Think it's getting cold here? If you caught NBC's Ann Curry's live broadcast from Antarctica a few days ago, you might have heard her reference the climatological research of Sandra Passchier, PhD, a geo scientist and assistant professor at Montclair State University, who's currently up in Antartica researching global climate change. Along with drilling 500 meter core samples thruough the ice pack, Dr. Passchier takes time out to add daily progress reports to her blog: Montclair State University in Antarctica.
Snow is plastered on the walls of the buildings and the windows. There is a large cloud on Minna Bluff in the distance, which is a bad sign. Luckily a helicopter was able to make a trip to the drill site before the storm to get us some core, so we can work. Another perhaps comical fact is that Ann Curry of the Today Show is now stuck here with us. Her Live broadcast was yesterday in front of the Chalet with the flags. Last night at Midrats she was in the lobby and was talking very loudly and came obviously out of one of the bars. She seems to have a good time here. We have not seen the show, so we can only hope that the science we do here was featured to some extent. She called off a trip to our drill site....
...So, yes what about the science? It is becoming increasingly more interesting. We are finding fossils every day now: yesterday a possible plant fossil, today a couple of shell beds with what look like large clam shells. There is still the intermittent presence of glaciers, so it looks like ice ages came and went, but there were some intervals of time with balmier climate conditions than today.
Pretty cool, huh?
from EcoRealty
Cool indeed. I mean the science, of course, not the thought of being stranded with Ann Curry.