UCT scientists embark on an expedition to the Fimbul Ice Shelf
In a groundbreaking mission, a team from the Polar Engineering Research Group (PERG) at the University of Cape Town (UCT) has set off on their first field expedition on the Antarctic continent. Led by Professor Sebastian Skatulla, this diverse group includes five postgraduate students: Kamva Tabata, Richard Ribbans, Tom Ansley, and Chisambo Ng'ambi, along with experienced field guide Hendrik Smith.
The expedition is part of an ambitious research project titled, “Monitoring and Modelling the Deteriorating Stability and Retreat of the Fimbul Ice Shelf Under the Influence of Global Warming”. Funded by the National Research Foundation’s (NRF) South African National Antarctic Programme, the initiative is made possible through collaborative support from the German Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research and the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences. This partnership highlights the international commitment to understanding climate change in polar regions.