Adam Steer

Sea Ice Data Analyst, Australian Antarctic Division

Snow and ice have been a large part of my life for some time, and I've usually studied snow for its potential avalanche hazard. So, being in a position to explore some aspects of how ice and snow interact with the rest of the world's geophysical system is pretty cool. I enrolled in the University of Tasmania’s Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies (IASOS) honours program in 2005. My thesis was based on the analysis of ice floe size distributions derived from digital aerial photographs.

In between guiding on Tasmania's Overland track and adventuring in the snow, I've worked with the Australian Antarctic Division’s sea ice group since 2006. My main roles have been analysis of aerial photography and satellite images, as well as shipboard meteorological data analysis. All this marks quite a satisfying change from web programming, copy editing and looking after computers.

On this voyage I'll be working in a technical role. I will be highly involved with the digital aerial photography program, and helping on several other programs. It will be my first time in the sea ice, so I'm looking forward to being there and being involved as much as possible!