Office of the
Executive Vice President and Provost

2007-2008 University Distinguished Lecture Series

Title:The Coldest March of Robert Falcon Scott

Susan Solomon, Ph.D.
Acclaimed polar scientist and
recipient of the National Medal of Science

October 2, 2007, 7:30 p.m.
Auditorium, Annenberg Presidential Conference Center
Texas A&M University

About the Speaker

Dr. Susan Solomon is widely recognized as a leader in the field of atmospheric science. Since receiving her Ph.D. degree in chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in l98l, she has been employed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as a research scientist. She is also a professor adjoint at the University of Colorado. Dr. Solomon's scientific papers provided the foundation for understanding the chemistry of the Antarctic ozone hole, and she made the first measurements in the Antarctic that began to confirm this understanding by observations. In l986 and l987, she served as the Head Project Scientist of the National Ozone Expedition at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, where she made some of the first measurements that pointed towards chloroflurocarbons as the cause of the ozone hole. Dr. Solomon is the recipient of numerous honors and awards in recognition of that work. Among these are an Antarctic glacier named in her honor as well as the American Meteorological Society's highest award, the Carl-Gustaf Rossby medal.She is a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences and a foreign associate of both the French and European Academies of Sciences. In March 2000, she received the National Medal of Science, the United States' highest scientific honor for key insights in explaining the cause of the Antarctic ozone hole; and in November of 2004 she received the Blue Planet Prize.She has a great personal interest in history, particularly the history of the exploration of polar regions.

Abstract

Antarctica is a place of unique beauty and history. Susan Solomon's experiences in probing the spectacular ozone hole that now forms in Antarctica led her to a personal interest in using science to better understand the experiences of some of the remarkable men who first explored this coldest place on Earth almost a century ago. The lecture will describe their dedication to their shared struggle to reach the Pole, the challenges they faced, their characters, and the nature of their tragic deaths. At each step, modern scientific information will be shown to provide new windows into their choices, their experiences and their fates, including such issues as the food they ate, the clothing and fuel they used, the route and transportation methods they chose, and, above all, the savage weather that they experienced. The role of the weather is paramount in any Antarctic story, and the speaker shows how Robert Falcon Scott and his companions were struck down on their return journey from the Pole largely by a tragic twist of unusual and unexpected weather.

Admission to lectures is by ticket only.
Free tickets are available from the MSC Box Office, 979-845-1234.