Dr. Alison Banwell is a Glaciologist and Research Scientist in the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), part of the University of Colorado Boulder. She studies glaciers in the Arctic and Antarctica and glacial lakes that form from glacial ice melt. She has led many field expeditions in Antarctica and has also conducted fieldwork on the Greenland Ice Sheet, Svalbard and the Himalaya. She has a PhD in Polar Studies from the University of Cambridge.
What do we talk about in this episode?
- What is a glaciologist or glacier scientist and how she got interested in this field.
- How climate change is affecting glaciers throughout the world and how studying glaciers can help understand climate change.
- What her field work experiences in Antarctica and the Arctic.
- What it’s like to be a glaciologist when you hate the cold!
- How does one get to Antarctica for work (it’s a really long commute)?
- Penguins in Antarctica…they’re so cool!
Music used in the podcast: Higher Up, Silverman Sound Studio
You can support my podcast on Patreon here: https://patreon.com/user?u=72701887
Resources
Contact Dr. Banwell: email: alison.banwell@colorado.edu; Instagram & Twitter: @alibanwell
Info on Dr. Alison Banwell and links to her publications: https://cires.colorado.edu/researcher/alison-banwell
“Where’d You Go, Bernadette?”, 2019 A loving mom becomes compelled to reconnect with her creative passions after years of sacrificing herself for her family. Her leap of faith takes her on an epic adventure that jump-starts her life and leads to her triumphant rediscovery.
Philatelist – one who collects or studies stamps (Merriam Webster)
3.2% of all climbers are women.
Longyearbyen is the administrative centre of Svalbard, is a tiny Norwegian metropolis with 2,400 residents from almost 53 different countries. The small Arctic town is inhabited by nature enthusiasts who live in close unity under tough climatic conditions with the High Arctic wilderness right on their doorstep. Longyearbyen is the gateway to the nature-based experiences and the starting point for most adventures in Svalbard. This Arctic wilderness starts virtually in the town centre and never ends! (https://en.visitsvalbard.com/visitor-information/destinations/longyearbyen)
Isolated on the polar archipelago of Svalbard at 78 degrees north, Longyearbyen is the world’s northernmost permanent settlement. Halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, the 2,300 residents here are used to extremes. (https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20200301-rebuilding-the-worlds-northernmost-town#:~:text=Northern%20exposure-,Isolated%20on%20the%20polar%20archipelago%20of%20Svalbard%20at%2078%20degrees,here%20are%20used%20to%20extremes.)
As powerful predators, polar bears pose a major risk to human life and property. Throughout the polar bear’s range, attacks on humans and property continue to rise. In recent years, more than 20 direct attacks on humans have been reported within the polar bear’s range. (WWF)
Leopard seals are the only seals known to regularly hunt and kill warm-blooded prey, including other seals. Although rare, there are a few records of adult leopard seals attacking humans. There has also been one fatality, when a researcher was snorkeling in Antarctic waters and was killed by a leopard seal. (www.doc.govt.nz)
A glacier is an accumulation of ice and snow that slowly flows over land. At higher elevations, more snow typically falls than melts, adding to its mass. (https://nsidc.org/learn/parts-cryosphere/glaciers)
Mer de Glace, (French: “Sea of Ice”) one of the longest glaciers in the Alps, extending for 3.5 miles (5.6 km) on the northern side of Mont Blanc near Chamonix, France. (Britannica)
McMurdo Station is located on volcanic rock marking the southernmost solid ground accessible by ship, it is the gateway of most all scientific, private, and touristic jaunts into the Antarctic. (https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mcmurdo-station)
Rothera Research Station, the largest British Antarctic facility, is a centre for biological research and a hub for supporting deep-field and air operations. Situated on Adelaide Island to the west of the Antarctic Peninsula the site includes the Bonner research laboratory, offices and workshops and a crushed rock runway, hangar and wharf. Rothera supports a wide range of BAS, UK university and international collaborative science programmes including the Dirck Gerritsz laboratory that is operated by the Netherlands polar research programme. (https://www.bas.ac.uk/polar-operations/sites-and-facilities/facility/rothera/)
The Drake Passage is the body of water between South America’s Cape Horn, Chile, Argentina and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It connects the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean (Scotia Sea) with the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean and extends into the Southern Ocean. The passage is named after the 16th-century English explorer and privateer Sir Francis Drake. The Drake Passage is considered one of the most treacherous voyages for ships to make. Currents at its latitude meet no resistance from any landmass, and waves top 40 feet (12 m), hence its reputation as “the most powerful convergence of seas”. (Wikipedia)
Ordinarily Extraordinary 