Dr Joanne Johnson
LightNews LightNews
banner
geologicaljo.bsky.social
Dr Joanne Johnson
@geologicaljo.bsky.social
930 followers 290 following 130 posts
Geologist @bas.ac.uk British Antarctic Survey, working mum, musician, knitter, art lover, Christian. UK Polar Medal 2023. Views my own.๐Ÿชจ๐ŸŽปโ„๏ธ๐Ÿงช๐ŸŽจ
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
geologicaljo.bsky.social
Dr Joanne Johnson @geologicaljo.bsky.social ยท Jan 3
๐Ÿ“ข New @bas.ac.uk podcast just out! Artist Rowan Huntley and I chat about our art-science exhibition in #Cambridge ๐Ÿ‘‡

www.bas.ac.uk/blogpost/can...

โ„๏ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ถ๐Ÿงช๐ŸŽจ #sciart #geology
Can art help communicate climate science? | Beyond the Ice - British Antarctic Survey
Artist Rowan Huntley and Britishย Antarcticย Surveyย Geochemistย Dr Jo Johnson have been working together to translate polar science into art. Their exhibition at the Scott Polar Research Institute is Hun...
www.bas.ac.uk
geologicaljo.bsky.social
Some good news at last! Sediments have been recovered by @swais2c.bsky.social team from UNDERNEATH the #Antarctic ice sheet. Fantastic achievement and more to come ๐Ÿ‘โ„๏ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ถ๐Ÿงช

#geology #drilling
swais2c.bsky.social SWAIS2C @swais2c.bsky.social ยท Jan 4
Weโ€™ve got our eyes on the prize 24/7, through blowing snow, lashing winds and sunshine. With more than 100 metres of sediment core retrieved, weโ€™re more than halfway towards our target of 200 metres. Co-Chief Huw Horgan shares this expedition update from our deep-field camp at Crary Ice Rise.
January 6, 2026 at 9:44 PM
Reposted by Dr Joanne Johnson
astroroyalscot.bsky.social
How have I only just discovered google maps for space? If you, like me, did not know about this little piece of internet treasure, you must check it out! You can fly over moons and planets - and it's all real data ๐Ÿค— ๐Ÿ”ญ๐Ÿงช
๐Ÿ‘‰: www.google.co.uk/maps/space/
๐Ÿ‘‡: Dwarf planet Pluto!
A list of planets next to a labelled image of a dwarf planet (Pluto).
December 18, 2025 at 6:58 PM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
๐Ÿ“ข New @bas.ac.uk podcast just out! Artist Rowan Huntley and I chat about our art-science exhibition in #Cambridge ๐Ÿ‘‡

www.bas.ac.uk/blogpost/can...

โ„๏ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ถ๐Ÿงช๐ŸŽจ #sciart #geology
Can art help communicate climate science? | Beyond the Ice - British Antarctic Survey
Artist Rowan Huntley and Britishย Antarcticย Surveyย Geochemistย Dr Jo Johnson have been working together to translate polar science into art. Their exhibition at the Scott Polar Research Institute is Hun...
www.bas.ac.uk
January 3, 2026 at 4:31 PM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I feel like art therapy could be useful in academia too, especially when things don't work out e.g. grant proposals fail, fieldwork challenges, general overwhelm. ๐Ÿงช๐ŸŽจ
Art therapy could half burnout risk, study of London medics shows
London medics say taking time out to do art sessions is
www.bbc.co.uk
December 28, 2025 at 3:46 PM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
More on art-science collaborations! Here artist Rowan Huntley describes her recent workshops at @scottpolar.bsky.social .

Our exhibition at the โ„๏ธPolar Museumโ„๏ธ is open on Sat 20 Dec, then again from 6 Jan. ๐Ÿ‘‡
www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum/exhib...

www.rowanhuntley.co.uk/blog/worksho... ๐Ÿงช๐ŸŽจ

@bas.ac.uk
workshopping โ€” Rowan Huntley Contemporary
When designing creative workshops connected to my Through Ice and Fire exhibition at the Polar Museum, a major consideration was obvious - it would not be possible to use any form of heat in our makin...
www.rowanhuntley.co.uk
December 10, 2025 at 12:54 PM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
More art from #sciart workshops at @scottpolar.bsky.social yesterday!

The exhibition, inspired by my @bas.ac.uk research, is open TODAY 12-4pm. Do visit ๐Ÿ‘‡
www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum/exhib...

๐Ÿงชโ„๏ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ถ๐ŸŽจ
A table with red covering. On it are paper plates covered in brightly coloured paint. The atmosphere is creative and messy (in a good way!). Artist Rowan Huntley is standing looking at a big screen displaying a powerpoint slide with photographs of rock formations. She is wearing blue dungarees and holding a piece of paper. A blue table with square painted tiles laid on it. The tiles are covered in brightly coloured painted abstract scenes, with swirls and blobs of colour.
November 30, 2025 at 10:18 AM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
Art and science mix! Lovely creations inspired by our #sciart exhibition at @scottpolar.bsky.social Made during today's workshop with artist Rowan Huntley. ๐ŸŽจ๐Ÿงชโ„๏ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ถ #geology #antarctica

More info ๐Ÿ‘‡ www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum/exhib...
November 29, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Reposted by Dr Joanne Johnson
us.theconversation.com
Writing builds resilience by changing your brain, helping you face everyday challenges
buff.ly/4nBIzsC
Writing builds resilience by changing your brain, helping you face everyday challenges
Resilience is often presented as feats of bravery and endurance. But everyday practices like journaling, drafting a text or even writing a to-do list are manifestations of a capacity to adapt.
buff.ly
November 25, 2025 at 4:08 PM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
A fascinating insight into all the weird and wonderful ideas people used to have about health ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿฅผ

But don't forget your reading ๐Ÿ‘“ - I found the light rather dim making it tricky to see the details. #history #health #cambridge ๐Ÿงช๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿ”Ž
theul.bsky.social Cambridge University Library @theul.bsky.social ยท Nov 17
๐ŸงชHold on to your urine flasks, there are only a few weeks left to visit Curious Cures!

๐Ÿ“ Open until 6 December 2025 at the University Library
๐Ÿ”—Book your FREE ticket: https://loom.ly/kVqsPRY

Music by Vlad Bakutov from Pixabay
November 17, 2025 at 9:12 PM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
๐Ÿ‘€A lovely new stamp design for British Antarctic Territory by my @bas.ac.uk colleague Claire Allen!

Featuring diatoms - tiny algae ๐Ÿฆ  that have beautiful structures and are everywhere, including in toothpaste apparently ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿชฅ

More info: www.iompost.com/our-news/ove...

#geology #Antarctica ๐Ÿงชโ„๏ธ๐ŸŒŠ
Four square images, each showing a stamp. On each stamp is a close-up photograph of a diatom. The top left diatom is a triangular shape and has lots of dots all over it. It is shown on a pale yellowish background. The top right diatom is circular and has "spokes" radiating out from a small central circle. It is shown against a pale pink background. The bottom right diatom is oval and has a leaf-like structure with a line running down the middle like a stem. It is shown against a paleo green background. The bottom left diatom is round and has less fine detail than the other diatoms, with seven lines radiating out from the centre. It is shown against a pale blue background. Each stamp has a silhouette of the King's head in the top right corner.
November 5, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Reposted by Dr Joanne Johnson
ianhall.bsky.social
Your science is sound
Your press release says โ€œReef recoveryโ€
The internet hears โ€œCrisis overโ€

A study shows how well-intended optimism can fuel climate misinformation.

Context matters...

www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Steering Great Barrier Reef climate science narratives through the mediasphere in a time of misinformation - npj Climate Action
npj Climate Action - Steering Great Barrier Reef climate science narratives through the mediasphere in a time of misinformation
www.nature.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:45 PM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
Hosting MP Ian Sollom at @bas.ac.uk as part of @royalsociety.org Pairing Scheme! Chats with #geology colleagues and visit to our new Polar Sediment Core Facility.

We all enjoyed that Ian was so interested and engaged with our work. Thankyou @iansollom.bsky.social and #pairingscheme2025 !๐Ÿงช๐Ÿ”ฌโ„๏ธ
A man in a grey suit looking to the right at a map on a white wall. A lady wearing black with a white bag is pointing at the map. Three people wearing dark clothes all looking at a piece of paper with coloured images on it, leaning on a wooden table. The person in the middle is pointing at the paper and explaining something. They are looking focused. A lady in dark blue top is pointing at a plastic bag held by a man wearing a maroon jumper and grey jacket. On the right is a lady in black with blonde hair, smiling. The mood is happy and they are smiling. A man in black on the left is pointing at a piece of paper with three people looking on. On a white table in front of him is a long tube full of mud with a yellow end cap. The people are looking serious and interested in what the man in black is saying.
October 27, 2025 at 1:14 PM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
Artist ๐ŸŽจ Rowan Huntley and I share more about our recent Tea & Talk at @scottpolar.bsky.social ๐Ÿ‘‡

www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum/news/...

๐Ÿงชโ„๏ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ถ๐Ÿ”ฌ #geology @bas.ac.uk
Two ladies dressed in black trousers and smart tops standing in front of a glass exhibition cabinet. Inside the cabinet are colourful artworks. They are smiling.
October 25, 2025 at 9:21 AM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
Such fun working with @bas.ac.uk and @ucl.ac.uk colleagues on this paper! Started as coffee table discussion about where the #Antarctic boulders came from. Ended bringing together geology, geomorphology and geophysics ๐Ÿชจ๐Ÿ”ฌ๐Ÿ›ฉ๏ธ Def more than the sum of their parts! ๐Ÿ‘‡
www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/h... ๐Ÿงชโ„๏ธ๐Ÿฅผ
Hidden giant granite discovered beneath West Antarctic Ice Sheet - British Antarctic Survey
Pink granite boulders scattered across the dark volcanic peaks of the Hudson Mountains in West Antarctica, have revealed a vast buried granite body.
www.bas.ac.uk
October 22, 2025 at 4:23 PM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
Models of how the #Antarctic ice sheet may have looked over the past 20 kyrs helped us track where the cobbles came from.

Knowing ice flow paths and what rocks lie underneath Antarctic glaciers today (e.g. how rough or smooth they are) helps us improve models of future sea level rise. 6/6
A colourful map showing the location of three glaciers near the Hudson Mountains (indicated by words in white) and the rock types that lie beneath them. On the right-hand side of the image is a purple area that extends from the glacier into the Hudson Mountains to the left. A series of blue and purple circles indicate the location of rock samples collected for the study.
October 22, 2025 at 9:35 AM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
Our results revealed a negative gravity anomaly under Pine Island Glacier ๐Ÿ‘‰a lower density rock must extend to the edge of the Hudson Mountains.

We had wondered if this gravity anomaly indicated a granite - the presence of granite cobbles confirmed our hunch!
5/n #geology
A person climbing a rocky hill is silhouetted against a bluish sky. The snow around the hill is sparkling in the sun. The mood is calm.
October 22, 2025 at 9:35 AM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
We studied composition of the cobbles & used geophysics to find out more about what lies under the glacier.

๐Ÿ‘€Geophysics detects properties of rocks and "sees" through ice. Radar, gravity and magnetics detectors on @bas.ac.uk #aircraft reveal if they contain magnetic minerals. 4/n #geophysics ๐Ÿงช
A red aircraft sitting on white snow surrounded by boxes. The sky is blue and it is sunny. A man in dark clothing is standing in front of the plane. Radar antennas can be seen attached below the wings. Photo credit: British Antarctic Survey (BAS)
October 22, 2025 at 9:35 AM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
We found lumps of the same pink granite ๐Ÿชจembedded in the bedrock of one of the mountains. ๐Ÿ‘‰ So there must be lots of granite nearby, but under the ice where we can't see it! ๐Ÿค” 3/n #geology ๐Ÿงชโ„๏ธ๐Ÿฅผ
A salmon-pink fragment of rock embedded within a brownish rock that has a rough texture. Three fingers of a personโ€™s hand are visible in the bottom left corner, and show the scale: the rock fragment would fit in their hand. Photo credit: Joanne Johnson (BAS)
October 22, 2025 at 9:35 AM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
Pink and grey granite cobbles lie all over the Hudson Mountains next to Pine Island Glacier in remote West #Antarctica๐Ÿ‘‡ They were carried there by flowing rivers of ice - glaciers๐ŸงŠ - that then retreated around 8,000 years ago. 2/n #geology
A hill partially covered in snow, with pink cobbles strewn over it. Blue sea is visible behind it and the sky is blue. The weather is sunny. Photo credit: Joanne Johnson (BAS) Two brown birds looking at a pink cobble sitting on a hillside. The rock underneath the cobble is grey, and behind them is white snow. Photo credit: Joanne Johnson (BAS)
October 22, 2025 at 9:35 AM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
Ever wondered what lies beneath the fastest melting glacier in #Antarctica? Read onโ€ฆ.

๐Ÿ”ฅNew paper just out๐Ÿ”ฅled by my brilliant @bas.ac.uk colleague Tom Jordan: www.nature.com/articles/s43...
Combining #geology & #geophysics, we discovered a huge granite beneath Pine Island Glacier! ๐Ÿงต belowโ€ฆ. 1/n
๐Ÿงชโ„๏ธ๐Ÿฅผ
Subglacial geology and palaeo flow of Pine Island Glacier from combining glacial erratics with geophysics - Communications Earth & Environment
A nearly 175โ€‰Ma granite body in West Antarctica reveals ice flowed across the southern Hudson Mountains at the Last Glacial Maximum, resulting in erratics derived from local subglacial bedrock, as rev...
www.nature.com
October 22, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Reposted by Dr Joanne Johnson
royalsocietypublishing.org
We are pleased to announce that throughout Open Access Week, from 20 โ€“ 26 October, all Royal Society journal content is freely available. Explore our journals here: royalsociety.org/Journals/ #OAWeek #OAWeek25
October 20, 2025 at 9:15 AM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
Lots of talking today! This morning recorded a podcast at @bas.ac.uk about our new #sciart exhibition.๐Ÿงชโ„๏ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ถ
This afternoon spoke with the artist at Tea & Talk at @scottpolar.bsky.social โ˜•๏ธ๐ŸŽจ Nice to get out of the office! #geology
Two women sitting at a round table surrounded by microphones and wires. They are wearing headphones and smiling animatedly. The woman on the left is wearing a pink cardigan and white top, and the woman on the right is wearing a green striped top and black dungarees.
October 16, 2025 at 4:29 PM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
I'm super proud of my @bas.ac.uk colleagues who have worked so hard on this! ๐Ÿ‘‡ ๐Ÿงช๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ถโ„๏ธ๐Ÿฅผ
bas.ac.uk British Antarctic Survey ๐Ÿง @bas.ac.uk ยท Oct 2
๐ŸงŠOur researchers have just finished analysing ancient Antarctic ice spanning 1.2 million years of climate history!

The Beyond EPICA project extends the ice core climate record by 400,000 years, helping us to understand long-term climate patterns and improve future predictions.
October 2, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Reposted by Dr Joanne Johnson
bas.ac.uk
In three days, our iconic red planes will take off from Canada to make the epic journey across the world to Antarctica.

These flights mark the start of a new polar science season.

BUT ALSO that means there's three days left to send your name to Antarctica with us! tickettoantarctica.com
September 29, 2025 at 3:43 PM
geologicaljo.bsky.social
๐Ÿ“ขOur #sciart exhibition 'Through Ice & Fire' at @scottpolar.bsky.social is officially open! Last night, artist Rowan Huntley and I hosted friends and family for a preview. A lovely celebration of all the hard work ๐ŸŽ‰

Do come!๐Ÿ‘‡ www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum/exhib...

@bas.ac.uk #geology ๐Ÿงชโ„๏ธ๐Ÿ–Œ๏ธ
Lots of people sitting on wooden benches in front of a screen, on which the exhibition logo (in blue and orange) is displayed. Three people are standing in front of the screen, giving a presentation. A girl with red hair looking at wooden objects in a glass cabinet. To the right of the image is a bluish grey painting on a white all, and a wiry sculpture attached to the wall in the centre of the image.
September 12, 2025 at 2:28 PM