Emily and Pedro via Alex for the links to the stories in…
The Apple II was released in 1977 (Image courtesy of the 2017 version of Wikipedia)
Bio Sonar In 1977, it snowed in Miami, Elvis died, scientists used bacteria in a lab to make insulin via gene cloning, Apple II computers and Atari systems went on sale, I turned 2, and the first…
How a multibeam works, courtesy of the British Antarctic Survey
Take a close look at the diagram below, which was produced by the British Antarctic Survey to show how a multibeam works. This is the primary tool we use on the ship to collect information about the…
The multibeam screen reveals the topography of the seafloor
Topography of the Seafloor Prior to my participation in this expedition, I can't say that I had ever thought about bathymetry, or the study of the shape of the seafloor. While land topography, with…
PolarTREC educator Sarah Slack helps to process a sediment sample
Brittle Star For someone who is a biologist at heart, there hasn’t been a lot of life to study onboard this ship. I’ve learned a lot about sediment and the ways it is collected and processed, and I’…
The aft control room on the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer icebreaker
Ice Rafted Debris By far, the best place on the ship to work is the aft control room. It offers eight large windows that look out over the water so you can watch the ice or keep your eye on the…
Maps showing satellite imagery of the area around Thwaites and Pine Island Glaciers
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes There are many challenges that present themselves when scientists are thinking about exploring Thwaites - both when you study the glacier from the land-side and when you approach…
A fluffy Weddell seal pup lays on the sea ice
Seals Part III - The Weddells The Weddell seals we encountered on our seal-tagging expedition were smaller, longer-haired, and far cuter than the southern elephant seals. Two of these…
Two male elephant seals on Edwards Island #4, Antarctica
With a Little Help From the Seals Part II It isn't easy to restrain a southern elephant seal. They are by far the largest carnivore on the planet - males are more than six times bigger than a polar…
Male elephant seal, photo credit: Linna Neidel, ASC
With a Little Help from the Seals While the Thwaites Offshore Research (THOR) project is focused on seafloor mapping at the edge of the glacier, there are seven other teams of scientists exploring…
Grad student Santi Muneval cuts a piece of Valentine's Day cake
Our amazing cooks made us this great big cake for Valentine's Day. Santi Munevar cuts a piece of the Valentine's Day cake made by the cooks on the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer icebreaker
Find activities about glaciers and ice on the Science Friday "Science That's as Cool as Ice" website
Glaciers 101 I am down here as a participant in the Thwaites Offshore Research, or THOR, project. THOR scientists are investigating drivers of glacier, ocean, and climate change using information…