Minnesota researchers head to Antarctica

Dry Valley
One of the Dry Valleys of Antarctica.
Photo courtesy of Peter West, National Science Foundation

We've had our share of below zero degree days in Minnesota so far this winter. It's the time of year when many Minnesotans think of heading south for their next trip.

That's just what one Minnesota scientist is doing for the New Year. Patrick Hamilton and a team with the University of Minnesota's Antarctic Geospatial Information Center are headed to Antarctica.

This time of year, the shines 24 hours a day and the temperatures often are warmer there.

When Hamilton and team get to Antarctica, they will map the Dry Valleys of the continent. They'll be the first humans to visit some of the terrain on the continent.

Hamilton is the director of environmental sciences and earth system science at the Science Museum of Minnesota. He left for the trip on Jan. 1.