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The Royal Society of Edinburgh RSE @ Lochaber Women in Science: Antarctic Experience Alison McLure, Institute of Physics

Wednesday 15 May 2013, Ben Nevis Hotel, Fort William Report by Kate Kennedy The Antarctic is a remarkable continent - remote, hostile and uninhabited. Yet it is of key importance to our understanding of how the world works. For the early explorers, Antarctica was the ultimate survival contest. For scientists, it remains a place of intellectual challenge. This talk discussed the kind of science carried out in the Antarctic, and how a physics degree took Alison to Antarctica and what life is like there. This talk focused on three main areas: women working in science; Ms McLures own career in science; and her specific experience in Antarctica. When asked to name famous women who have worked in science, the only suggestion from the audience was Marie Curie. Ms McLure noted that this is the usual answer and that very few others are regularly mentioned. More recent well known contributors include Jane Goodall and Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell; in the latters case perhaps most famous for not winning the Nobel Prize. Bell Burnell made a major contribution to the discovery of pulsars; however, as the junior member of the team, was not included in their award. Why is it that there are so few well known female scientists? It was not until 1991 that the number of female physics professors doubled in number from one to two. Today they number around 36; however, this still only represents 6% of the total. There are very few women employed in the higher echelons of physics; indeed, a recent Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) report highlighted this and encouraged new ways of thinking to rectify the situation. Many women who study the sciences at university graduate and get relevant employment. However, many leave early in their careers due to family and cultural reasons. The RSE report emphasised the cost of this waste of talented resources; physics significantly contributes around 9 billion to the Scottish economy, more than the financial services. Ms McLure commented that science offers an interesting, challenging and sometimes lucrative career path and it is a great shame that many women continue to miss out on opportunities. Attitudes to females working in science are changing and hopefully will continue to do so. Many organisations are working to overcome these hurdles; for example, Girl Geek Scotland, who encourage young females to embrace their geekdom and pursue their interest in the sciences! Both Ms McLures parents were physics teachers, but this wasnt the only influence to her choosing a career in science. Whilst she always enjoyed the subject, she also found a real life use for physics and maths through her love of sailing and the navigation involved therein. After studying physics at university, Ms McLure applied for and achieved a job with the Met Office; she considered that this would be an opportunity to link her interests in outdoor activities and her physics degree. She spent a few months training at the Met Office College and then moved to Bracknell to work on research into meteorological instrumentation. This involved developing instruments that would work on the tops of mountains, allowing the installation of automatic weather stations which, due to adverse weather conditions, are preferable to people doing manual recordings. Many instruments can, however, be seriously affected by weather conditions such as riming; Ms McLure commented that sometimes it is the simple adaptations to instruments that work best in these conditions, rather than complicated technologies. After

three years working on this research, she moved to weather forecasting. Following another stint at the Met Office College for training, Ms McLure spent time working in both the London Weather Centre, alongside well known figures such as Michael Fish and Ian McCaskill, and the Aberdeen Weather Centre, fulfilling an ambition to return to Scotland. During her time in Aberdeen, she worked closely on forecasting for the oil industry. This required new skills such as wave forecasting. Whilst semi-submersible rigs can cope with small choppy waves, a swell lasting more than 16 seconds could cause big problems and require the use of extra anchors. As such, meteorology involves a lot more than the visible aspects of television and radio weather forecasting. Additionally, utility companies, such as gas and electricity providers, require accurate forecasts in order to meet customer supply and demand; indeed Ms McLure stated that the electricity companies require a forecast within two degrees Celsius every hour to ensure there is enough electricity available. Ms McLure also worked closely with the RAF; in this role she was often asked for forecasts, but when she asked for which location, sometimes she was informed it was top secret! After ten years working for the Met office and a five-month secondment to Antarctica, Ms McLure decided to consider other career options. She commented that physics gives you a certain flexibility in thinking, transferable skills and a confidence to try other things. She spent time working for the Dunstaffnage Marina, which was a completely different environment to the Met Office; for Scottish Water, mapping pipelines and water treatment plants; with the Scottish Executive as a policy officer advising Ministers on sheep and beef farming during the Foot and Mouth crisis; and with the Scottish Leadership Foundation, helping to develop leadership skills in the public sector. Her current employment with the Institute of Physics brings together her science background and policy and business experience. The role involves promoting physics in many different ways, from engaging youngsters to advising ministers on policy work and public engagement. This job has also allowed her to undertake further expeditions with the British Schools Exploring Society (BSES), taking youngsters to Polar regions to conduct scientific experiments and projects. During her ten years with the Met Office, Ms McLure experienced a very varied career. One of the highlights of this was the opportunity to take part in a five-month secondment to the Antarctic with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). However, she commented that she nearly didnt get the job because the base didnt have a ladies toilet! Britain spends a lot of money being in the Antarctic and cynical opinion suggests that its presence there relates to land grabbing and future mineral rights. Ms McLure commented that, in reality, the presence of the BAS offers the opportunity to conduct some vitally important science; for example, the hole in the ozone layer was originally discovered by an Antarctic scientist. Current research focuses on, amongst other aspects, climate change and sea-level studies and the potential impact on human life. Science is also intrinsically important and fulfils a basic human need to discover and understand. Many other countries are also involved in Antarctica and are often working in partnership on various projects. People have had an interest in exploring Antarctica for many years, as demonstrated by the famous expeditions led by the likes of Scott and Shackleton. Whilst these forays were largely about discovery and exploration, they also involved some scientific endeavour. Ms McLure commented that Scotland has its own Antarctic explorer and scientist. William Speirs Bruce led an excellent expedition in 1902 and established the first permanent weather station in Antarctica. However, as his expedition was successful and he brought all his men back alive, he didnt achieve the fame of Scott and Shackleton! (In fact one of Bruces men died of a heart attack but this was the result of a precondition). The Antarctic is a huge continent which, unlike the Arctic, is founded on a land mass. This land mass is sinking under the weight of the ice which, on average, is 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) deep. Working in the Antarctic involves huge distances between locations; for example, the distance between the British bases Rothera and Halley is around two thousand kilometres. These distances and the intense conditions require an on-site meteorologist to forecast weather in order to meet the unusual logistical demands of the location. Needless to say, the Antarctic continent is very cold; the coldest temperature ever recorded there was minus 89

degrees Celsius. To put this in context, at minus 40 degrees a cup of coffee will turn instantly to ice crystals. The Antarctic is also technically a desert, due to the lack of precipitation; in the region known as the dry valleys it hasnt snowed for several thousand years. Ms McLure was based at Rothera, an area quite far north and a difficult place for weather forecasting, as it is on the cusp of differing weather systems. Her work involved taking measurements, installing automatic weather stations and forecasting conditions. Equipment used included weather balloons, which enable data to be transmitted relating to air temperature, pressure, wind direction and speed. This information is particularly important for forecasting weather conditions for the aeroplanes travelling to the Rothera base. For planes coming from the Falkland Islands, the nearest airport to Rothera is in the South Orkney Islands and, after pilots reach a certain point, they have to be sure of having enough fuel. As such, if the conditions at the base mean they would not be able to land, this could be dangerous. There are also other smaller research stations located in Antarctica, often consisting of only a scientist and mountaineer staying in a tent. Accurate forecasts are vital for ensuring these remote parties stay safe and also to enable them to plan their work schedule. On occasion, however, it wasnt only Antarctic weather that was necessary to forecast; with many of the supply ships travelling onward to Montevideo in Uruguay, they would receive a warmer outlook! Life on the Antarctic base is quite utilitarian. Workers live in barrack houses with generally one room shared between four. However, as Ms McLure was the only female on base, she had a room to herself. This wasnt always ideal, as it was located next to the noisy bar and as she had to be up early to prepare the forecast, it wasnt particularly conducive to sleep; indeed on occasion she went to sleep in a quieter area of the base, in an empty shipping container! Because the base is inaccessible in winter, food and fuel supplies are spread throughout the various buildings. If supplies were kept in one location, a disaster such as fire at this time could create severe hardship and even cause those overwintering on the base to perish. Ms McLure commented that although the base feels very modern and safe, it cannot be forgotten that it is also a very dangerous and isolated place. Employees also assist in the cleaning of the base and assisting the cook. Most of the food eaten is pre-packaged and it is always an exciting time when the supply planes bring in fresh fruit and vegetables. Free time is spent climbing, walking, taking photographs and spending time in explorers huts. One of the locations of the huts, Fossil Bluff, is full of fossils of tropical ferns; remnants of a time when the climate on the Antarctic continent was very different. The wildlife of the region is also fascinating, particularly the penguins and seals. Ms McLure commented that they are very inquisitive; they dont get the same brief as the BAS employees about not approaching them! However, there is also much evidence of nature in the raw; in the form of bloodied and scarred animals. Skidoos are the main form of transport in and around the base locations. Ms McLure noted that it can be difficult to get a perspective of distance in the Antarctic due to the white environment and air quality. Because of this and the other dangers of the region, there are many safety routines to follow, both at the base and when travelling further afield. Environmental impact is also an extremely important consideration for workers in the Antarctic and, whilst some impact is inevitable, many procedures are in place to keep this to a minimum. For example, all human excrement is packaged up and flown out of Antarctica back to the Falkland Islands. Workers are also sometimes involved in helping to clear rubbish from sites associated with much earlier expeditions. Ms McLure finished by commenting that a career in science can lead to life-changing experiences and opportunities that could not otherwise be realised. A Vote of Thanks was offered by Kate Kennedy.
Opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of the RSE, nor of its Fellows The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotlands National Academy, is Scottish Charity No. SC000470

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