Xi Zhao, PhD

What’s the work that you do?

I am a polar scientist with a PhD in remote sensing from the University of Twente in The Netherlands. I measure polar sea ice through satellite images to answer questions like where is the ice and how quickly does its extent change with increasing temperatures. Furthermore, I am interested in researching those parts of Antarctica that we cannot observe accurately by remote sensing. I want to know how the uncertainty contributes to our knowledge.

What keeps you going?

Curiosity keeps me going. To learn just about anything about nature, you need to start with simple observations around you. I participated in the 36th Chinese Antarctic scientific expedition in 2019-2020, where I performed aviation observation tasks as part of an international campaign, ICECAP/PEL, to survey Princess Elizabeth Land (PEL). When I was in China’s research air plane, the “Snow Eagle”, looking down at the gorgeous icebergs and intricate ice floe patterns, I was proud of my work: getting to know this beautiful ice by observing it.

What’s your message to the world?

In the past, it was only explorers who could reach the poles, but today, they are more accessible – especially via remote sensing! If an idea is our captain, then remote sensing is our ship to explore the world. You can go however far your imagination takes you.