GeoLog

Julia Martin

I am a PhD candidate affiliated with the Antarctic Research Centre in Wellington, New Zealand. I study how the snow cover influences the fate of Antarctic sea ice formation and evolution in the face of a warming climate. I combine UAV-based and ground-based measurements with computer tomography analyses and model runs in SNOWPACK to quantify and ultimately improve the representation of snow processes in predictive models of sea ice evolution. Other than snowflakes I am very passionate about empowering young women in STEM, hence I show female and female-identifying high school students the endless variety of science within the Girls* on Ice Aotearoa, New Zealand program. *We welcome cisgender girls and transgender, agender, nonbinary, intersex, and genderqueer youth.

McMurdo Sound’s 40th anniversary: An expedition journal by Julia Martin

February 16, 2026
McMurdo Sound’s 40th anniversary: An expedition journal by Julia Martin
The author, Julia Martin, on the sea ice in McMurdo Sound. (Photo: Alex Parkin)

It was October 28, 2022 around 3 p.m. Fascinated by the majestic white snow-covered mountain caps, deep-blue sea ice cracks and light-blue pressure ridges, I gently press my nose against the cold double-glassed window of the Royal New Zealand 757. The tires smoothly touch the ground, and the warm voice of the flight attendant fills the dry air in the aircraft: “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Ant ...[Read More]