Friday, November 23, 2007

Thanksgiving Phone Call

It was the call we'd been expecting, from our eldest.

He was calling from a train, going back to Seattle, where his next adventure was about to begin. Seattle to LA, LA to Sydney, Sydney to Christchurch, and then on to McMurdo base, and from there to his ultimate destination- somewhere in the dry valleys of central Antarctica, 85° South longitude. Two months in the field, pursuing his passion, Geology. What was once an esoteric part of the discipline is now, with global warming, in the headlines every day. The work isn't glamorous, although the scenery can be dramatic. It consists of weeks spent in sub-freezing temperatures, living in tents, surveying, collecting specimens, labeling and packaging them, and shipping them back. Months later, at the University, the results are analyzed. A small piece of the puzzle, a puzzle which is the most urgent problem we have ever had to face in the history of mankind.

Thanks for calling us, Seth, and thanks for caring about all of us.

Good luck and Godspeed.

By Professor Batty


2 Comments:

Blogger Darien Fisher-Duke said...

A librarian friend/coworker's daughter has spent many seasons on the Antarctica ice. Luckily there is internet. It must be fascinating hearing Seth's adventures. Your pride shines through.


Blogger Móðir, kona, meyja said...

Sounds like my friend Hurricane Herdís. Geology is a fascinating subject.

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