Antarctica Expeditions
Welcome to our series on Antarctica expeditions, teamwork, and survival, as part of our focus on scientific explorations in harsh environments. From polar regions, deserts, oceans to space, our conversations aim to shed light on fascinating projects that help us understand our planet and make life on earth better.
In this series, our first three episodes feature conversations about the U.S. Antarctic Search for Meteorites program while our fourth episode brings highlights from a science cruise aboard the Nathaniel B. Palmer research vessel that was sampling seafloor sediments at the Thwaites Glacier.
Check out our library exhibit slides here. Let us know if your library would like to host this free exhibit by contacting us at podcast@longitude.site. See mini album of exhibit display at Rice University Library.
Ep 111: Searching for Meteorites in Antarctica | Linda Welzenbach Fries – Listen Read
Linda Welzenbach Fries is a science writer at Rice University who has been part of several expeditions in Antarctica. While working as the collections manager of meteorites at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution she joined the Antarctic Search for Meteorites expeditions twice! In this episode, Laurel Chen from Rice University, speaks to her about the path that led her to these expeditions and what it takes to survive in the harsh environment.
Ep 112: Leading the ANSMET Expeditions | Dr. Ralph Harvey – Listen Read
Dr. Ralph Harvey has been leading the U.S. Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) program since the 1990s. ANSMET is a three-agency program with NASA, Smithsonian, and the National Science Foundation, enabling search for meteorites, facilitating characterization, curation, and processing, then making them available for scientists worldwide. In this episode, Emory Mckenzie from Rice University speaks with him about how the program developed over time and how one can apply to be a volunteer on future expeditions.
Ep 113: Curating Meteorites | Dr. Cari Corrigan – Listen Read
Dr. Cari Corrigan is a curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. In this episode, Elizabeth Fessler from Rice University speaks with her about the role of the Smithsonian in curating meteorites and making them available to scientists worldwide for research.
Ep 114: Seafloor Sampling in Antarctica | Linda Welzenbach Fries – Listen Read
Linda Welzenbach Fries, a geologist by training and a veteran of two previous Antarctic research trips, served as THOR’s public outreach coordinator and sediment processor on the first ITGC science cruise aboard the RV/IB Nathaniel B. Palmer. THOR is short for Thwaites Glacier Offshore Research. In this episode, Louis Noel from Rice University, speaks to her about the daily scientific activities on the research vessel and her contributions in different roles.
Photo Exhibition
This podcast series is accompanied by an exhibition of slides featuring photos from Linda Welzenbach Fries’s collection and remarks from the podcast interviews. They will be on display at the Rice University Fondren Library in April 2023. The exhibit is available for display at other university and public libraries upon request by contacting us at podcast@longitude.site. View slides here.
