This year's Season's Greetings features a captivating image from a shortlist of outstanding contenders. This particular selection commemorates the Polar Rock Repository's remarkable 20th anniversary and shines a spotlight on its impressive collection of over 61,000 samples. Specific focus is given to the notable donation of rocks from the Pirrit Hills, generously contributed by Associate Professor John Stone of the University of Washington. In a delightful twist, Professor Stone has graciously allowed us to enhance his image with festive embellishments, adding a holiday spirit to this extraordinary piece of Earth's history; with it, we honor the significant contributions of scientists around the globe to the Polar Rock Repository. Thank you!
If these mountains could talk, they would tell tales as old as time, whispering secrets of the earth's ancient past. Towering above the landscape, they have stood as silent witnesses to the world's ever-changing story, from the shifting of continents to the evolution of life.
Anne Grunow, Director of The Polar Rock Repository, recalls her remarkable journey as the sole woman in a joint US-UK project in West Antarctica. This expedition, conducted in 1983-84, played a crucial role in understanding the geological history of West Antarctica and the breakup of the ancient supercontinent Gondwanaland.
Grunow's participation in the expedition marked several firsts in the annals of polar exploration. She became the first woman to explore the Pirrit Hills and other nunataks extending beyond the Ellsworth Mountains. Moreover, she was the first woman to work alongside scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) in remote deep field conditions, a scenario uncommon at the time. Her presence on the expedition, due to her association with the U.S. team, was a significant step in challenging the norms and paving the way for future women scientists in polar field research.
The Polar Rock Repository has recently acquired its first subglacial drill core from the stunning Pirrit Hills, the same region where Grunow made her historic expedition. This core, donated by Associate Professor John Stone from the University of Washington, was drilled by the U.S. Ice Drilling Program in 2017. The drilling program received support from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Office of Polar Programs and the 109th Airlift Wing of the U.S. Air National Guard.
This new acquisition is a significant addition to the repository's collection and a symbol of the ongoing efforts in polar research and the strides made in inclusive exploration. The core from the Pirrit Hills will provide invaluable insights into the geological history of Antarctica, furthering our understanding of this remote and enigmatic continent.
Visit the Polar Rock Repository to learn more about PRR and how to request samples. Visit The PRR Database to learn more about the collection or find information about this specific core here.
Related article: The Antarctic Sun Article.
