Global Scale

Ocean turbulence unfolds on small scales but has far-reaching impacts. It drives vast ocean currents and sustains marine life by transporting nutrients from the deep ocean to the surface. For a long time, the immense forces of winds and tides were believed to be the sole drivers of this relentless small-scale unrest. But what if tiny living creatures also play a role?

Come for the penguins, icebergs, and adventure, stay for the science of mud. Microscopic sand grains, hitchhikers on ancient icebergs, can reveal surprising secrets if you know how to read them. Hidden mountains under miles of ice, ancient continents rent asunder, and giant glaciers meeting impassable depths. Find out what I did with thousands of sand grains and a pair of tweezers, what happens when you fire a laser at them, and what they can tell us about ice, oceans, and climate in the frozen south.