Working in Antarctica

Dr Katja Riedel of NIWA explains why she enjoys her research in Antarctica and what fascinates her about this place.

Transcript

DR KATJA RIEDEL
I’ve been to Antarctica five times actually. The first time was in 1997 when I was still studying, and I did my PhD with data from Antarctica. And I over wintered on the German base, that was for 15 months.

What captured me was Antarctica is I think the blandness of the landscape, all this ice. You have these amazing colours in the sky in winter around sunrise, sunset, and you have these vast open places and the colours of ice are just fascinating. Blue, and greenish colours and white and grey so icebergs can change so dramatically in colour depending on what the light is doing, and I’m just fallen I think for the landscape in Antarctica.

Acknowledgement:
Cath Samson