13 February 2012
Archival Gold: U.S. Antarctic Program Photo Library
Posted by Jessica Ball
It’s finally decided to act wintry in Buffalo, so I decided to continue the theme with (finally!) another photo archive post. This one comes to you courtesy of the U. S. Antarctic Program (part of the NSF’s Office of Polar Programs). The U.S. Antarctic Program Photo Library is a collection of images from research expeditions to Antarctica (submitted by members of those expeditions). It includes photos focusing on science, research stations, wildlife (above and below the ice!), scenery, people, and images from historical expeditions. Properly credited photos are free for use for non-commercial purposes, and you can submit your own photos to the collection (although they become the property of the NSF if you do).
Here are a few of my favorites:
Photograph by: Nick Powell, National Science Foundation, January 9, 2009. Mt. Erebus is the southernmost active volcano in the world. In the distance are, left to right, Big Razorback Island, Little Razorback Island, Tent Island and Inaccessible Island.
Photograph by: Peter Rejcek, National Science Foundation, January 7, 2011. Glossopteris leaf fossils embedded in rock in the central Transantarctic Mountains.
Photograph by: Hailaeos Troy National Science Foundation, September 9, 2010. An international team of researchers, led by the French space agency CNES (National Space Study Center), launched about 18 long-duration balloons near McMurdo Station during the austral spring to study atmospheric properties and stratospheric ozone.
Photograph by: Keith Vanderlinde National Science Foundation, June 3, 2008. Auroras in the sky over the Dark Sector at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.
Jessica Ball is a volcanologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, researching volcanic hydrothermal systems and stability, and doing science communication for the California Volcano Observatory. She previously worked at the Geological Society of America's Washington DC Policy Office, learning about the intersection of Earth science and legislative affairs. Her Mendenhall postdoc and PhD focused on how water affects the stability of volcanoes, and involved both field investigations and numerical modeling applications. Her blogging covers a range of topics, from her experiences in academic geosciences to science outreach and communication to her field and lab work in volcanology.
Thanks for the blog about our photo library.
The Antarctic Photo Library has nearly 6,000 photos in it. It is a great resource for teachers, textbook companies, and the media to illustrate the beauty of Antarctica and the science of the U.S. Antarctic Program!