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Tamsin Gray
Tamsin Gray has been living in Antarctica for over a year now, with just 17 other people and a colony of Emperor penguins to keep her company. She is researching climate change and the ozone hole (first discovered at Halley) in one of the coldest and most isolated locations on earth. After more than three months of total darkness, spectacular auroral displays and temperatures often below -40F, she's now enjoying 24 hour daylight. You can contact Tamsin directly by e-mailing her at tgray@bas.ac.uk.
More Recent Posts
Over to you...
by Find out anything you want to know about Antarctic life and science... from how long you have to wait to book your Antarctic beach holiday to how we go to the toilet when camping in temperatures of -40 Farenheit. All you have to do is ask!
Simple is Beautiful: Why I love my science
So we've admitted human induced climate change is real. We've seen the sharp rise in carbon dioxide levels over the last few decades and we've accepted that the evidence is now overwhelming. But how many of us have stopped to think how we know all these things?
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The Hole Story: A Penguin's Nemesis
With all the fuss about climate change these days it's easy to forget about the hole up there in the ozone layer. Does it still matter? Why hasn't it gone away yet? And most importantly, does it really suck penguins out into space?
Every day I work with the very instrument used to discover the hole in the ozone layer so hopefully I can shed some light...
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Flying robots take to the skies
Tiny unmanned planes have been investigating the Antarctic atmosphere for the first time ever this year. Usually planes get bad press when it comes to global warming but these robot planes are different. They boldly fly where nothing has ever been before hoping to shed some light on some of the biggest climate change unknowns. How will sea ice respond to warmer temperatures? What effect will it have on warming all over the planet? Can sea ice provide an early warning of other major changes?
Flight team member Alex Gough tells us how it feels to launch a plane into uncharted territory...
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Is Antarctica Melting?
The short answer is yes, parts of Antarctica have certainly been melting at an accelerated rate in recent years.
But wait a minute...
As some areas of the continent warm up (as a result of recent climate change) melting increases but snow accumulation increases too. The overall Antarctic contribution to sea level rise depends on the sensitive balance between melting and accumulation, so the real question is: Is more snow melting or falling?
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A day in the life...
Imagine stepping into a freezer as you walk to work in the morning.
Imagine living without fresh food for 10 months of the year.
Imagine seeing nothing but a flat white horizon in every direction.
And living alongside 17 strangers, thousands of miles from civilization.
Put yourself in my shoes for a day and find out how you would cope...
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Digging for Treasure
Yesterday I set out to dig up a piece of history. I wasn't looking for ancient ruins or even dinosaur bones, just plain old snow.
Why? Because Antarctic snow and ice contains a treasure trove of information about past climates. Everyone wants to know how the climate is going to change in the future but before we can predict the future, first we need to understand the past. Trapped in between the buried grains of snow and ice are little air pockets - bubbles of the atmosphere as it was tens, hundreds, thousands, even millions of years ago...
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Hello From Antarctica
Welcome to the very snowy world of Halley Research Station. It's currently -30 degrees Fahrenheit outside but that doesn't stop us getting out and about in the name of science! It's springtime here in the southern hemisphere; days are getting longer, emperor penguin chicks are hatching and the busy spring science season is in full swing.
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