Assistant Professor
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Queens College
Understanding the Tectonic and Stratigraphic History of Offshore New Harbor, Ross Sea, and Antarctica
Professor Pekar, an alumnus of Queens College, has twice visited Antarctica to conduct research. This year he will lead his own Antarctic expedition under a $257,000 NSF grant, Understanding the Tectonic and Stratigraphic History of Offshore New Harbor, Ross Sea, and Antarctica.
He will study sediments deposited in Antarctica during the Greenhouse World (over 35 million years ago). Professor Pekar along with a team of international scientists, three Queens College students, and a NYC school teacher will live in unheated tents on the sea ice for 35 – 40 days to image seismically Greenhouse sediments lying beneath the sea floor. While on the ice, they will have Internet and telephone access allowing for teleconferencing with schools around the country. He also intends to locate the optimal drill site for sediments in the near future. “The sense of discovery is very important in research and the greatest thrill of my research is yet to happen.”