Mapping Antarctica - 101 Jobs That Change the World (Ep 24)

"When I tell people I'm a cartographer, a lot of people say "Oh, aren't the maps of the world already all made? Why do you need to make more maps?""

Meet Laura Gerrish. She's a cartographer who produces maps for the British Antarctic Survey.

Having accurate, up-to-date maps is crucial for polar research - especially when so much of the continent remains unexplored. But mapping a continent as harsh and rapidly-changing as Antarctica isn't easy.

"A few years ago, I was making this map that included a big ice shelf, the Larsen Ice Shelf, and as I was making it over a period of a few months, a big chunk of the ice shelf broke off, and my data was instantly out of date."

This change can be exciting, too. One of Laura's favourite things about Antarctica is that because there's still so much to discover, there are new always details and place names to add each time she updates the main continental map.

Laura's maps enable important research into the future of Antarctica. How it responds to climate change will have big impacts on sea levels, global weather systems and our ability to keep warming under 2 degrees, but there are currently a lot of unknowns which we need research to answer. By ensuring expedition teams have access to up-to-date maps, Laura helps them plan their research and stay safe in the remotest parts of the world.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to 101 Jobs That Change The World - our campaign to highlight some of the many roles that contribute to success of the research and innovation system. In these videos you’ll meet the people who work – often behind the scenes – in a wide variety of fulfilling and interesting roles beyond the traditional image of a researcher or innovator.

Our 101 Jobs profiles offer a glimpse into the lives of the varied people who are working across the research and innovation system, some in remote or unusual locations. Their jobs are essential to the creative, dynamic research and innovation system we need to tackle huge challenges like Covid-19, climate change, how we’ll live and work in the future – and they really do change the world.

We are UK Research and Innovation, the body that allocates government funds for research. If you're a UK tax payer, your contributions help fund the work we showcase on our channel. And if you liked this video, follow us on these channels:

#101Jobs #CareersInGeography #ClimateChange #ChangeTheWorld #CoolJobs