A photography exhibition called “Fire & Ice: A Photographic Journey of Antarctica,” by Prof John Gamble, was launched on the 20th of January at the Jennings Gallery in UCC. The exhibition was opened by Dr Clare O’Leary, who in 2008 led the first Irish team to walk 1,100km across the Antarctic ice to the South Pole. John Gamble is a Professor of Geology in UCC.
A PhD graduate of Queens College Belfast, Gamble made seven field trips to the icy tundra of Antarctica, where he researched the geochemistry of deep Earth and the processes that lead to volcanism. He even has three terrestrial landmarks named after him –Gamble Glacier, Gamble Cone and Gamble Volcanic Complex, a submarine volcano in the South-West Pacific.
Considered a desert, Antarctica is on average the driest, coldest, windiest and highest continent on the planet. “Fire & Ice,” is compiled of a collection of beautiful, previously unseen photographs taken by Gamble during his time in Antarctica. They include stunning images of volcanoes, and shots of the wildlife able to survive the harsh conditions. The exhibition also showcases a visit to the historic huts of Arctic explorers Scott and Shackleton, on Ross Island. “Fire & Ice” will run from the 21st of January until the 3rd of February.