The season of the 71st Russian Antarctic Expedition became exceptional in many respects. It marked the drilling of the first research wells at Progress Station and the first Russian studies in Antarctica using the method of magnetotelluric sounding. But there is yet another reason that made the current expedition special. This year, a woman joined the Field Team of Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, which has been conducting research at the polar stations of the White Continent for more than 70 years. Nina Pokrovskaya was invited to the team as a unique specialist in magnetotelluric sounding technology with impressive experience of fieldwork in remote regions of Russia. In an interview with Forpost, the geophysicist spoke about the tasks facing her at the South Pole, the specifics of working in a male team, and ways of preparing for the challenging conditions of expeditions.
- Why did you decide to become a geophysicist?
- I was born in Saint Petersburg. At first, I was planning to become a doctor and attended preparatory courses at the Military Medical Academy, but I spent the last summer before university admission with my grandmother, who was a geodesist. She told me a great deal about her work and expeditions, and I began to have doubts. In the 11th grade, representatives of the Mining University came to our school for a career guidance session, and that visit put an end to my hesitation. The only thing was that I was leaning more toward mineralogy. However, after the entrance examinations, I happened to strike up a conversation with State Prize laureate Anatoly Molchanov, Head of the Department of Geophysical and Geochemical Methods for Prospecting and Exploration of Mineral Deposits. Under his leadership, 140 types of geophysical instruments and equipment were developed for the modernization of the geological exploration industry, including devices for studying the Kola Superdeep well. He strongly recommended the field of science to which he had devoted himself. His argument was that geophysics would always be in demand and would provide me with a greater range of interesting work. I have never regretted it. Today, I work at the Educational and Scientific Laboratory of Modern Technologies for Prospecting and Exploration of Mineral Deposits.
- There are a number of professions that are traditionally considered “unsuitable for women.” They are usually associated with hazardous working conditions or heavy physical demands. In your opinion, do geology and geophysics fall into this category?
- Every year, the number of women among geophysicists is growing. After all, we are not firefighters or divers. Working in the field all day and then painstakingly processing the data afterward is something not every man can handle, either.
Long before I began studying at our university, there used to be a separate geophysical faculty here. Women were not admitted to it. The equipment was more complex and heavier, and it was usually operated by those who had designed it. Today, the instruments are less bulky. If necessary, I can identify a problem and, if it is minor, resolve it myself. I bring many spare parts with me — antennas, electrical lines, and electrodes. Sometimes you even have to spend some time with a soldering iron.
- So, are women ready to work “in the field”?
- A lot depends on circumstances. It is important to feel the excitement of the profession — you travel to places you would hardly ever visit on vacation, for example, the Putorana Plateau with its gorges and valleys, or Teriberka on the Kola Peninsula. Along the way, you might change five airplanes, transfer from a train to a helicopter, or a ferry. You see new landscapes, observe the change of several seasons, and solve unconventional professional tasks.
- How difficult is it to stay focused in such conditions?
- The more challenging the conditions, the more productive the work becomes. You are completely concentrated on the process, with no room for unnecessary thoughts. Such thoughts appear when something distracts you. In the field, you are entirely absorbed by the work and perceive the expedition not as a job, but as life itself.
- Do you specialize specifically in MT sounding?
- A qualified geophysicist knows several methods and is able to use them, but usually, during field practice and with accumulated experience, chooses one or two on which to concentrate. I focus on magnetotelluric sounding and seismic exploration.
- What makes MT sounding particularly interesting?
- It is one of the deepest-reaching methods in geophysics and measures many parameters simultaneously. If electrical prospecting cannot detect anything beneath conductive bodies (for example, ore deposits), this method allows us to construct a section down to the mantle and reveal the geological structure of the studied part of the Earth. The depth limit depends on exposure time and observational conditions. If we speak about the high reliability of the data, it is roughly around 200 km. Resistivity curves reflecting changes in the electromagnetic properties of geological objects with depth are also constructed down to about 500 km, which is necessary for studying the structure of the Earth and the processes of formation and development of the Earth’s crust.
One of the priority directions of scientific research on the Antarctic continent is the study of its metageology, which is why specialists in magnetotelluric sounding were included among the polar researchers this year.
- How does it work?
- You arrive at the site, install the equipment, and leave it there for several days. In Antarctica, we recorded data at each sounding point for 4 to 6 days. Modern equipment makes it possible, during the recording process, to connect via laptop or smartphone, transmit the data over Wi-Fi, calculate the curve remotely, assess its quality, and, if the quality is unsatisfactory, leave the instrument recording for a longer period. Monitoring is essential. Poor-quality data cannot later be turned into good-quality data. Then, in order to construct a deep section, the data must be processed, analyzed, and edited.
- What can act as interference?
- We work with the Earth’s natural fields. The most important influencing factors are weather, industrial interference, and signal level. You can do everything as usual — install the equipment and check everything — yet still fail to obtain high-quality data. There may be many reasons for this: the installation site may have been chosen incorrectly, the wind speed may have exceeded 7 m/s, or drifting snow may have created electric charges. MT sounding measures every micro-response from the medium, so even the weakest currents can become serious interference for it.
In Antarctica, the weather is good at the beginning of the season, but from February onward, strong winds begin. It is necessary to record at the site for as long as possible and then isolate the parts of the recording made during calm weather. In the area of Progress research station, conditions are less severe than at Vostok Station, but we were also tasked with finding solutions for future work at Vostok. For this, it was necessary to develop a methodology, test thermal protective boxes, and try solar panels for longer recordings at low temperatures.
Traditionally, good grounding is essential for all electrical prospecting methods. In Antarctica, there is a snow-firn layer, which creates extremely difficult conditions. The Mining University acquired special preamplifiers that help strengthen the signal.
- You have worked in a great many field parties, and the conditions and tasks there were often far from simple.
- After graduating, I stayed at the Mining University, and all my field assignments have been connected with it. Our laboratory carries out both regional and federal exploration work. These include expeditions aimed at generating new fundamental knowledge, conducting surveys, and searching for mineral deposits commissioned by state or private companies. The university possesses advanced equipment, qualified personnel, and a strong reputation, so the schedule is planned several seasons ahead.
The conditions can vary greatly. Sometimes we are provided with an all-terrain vehicle and a driver; it is especially good when the driver is a local resident, because then they know the terrain and all the crossings. At other times, we travel using our own transport — all-terrain vehicles, quad bikes, and snowmobiles. Usually, we live in large eight-person tents equipped with a stove and camp beds; other times, in two-person tents. I especially remember a trip to the Kupol gold deposit in Chukotka, where we were flown in on a small An-74 aircraft. The landing strip was in the middle of impassable tundra. The nearest settlement was 100 kilometers away. At the same time, all conditions for comfort had been created there — a residential camp, a canteen, showers, and internet access. In some respects, the conditions in Antarctica are similar.
- How can one earn respect in a predominantly male team?
- Sometimes, when a woman appears, the men initially assume that a cook or someone from the support staff has arrived, but they quickly realize their mistake. When a woman goes on a geophysical expedition, she inevitably feels the need to prove that she works on equal terms and deserves her place on the team. She gives one hundred percent, sometimes even two hundred percent. You work in tandem with a male assistant, and he may instinctively try to offer help — for example, by carrying something heavy. But if you agree, it means more workload for him. Next time, a person might think twice about whether to work in a pair with a woman.
- Which of the expeditions you have participated in do you remember most vividly?
- Most mineral resources are concentrated in our northern territories, beyond the Arctic Circle. I worked for two seasons on the Taimyr Peninsula, including during winter. I went there in March, when the temperature had already “warmed” to minus thirty degrees Celsius. Four of us lived in an all-terrain vehicle for three months. We did not feel cramped — we worked outside most of the time, and used the vehicle only for dinner, processing data, charging batteries, and sleeping.
In summer, while conducting regional exploration work for oil and gas, we traveled 2,500 kilometers across the entire peninsula in Argo mini all-terrain vehicles. It was extremely interesting. During the field season, stopping every kilometer to carry out surveys, we crossed the whole of Taimyr. After that, we covered another 2,000 kilometers along the rivers in motorboats.
In the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, I participated in the exploration of hydrocarbons, and in Buryatia, I conducted research in the area of the Ozernoye polymetallic deposit.
At times, the Departments of Geology and Hydrogeology at the Mining University ask us to carry out geophysical surveys to address their scientific and industrial tasks. In this way, we worked at the Yakovlevsky mine in Kemerovo and in Karelia. If I assess my entire professional experience, I have lived in a tent for about two years, and overall have spent roughly four years in expeditions.
- A life like this must be full of unforgettable stories…
- Every geophysicist and geologist has many stories to tell. For example, how the wind once tore away our tents, and when we returned from work we had to walk across the tundra collecting all the scattered equipment and belongings.
We often work in wild natural environments and are surrounded by wildlife — brown bears, wolves, foxes, Arctic foxes, various rodents, reindeer, and even musk oxen. Sometimes they come right into the field camp or dig up the equipment, gnawing through electrical lines. They are curious about what the sensors are and whether they might be edible. There are especially many animals in Chukotka — you might be taking measurements while nearby, on a hill, a bear is resting.
- How do you avoid dangerous situations?
- As a rule, a security officer accompanies us and makes sure that animals do not come too close. Geologists and geophysicists never travel alone. You can encounter a bear anywhere. You might be walking along a river when it suddenly appears from behind the bushes. Only in the open tundra can you see it from several kilometers away.
- You must face serious physical strain. How do you prepare yourself for it
- I have been involved in sports throughout my conscious life: CrossFit, powerlifting, and weightlifting. I have taken part in university competitions and open championships of Saint Petersburg. Today, if I do not have enough time to go to the gym, I train at home using both heavy and light weights.
The work of a geophysicist requires good physical preparation. You walk 10 kilometers in one direction carrying a backpack with equipment and then return the same distance. For a healthy person, adaptation to these loads usually occurs during the fieldwork itself. A young student becomes accustomed within about two weeks, while more experienced specialists need three to four weeks. After that, they no longer notice the kilometers under their feet or the weight on their backs. At first, the routes are short, then they gradually become longer each day. The body adapts.
- What did you bring with you for personal enjoyment at the South Pole? Music, books, a camera?
- Books and a camera. In an expedition, there is often no time for anything other than work. During the day, you are in the field, and in the evening, you process the data. The romantic image of sitting around a campfire is more typical of geology. Geophysicists return in the evening and sit down at their computers with the data. Besides, I graduated from a music school with a specialization in piano. It is hard to imagine an expedition where I could take such an instrument with me.
- What does it feel like to become the first woman polar researcher from the Mining University?
- I am sure it will not last long. Next year, there will be a second woman, then a third, or perhaps several at once. Today, in science, there is no “glass ceiling” — the well-known term used to describe barriers in the careers of highly accomplished women. Everything is possible. The main thing is that you yourself are ready for it.
