I got to talk with Alessio Gusmeroli this month. He is an Arctic Scientist.
Truman: Tell me a little about yourself — some background information for our readers.
AG: I am Alessio Gusmeroli, 29-years-old, from Italy. I live and work in Alaska. I came here four years ago after completing my graduate studies in the United Kingdom. I spend most of my day studying glaciers, snow and ice.
Truman: Can you tell me a little bit about what you do? What is your typical day like?
AG: When I am not in the office, my typical day out in the field starts by waking up in a cozy sleeping bag, under a tent in a snowy ice field. The first thing you have to do there is prepare water for breakfast. We do this by melting snow in a pot. After breakfast, we go out in the blazing Arctic sun to collect our measurements for the entire day.
Truman: What does it take to become an Arctic Explorer?
AG: You have to ask this of the Arctic Explorers. I am only an Arctic Scientist. But I can tell you that it takes will and perseverance. These are natural qualities in all of us. All of us can do things. To accomplish big things, we have to remove fear and doubts — and go straight to realizing our dreams.
Truman: When and why did you first become interested in the Arctic?
AG: I grew up in the Italian Alps, surrounded by snowy mountains. As a child, I loved exploring mountains and the natural environment and developed a fascination for natural phenomena. This led to the discovery of mountaineering and glaciology, which hasn’t left me since.
Truman: What’s the hardest part of your job?
AG: Going back to work after walking my dogs at lunchtime. They always want to play with me, so it is always hard to leave them.
Truman: What is the best part of your job?
AG: Discovering things that were not known before and sharing it with everyone, my colleagues, my family, my community and kids!
Truman: Can you tell me about your most exciting expedition?
AG: My most exciting expedition is the one that is about to happen in a week from now. We will be camping for two weeks on the Taku Glacier, near Juneau in Alaska. We will be installing explosive charges on the ice. We will generate big explosions and we will study how the explosions will propagate into ice. This will help us understand glacier motion and glacier erosion.
Truman: What are some interesting facts that most people don’t know about the Arctic region?
Maybe you don’t know that the Arctic can be quite warm, too. When the sun is high in the sky and the wind is not blowing, you can easily stand in a T-shirt enjoying the afternoon sun. You can also tan!
Truman: What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t working?
AG: I love martial arts. When I am not working, you can find me in our local dojo (a martial arts school) learning and practicing martial arts. I love helping out teaching karate to kids. I started martial arts when I was a little kid. It is still accompanying me, and, without a doubt, it will do so throughout the rest of my life.
Truman: Where can kids find out more?
AG: Kids can find out more online. This is a nice video that shows some of our field research last spring in the Arctic.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPVwTINk9DE
This other video shows a much colder experience. It shows you how hard things can be when you work in cold places.
Truman: What is your favorite place to explore?
AG: My favorite place is Val Tartano, a beautiful alpine valley located in the Italian Alps. This is the birthplace of my mom and dad, their parents and their parents before them. It is the place I know the most, the place that triggered my interest towards nature. I always go back to those mountains, and, even though I have walked in them since the age of 3, I always discover something new.
Truman: I can’t wait to hear about your next expedition!
