Episode 10: Antarctica – Weather and Survival
Guest: John Law
There are few places on Earth more challenging to live than the southernmost continent, Antarctica, the world’s highest, driest, windiest and coldest continent. In this month’s episode of the Met Éireann Podcast, Liz and Noel speak to an Antarctic meteorologist about the challenges of working in one of the most extreme locations on the planet.
In March 2020, John Law returned from a 17-month stint in Antarctica working as a meteorologist for the British Antarctic Survey. In this interview, we hear all about his time in Antarctica, the unparalleled beauty and challenges of day-to-day life in one of the world’s most remote locations, as well as the severe conditions he has encountered. John discusses some of the unique difficulties in observing and forecasting the weather at the southern end of the planet, and the lessons he’s learned from living in isolation and how they’ve influenced how he approaches this social distancing reality we are all finding ourselves in. We also hear about some of the climate change research taking place in Antarctica, and the recent record-breaking warm spell which saw temperatures rising up to 18.3°C on the continent!
Listen here or wherever you normally get your podcasts.
Podcast selfie lockdown style! L-R Noel Fitzpatrick, John Law, Liz Walsh
Field site visit in Antarctica. Credit: John Law
John Law in Antarctica
Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder. This instrument records sunshine hours and intensity. Credit: John Law