My name is Emilie Sinkler and I am a graduate student in glaciology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. This (northern) winter, I have the opportunity to conduct research at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide camp. It will be my first trip to Antarctica, and my first trip to the southern hemisphere!

I will leave Fairbanks at the end of November and spend 2 days in transit (thanks international date line!) before arriving in Christchurch, NZ. Here, I will make sure all of my personal gear is in order before getting on a plane to McMurdo Station, the US base on the Ross Ice Shelf. Then, my team will get on a plane that will take us to our field site where we expect to spend about 3 weeks collecting data before beginning the return trip.

I plan to blog frequently once my trip has begun. I will share personal experiences, photos, and the details regarding the science we will be conducting. I will also be sharing interesting historical tid-bits, focusing on the history of women in Antarctic science and exploration. If you are interested in learning more about our trip, visit our team blog.