A BGSU professor and three graduate students are on a once in a lifetime research opportunity to go to Antarctica.
Dr. Kurt Panter is a geology professor going on the trip with graduate students Katherine Shanks, Jacquelyn Kalemba and Robert O’Conke who all graduated with bachelor degrees from BGSU in 2024. In Antarctica, they are hoping to explore more of their research project on formations under the sea and within the Earth’s crust.
They left port on Feb. 11 and arrived at the Ross Sea, off the coast of Antarctica on Feb. 19. They will spend 60 days aboard the ship, the Nathaniel B. Palmer, to complete their research. O’Conke stayed in BG since he is still taking other classes. Specifically, Shanks is researching Davey Bank, an underwater sea mountain.
“My thesis research is on a structure that is a large unknown called Davey Bank. Nothing other than vague bathymetry [the measurement of the depth of water] is known about it and I want to be one of the first people to uncover its mystery,” Shanks said over email.
While Shanks is researching Davey Bank, Kalemba is studying something else entirely in order to learn the origin of specific formations on the seafloor.
“My main point of research is these flat-topped features on the sea floor. The origin of these features is unknown. There is speculation of them being volcanic or mud volcanoes,” Kalemba said over email.
Panter is researching undersea volcanoes, the heat flow from the Earth’s crust and the seafloor of the Ross Sea.
“We want to know the cause of volcanism in Antarctica and the impact of volcanic activity and heat from the crust on past glaciations,” Panter said over email. “We also know from previous seafloor mapping that glaciers once filled the sea and were grounded on the seafloor, likely many times.”
While on the trip, they have been facing challenges due to the elements brought by the cold temperatures.
“The ship we are on – Nathaniel B. Palmer, is an icebreaker-class research vessel. But ice on the sea (icebergs, growlers and bergy bits) interfere with our instruments,” Panter said.
Another challenge a member of the group is facing is learning new terms and grasping the amount of information they are given.
“On a personal level, it has definitely taken some time to adjust to terminology and ship talk. I won’t sugar coat it, it can be overwhelming at times to have so much information given to you all at once,” Shanks said.
Although there are some struggles, there have also been some great experiences as well, such as seeing the wildlife.
“…the beautiful sunsets and sunrises, white-blue icebergs and some of the sea life – seabirds (including albatross), seals, whales and penguins,” Panter said.
Another opportunity they are gaining from Antarctica is working with many professional scientists.
“I am excited to get to work alongside so many incredible scientists and learn from them,” said Kalemba.
These students were chosen to go to Antarctica by Panter based on their performance in his classes.
“My choice of students was based on their performance in several classes that had topics most closely aligned with the research. I came to know each of the three students during our geology field course which takes place off-campus,” Panter said.
The students and Panter were able to pay for the trip with a grant that Panter was awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
“The research is funded by the National Science Foundation and I am the awardee. To get a grant award from NSF requires writing a proposal to do the research,” Panter said. “I wrote the grant proposal with my collaborator Masako Tominaga from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.”
The graduate students wanted to go to Antarctica for several different personal reasons but ultimately the main reason was the scientific opportunity they were given.
“I was originally presented with the opportunity to go to Antarctica for my master’s thesis,” Kalemba said. “How does one turn down the offer to study what they want to do with their life and in such an amazing place?”
Shanks and Kalemba are writing their master’s thesis on what they are doing in Antarctica.
“It was more like Antarctica chose me. Never in my life did I think I would actually have the opportunity to go to, let alone study, a place on earth where not everyone gets to explore,” Shanks said.
The students are excited about the opportunity and are looking forward to gaining experience related to their field.
“I am looking forward to so much. You can’t really choose just a few things; it’s a whole experience,” Shanks said.
