‘Mr Antarctic Volcano’ awarded second Polar Medal
A Cambridge-based, Antarctic-trekking academic has had the rare distinction of receiving a Polar Medal for the second time.
Professor John Smellie, who returned from his most recent adventure only last month, was awarded it in the King’s New Year Honours. It was the second time he has received the accolade after Queen Elizabeth II awarded him a Polar Medal in 1986.
He joins fewer than two dozen individuals who have received the medal twice.
Prof Smellie is an honorary professor of volcanology in the School of Geography, Geology and the Environment at the University of Leicester, which he joined in 2010 after spending most of his career working as senior volcanologist for the Cambridge-based British Antarctic Survey (BAS).
The Polar Medal is awarded ‘to individuals who have given outstanding achievement and service to the UK in the field of polar research, often over prolonged periods of time and in harsh conditions’. Originally called the Arctic Medal, it has existed for 150 years, during which time there have been 1,000 recipients.
Previous recipients of the Polar Medal include Sir Ernest Shackleton, Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
Prof Smellie has visited and worked on more volcanoes in Antarctica than any other person, living or dead. As a result, he has sometimes been nicknamed ‘Mr Antarctic Volcano’.
He said: “I had wanted to work on those volcanoes ever since I heard about them in the late 1980s. I already had experience working on the high polar plateau and its low temperatures. I knew that any exposed skin feels like it has razor blades being thrown at it.
“So it was often unpleasant, even on the sunny days we had – and we never got the frost line lower than 30cm from the floor of the tent, inside. But the scenery is brutally beautiful as well as extremely remote. Just two small exploring parties had ever been there, so it was a privilege for us to visit. Our results were also a big surprise so they excited us too.”
On the medal, he said: “I was quite shocked when I heard the news and had to read it twice before it fully sank in. It was a wonderful way to end the year. My time in Antarctica in October and November (2022) had been quite challenging, with lower temperatures than anticipated, so the news made up for the difficult working conditions.
“But the award is not just about me. I have spent a long career away from home for months on end during most years, including very many Christmases and new tears. So it also reflects the wonderful support given to me by my wife and two daughters. A day at the palace for them during the conferral is at least some small recompense.”
Prof Smellie first visited Antarctica at 21 after graduating with his first-class degree from Edinburgh. He has completed 27 expeditions to Antarctica.
His specialty is interpreting the environmental history contained in Antarctica’s volcanic sequences, particularly critical parameters of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, for periods in the geologically recent past when Earth’s global temperatures were warmer than today.
