Welcome

I’m Dr. Andreas Alexander, a glaciologist, polar expedition leader, naturalist and enthusiastic science communicator. Every year I travel to the polar regions to learn more about the ongoing changes in the icy realms of our planet and share the wonders of the natural world around us. Learn more about my research, read my recent publications, join me out in the field or contact me for your media or speaking project. You can also find the latest news about my work in my blog. Let’s explore the world of ice together.

Just returned from, yet another, summer on Svalbar

Just returned from, yet another, summer on Svalbard. Back in the boiling heat of Oslo and looking at my pictures to figure out which one best describes Svalbard these days. It’s not a polar bear picture, but a glacier picture. Or rather the lack-of-a-glacier picture. Two years ago, I got the chance to work on a glacier that was facing rapid ice loss. Now I got the chance to revisit the place and it didn’t look too good either. Sailing the ship far into what used to be glacier just three years ago is a worrisome feeling. Especially when it would be possible to continue for several more kilometers. On the picture you can see the tiny ship in the distance already parked deep within the former glacier. Draw a roughly three kilometers long line to see how the ice on the left and on the right side were connected just three years earlier and then imagine how you can continue the journey towards the shore for another three plus kilometers. All it took were a few summers. More than often it’s crazy to see the rapid changes happing on Svalbard as climate warming progresses. Curious to see how the archipelago looks like when I return again in a couple of years. #svalbard #glacier #glaciology #globalwarming #climatecrisis #globalwarmingisreal #ice #scicomm #turningthetide #icemelt #visitsvalbard #picoftheday #polarphotography #landscape

There has been plenty of talk in the media lately

There has been plenty of talk in the media lately about how you can use AI to cheat at school, university, work...In that sense here is another one: Using AI technology to save us from crawling through nasty submerged caves under glaciers. Spoiler: Still a lot of fieldwork involved. But surely a good step forward. https://phys.org/news/2023-04-hidden-meltwater-paths-glaciers.html #fieldwork #mapping #science #scicomm #glaciology #expedition #svalbard #climatescience #AI #artificialintelligence #caving #research #sciencecommunication #arctic #polar #adventure #taltech #estonianresearchcouncil #robotics #estonia #norway

2.5 weeks to get from Germany up to Tromsø. A sli

2.5 weeks to get from Germany up to Tromsø. A slightly bumpy ride over the open sea in the first couple of days, but then almost two weeks of unbelievably good weather along the Norwegian coast. Bergen in sunshine, Northern lights at night, full moon, plenty of whales, adventurous mountain hikes, snow, sea ice, glacier ice and a fun bunch of people. Been a surprisingly good trip up to Tromsø. Time for a couple of weeks of office work with another 850 GB of research data that just arrived to be processed before the next couple of months of Arctic excitement and challenges start up. @mscaperace #norway #visitnorway #expedition #whale #whalewatching #northnorway #humpback #wildlife #wildlifephotography #nikon #nikonphotography #cruising #picoftheday #whalesofinstagram #ocean

You know that you are in an exciting place when th

You know that you are in an exciting place when the nautical officers curse you already before breakfast. Navigating in swell between shallow reefs to get to the anchorage surrounded by cliffs is no easy feast. Good to have an experienced nautical team when the waves break all around you. After all there must be a reason why someone decided to put a lighthouse there. The southernmost island of Lofoten surely is one of those magical lost places. #visitnorway #norway #lofoten #visitlofoten #expedition #sailing #lighthouse #lostplace @mscaperace #picoftheday #lighthousesofinstagram #travelphotography #nikonphotography

Beautiful lights, spectacular mountains and fjords

Beautiful lights, spectacular mountains and fjords, nice hiking, exciting sailing and full moon at night. The Norwegian coast surely delivers. #norway #fullmoon #moon #visitnorway #expedition #windmill #renewableenergy @mscaperace #trøndelag #picoftheday #travel #travelphotography #moonlight

Back in calmer waters after a bumpy ride through K

Back in calmer waters after a bumpy ride through Kattegat and Skagerrak. Quite a few sick bags filled with passengers and crew struggling in the rolling ship. Good to be back in calmer waters again with the Norwegian coast in sight. @mscaperace #norway #crossing #mscaperace #expedition #visitnorway #sailing #storm #northsea #picoftheday #sea #waves #skagerrak #kattegat #denmark

Exactly one year ago I had to learn how fast life

Exactly one year ago I had to learn how fast life can change from one moment to the other. Pretending to be a geologist on a glacier, by close-up investigation of a rock at full impact speed, followed by helicopter pick-up, medical evacuation by ambulance plane and surgery. Lesson learned, I should stick with ice rather than rocks and next time I crash, I’d rather do it outside the polar regions, somewhere closer to proper medical facilities. Just need to find some ice there.
The last year has been the, so far, most challenging one, both physically and mentally. Working on my recovery while at the same time trying to figure out what I’ll do next in life. Quite a humbling experience as well, when all the folks in their 80s and beyond were overtaking me in the staircases. Nevertheless, I still somehow managed to spend more than half of the time during the last year in the polar regions, playing around in snow and ice. But it has never been as challenging as during the past 12 months. On top of that I had to learn that sometimes presumably good employers are rather horribly, particularly when things go wrong. Like the employer I was working for when my accident happened. The legal discussions are still ongoing, good to have a lawyer and sad that this is needed. Recovery is still awhile to go, with another surgery lined up somewhere along the way. I’m extremely grateful for all the therapists, colleagues, friends and family that helped me during the past year.

Now it’s time for new adventures. We are on our way out to face a nasty storm in the North Sea for the next four days on our way north to the Arctic. After that I have an exciting line-up of expeditions all over the Arctic, followed by a new scientific position and intriguing new research prospects with plenty of fieldwork in stunning places. There is always excitement waiting on the other side of the rough seas, you just have to cross them. #recovery #science #scicomm #glaciology #work #accident #arctic

Back from another great contract in the Southern O

Back from another great contract in the Southern Ocean. Antarctica, South Georgia, the Falklands and Patagonia. Wild and remote places, challenging conditions, beautiful lights, great wildlife and fantastic colleagues. Not to forget plenty of ice. I'm quite thankful for the last couple of weeks. Now that the Antarctic season is over, it's time for a staggering four days off to catch up with sleep, emails, administrative work, tax declarations and more research work. And then it's already time to kickoff the Arctic season. More challenges and many exciting places ahead. #whereiexplore #lindbladexp #antarctica #expedition #lemaire #picoftheday #sunset #polartravel #polar

Navigating the Kirke Narrows in Chilean Patagonia.

Navigating the Kirke Narrows in Chilean Patagonia. A treacherous and narrow passage that is only transitable for a couple of minutes at each tide.

The last two days, as we started to make our way f

The last two days, as we started to make our way from Antarctica to South Georgia, have been rather whale-rich. Two pig pods of fin whales with probably a couple hundred animals feeding close to the surface. To top it all, we got a spectacular encounter today with three southern right whales playing in the water, rolling their bodies, showing their flukes and interacting with hourglass dolphins. A really unique sighting of a once heavily hunted species. #whales #southernrigthwhale #antarctica #whereiexplore @lindbladexp #natgeoexpeditions #wildlife #wildlifephotography #turningthetide #picoftheday #whalesofinstagram

Late season Antarctica has plenty to offer. Lots o

Late season Antarctica has plenty to offer. Lots of wind with rough conditions, shorter days with magical sunsets and finally most of the smelly penguins have left and stopped spoiling the beautiful pristine ice. What else could one wish for? #antarctica #weddellsea #tabularicebergs #whereiexplore #ice #icebergs #picoftheday #polarphotography @lindbladexp

Sunset in the Weddell Sea. #whereiexplore #natgeoe

Sunset in the Weddell Sea. #whereiexplore #natgeoexpeditions #antarctica #sunset @lindbladexp @natgeoexpeditions @ellapottsnaturalist

Even after years of working with ice, I sometimes

Even after years of working with ice, I sometimes still struggle to grasp the full extend of the beauty of ice. Ice just by itself is already of mesmerizing beauty. But presented in the right light of dusk, it's just pure magic. Let's keep working to keep this magic for future generations on our planet. Tabular icebergs in the Weddell Sea. #antarctica #natgeoexpeditions #whereiexplore @lindbladexp @natgeoexpeditions #expedition #photography #picoftheday #icebergs #magic #turningthetide #climatechange #ice #weddellsea

Ok, one more image from Patagonia last December be

Ok, one more image from Patagonia last December before heading back south in two days time. Plenty of stories and pictures coming up soon, so make sure to follow along. Stay tuned! #patagonia #torresdelpaine #torresdelpainenationalpark #chile #picoftheday #landscape #landscapephotography #mountains #whereiexplore

Cleaning up my memory cards in preparations for th

Cleaning up my memory cards in preparations for the coming weeks. Emperor penguins on the sea ice of the Weddel Sea last November. #antarctica #seaice #ice #penguins #emperorpenguin #emperors #wildlifephotography #wildlifephoto #whereiexplore #picoftheday #expedition #natgeoexpeditions #penguinsofinstagram

A few more days and then it's time again to head o

A few more days and then it's time again to head out for more ice. Starting off the 2023 expedition year with Antarctica and Patagonia. I've got a bunch of interesting work assignments lined up with plenty of ice ahead throughout the year, continuing my active polar accident recovery. So keep an eye out for plenty of icy stories and pictures throughout the year. #patagonia #ice #glaciers #glaciology #scicomm #expedition #picoftheday #photography #landscape #landscapephotography #whereiexplore @lindbladexp

Mittwoch Abend schon was vor? Wenn nicht, wie wär

Mittwoch Abend schon was vor? Wenn nicht, wie wäre es dann mit einem tiefgehenden Bericht über die Gletscher im hocharktischen Spitzbergen? In etlichen verrückten Expeditionen immer dem Wasser hinter, über die Oberfläche von gewaltigen Gletschern bis hinunter in die tiefsten Tiefen unter dem Eis. Dort wo Veränderungen vorgehen, welche uns in den kommenden Jahrzehnten gewaltig beschäftigen werden.
Alle Infos gibts unter:
https://polarshopbirgitlutz.de/ #glaciology #glacier #climbing #caving #research #science #scicomm #stem #mountaineering #picoftheday #svalbard #visitsvalbard #hydrology #wissenschaft #wissenschaftskommunikation #gletscher #arktis #arctic

Einige von euch sind in den letzten Jahren bereits

Einige von euch sind in den letzten Jahren bereits mit Interesse diversen meiner Posts über meine Gletscherforschungsaktivitäten auf Spitzbergen gefolgt. Anfang Februar habt ihr jetzt die Chance noch einmal einen vollständigen Überblick über diverse verrückte Aktionen zu bekommen. Wer schon immer mal etwas über den Klimawandel und den Gletscherschwund auf Spitzbergen und so manch abenteuerliche Expedition lernen wollte hat jetzt die Chance. Im Rahmen der Online Vortragsserie „Arktischer Mittwoch“, organisiert von Birgit Lutz, nehme ich euch mit in die eisigen Welten von Spitzbergen. Doch aufgepasst: In den eisigen Tiefen kann es ganz schön nass werden und manchmal gehen Änderungen schneller als es einem recht ist. Stellt euch ein auf eine Welt im Wandel, spektakuläre Fotos und düstere Prognosen. Alle Infos gibt es unter: www.polarshopbirgitlutz.de oder per DM. #scicomm #vortrag #wissenschaft #klimawandel #gletscher #glaziologie #science #glaciology #reserach

Today I got the chance to go to another of those r

Today I got the chance to go to another of those rare and incredible places of our planet. Dramatic landscape, impressive glaciers, snow-covered mountains, andean condors, guanacos, southern sea elephants and even a king penguin. All at the same spot. But of course there also had to be the human traces. Beaches full of plastic trash, washed up by the ocean. Working in the Arctic I regularly find myself walking on beaches where one could literally wade in trash, finding the same scenery at the other end of the world is hard to put in words. But as a species we clearly manage to mess up even the most remote and beautiful places of our planet.

#whereiexplore #seaelephant #wildlife #turningthetide #patagonia #pollution #plastic #trash #natgeoexpeditions #picoftheday

Snow, ice and even more ice. What is there not to

Snow, ice and even more ice. What is there not to like?

#whereiexplore #antarctica #landscape #landscapephotography #natgeoexpeditions @lindbladexp #picoftheday #ice #snow #zeisscameralenses

One of the surely more interesting operations. Wha

One of the surely more interesting operations. What do you do when you are in an uncharted bay, hiding from bad weather and thick sea ice all around you? Well, there is always a possibility to get out...

@lindbladexp @natgeoexpeditions #antarctica #whereiexplore #expedition #natgeoexpeditions #natgeo #seaice #picoftheday #polartravel #polar

Not even 1.5 days of crossing the Drake Passage an

Not even 1.5 days of crossing the Drake Passage and we are back at the white continent. I'm still amazed about what modern ship technology can do.

#lindbladexp @lindbladexp #whereiexplore #antarctica #natgeo #picoftheday #glacier #travel #expedition

Glaciers, icebergs, a volcanic landscape and magic

Glaciers, icebergs, a volcanic landscape and magical light. The Weddell Sea is truly a remarkable place.

Onboard the National Geographic Resolution @lindbladexp @natgeo

#whereiexplore #lindblad #antarctica #glaciers #picoftheday #photography #polartravel #travel #polar #adventure #adventuretravel #natgeo

Feeding humpback whales in Paradise Bay, Antarctic

Feeding humpback whales in Paradise Bay, Antarctica.

@lindbladexp #natgeo #antarctica #whereiexplore #wildlife #wildlifephotography #polarphotography #picoftheday

The National Geographic Resolution in the sea ice

The National Geographic Resolution in the sea ice of the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. Thanks to Polar Class 5, that's the same ice class as the British Antarctic Survey vessel RSS Sir David, the ship is able to explore really remote locations.

@lindbladexp @natgeo #whereiexplore #antarctica #seaice #travel #polartravel #explore #polarphotography #zeiss #nikon #picoftheday

Emperor penguins on sea ice in the Weddell Sea. @

Emperor penguins on sea ice in the Weddell Sea.

@lindbladexp #antarctica #penguins #weddellsea #emperor #whereiexplore #wildlifephotography #natgeo #picoftheday

Super excited to currently be back in the Southern

Super excited to currently be back in the Southern Ocean. On the way to Antarctica. The first iceberg of our voyage is on the horizon and we are making good progress on our way into the Weddell Sea.

@lindbladexp #whereiexplore #antarctica #iceberg #southernocean #adventure #polartravel #polar #natgeo

Approaching the end of a long season with a specia

Approaching the end of a long season with a special treat: Northeast Greenland. As always a blast. Going from warm Svalbard to even warmer Northeast Greenland to finally get colder temperatures in Iceland. At least somewhere it's still cold. Been quite an exhausting season, as I'm still recovering from my accident. It's been a good pretaste of being old. Luckily it's getting better, still a long way to go though.

#arctic #recovery #greenland

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