This week, we’ve been uploading clips from Richard Thomas’ film ‘Dan McKenzie and friends’, which looks at the early history of the theory of plate tectonics. It’s easy to forget that plate tectonics, an idea we’re all familiar with at least on a basic level, isn’t all that old. It wasn’t until the 1960s that … Continue reading
Tag Archives: geography
Farewell to the Antarctic
Seeing the huts of these early expeditions and experiencing in a slight way what the weather can be like here, even at the height of summer, brings a new dimension to, and a deeper appreciation of the achievements of the Scott and Shackleton expeditions. Continue reading
The Ross Sea Ice Shelf and beyond
Extending east from Cape Crozier, the front of the Ross Ice Shelf is a 30 metre high vertical wall of ice. It’s a remarkable feature, especially when you realise that it’s fresh water, it’s floating, and about 90% of it is underwater. With an area of 487,000 square kilometres, the Ross Ice Shelf is the … Continue reading
The most southerly ship on the planet
On Friday, back in our harbour in the fast ice between Capes Royds and Evans on Ross Island, we realised we are the most southerly ship on the planet. To get here this early in the season we’ve had to crunch our way through 900 miles of pack ice. The previous day, we landed on … Continue reading
Scott’s hut on Cape Evans
So far, the geology on this trip has faced some stiff competion from history and penguins, but on tuesday it came into its own. We moved across McMurdo Sound overnight and into the fast ice on the west coast, ready for an assault on the Dry Valleys. It was a lovely sunny day on the … Continue reading
Reaching Shackleton’s expedition hut
Taking a circuitous route through the pack ice, we finally made it to Frankin Island at 76 degrees south. We got the ship to within 5 miles, then flew in by helicopter, landing on the sea ice at the southeastern end of the island about a mile and a half from a colony of Emperor … Continue reading
Land ahoy!
Monday 21st November Our captivity in the ice didn’t last as long as we expected. After an hour or so, just as we were beginning to discuss who to eat first, we were released from the ice. We pressed on south through this vast frozen plain, and on Saturday morning passed 73o south. It was … Continue reading
Stranded on the ice floes
Tom Sharpe continues his journey in the footsteps of Captain Scott, on the 100th anniversary of Scott’s journey to the South Pole… Friday 18 November As the ice charts showed, we reached the edge of the pack ice on schedule, open pack mainly of first year ice that was easy to move through, so we … Continue reading
Top 5 volcanic lairs for Evil Geologists
It’s natural to assume that geologists as a breed, are of good stock. They are hale, hearty, don’t mind a spot of outdoor activity and most importantly don’t do evil. However there’s always a bad apple in any given group and it follows that some of you reading this will be bone fide Evil Geologists. … Continue reading
The Geological Society Blog 