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High Arctic Change 2011

Hi Mark, I am so excited about your trip to Svalbard - I have always wanted to go there! What are you most excited about? Kristin

Thu, 02/24/2011 - 09:48

Mark Goldner

Thanks for your question. I'm so excited about this summer's adventure. It's really a dream come true to be able to go to a place like Svalbard. I've been fascinated by polar places since I was a little kid. What I'm most excited about is twofold - first, the place, and second, the people. What an amazing opportunity for me to go to Svalbard, to learn about glaciers and climate history of the area. I can't wait to experience the glaciers calving and to be able to walk up to (and on to?) the glaciers themselves. To be so close to icebergs, and perhaps to step on an iceberg, is something I can only imagine. A plus, of course, would be to see a polar bear or two (from a safe distance!). I'm also excited about experiencing the 24-hour sun. What an amazing thing it must be to see the sun make a circle around the sky!
Secondly, being able to learn from and work with Julie and Ross is an incredible opportunity for me. I have heard such wonderful things about the two of them as mentors and teachers, and having spent an afternoon with them a couple of weeks ago I'm already impressed and can't wait to begin learning from them. I'm sure the undergraduates who will be joining us will also be interesting to get to know and to learn from. And I've heard the Ny Alesund scientific community is filled with interesting people from around the world who I'm excited to get to know.