Polar Field Skills 101

This summer I’ve been brushing up on my field skills. I spent a lot of time during my undergraduate degree in the field, and my PhD has required lots of SCUBA diving too. But... As I’m preparing for a career in polar science, I thought it would be a good idea to fine tune my skills for the extreme environments of the polar regions.

What have I learnt?

Well, many things, which are probably beyond the scope of a single blog entry. As always, I’ll try a quick summary instead.

1.) Planning & Logisitcs

Oh No! I forgot my lists!!!

The crux of any field operation, but especially a polar field operation, is the planning and logistics. It seems making lists, lots of lists, is useful. 

2.) Health & Safety

Looking after your health and staying safe is really the most important aspect of any field operation. No science is worth sacrificing your health (or worst case scenario life) for. Watching out for “lemons” (problems) and making sure they don’t add up to disaster is really important. In the polar regions especially, the environment, and therefore the nature of the task, can change very quickly – it’s important to keep risk assessment dynamic and to continually adapt to current hazards.

A melt stream snakes its way through a glacier... Probably best to stay away from it.

3.) International collaboration

Team work!

Searching for the experts in the field and getting advice and help off them is certainly the most sensible way to do field work. If the expertise already exists then use it as much as possible. Strong and fluid collaborations are crucial to make large multi-national field-operations work.

4.) Field Operational Infrastructure

To be able to go into the field in the polar regions, an operational infrastructure is imperative – unless you’re in the business of recreating Captain Scott’s great expeditions. But let’s face it, most of us just want to get our science done with the least amount of drama and heroics possible. Luckily for us scientists, the infrastructure in the polar regions is phenomenal. Decades of hard work and dedication, by many nations, has now made both the Arctic and Antarctic largely accessible – truly staggering when you think about it.

5.) “Soft” skills

You can be the best scientist in the world, and even a great hands-on expert in the field. Think about it though, if nobody wants to risk spending days, weeks or even months in the field in a tent with you, then you’re not going to get very far. Just be a good egg and it should be okay.

  How did I learn this stuff?

Field work comes with great rewards!

Well most of it is common sense, and develops over time with field experience, but I was lucky enough to attend the NERC Advanced Course in Polar Field Skills. It was truely an amazing opportunity to gain essential experience and exposure to field operations in polar regions. I’ve been writing about if for the British Antarctic Survey, and produced, filmed and edited a short film... Enjoy!

Midnight view from the UK's Arctic Research Station in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard.