The British Geophysical AssociationDee Amos – STEM Ambassador Planetary Science
Describe you work in 10 words
I teach STEM in schools & colleges
How did you become interested in Geophysics?
Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society it was a natural progression to become greatly interested in volcanoes, plate tectonics & planetary science. Experiencing impact craters & meteorites to atop volcanoes Vesuvius & Mauna Kea Teaching Felsic to Mafic to diving 65M years old Chixulub cenotes.
The meteorite samples are central to the Royal Institution Computer Science Masterclasses in which the students learn spectroscopy & control rovers looking for the samples.
How did I get where I am now?
I’m a Licensed aerospace professional (ex RAF) with University Astronomy qualifications linking me to Royal Aeronautical Society, RAS, BGA, EGU & Institute of Physics probably making me humbly the lowest research grade but with a vast scope of interest from high level aircraft to rockets satellites & probes to totally understanding what the rovers are finding.
Challenges in next decade
It’s a very exciting time, quantum leaps are taking place in technology from probing deeper than ever before into the Earth, following the movements in plate tectonics & materials from subduction to volcanoes monitoring on Earth Mars, Io & cryo volcanos on Titan & sample return.
Memorable experience in career in geophysics
Once had conversation with Professor Colin Pillinger about Beagle 2 but got chased off by his wife. I suppose a better story is when Kathy Whaler was a speaker short for a series of ESA lectures at RAS about the magnetosphere. I wrote the report in just 2 weeks & upon attending it wasn’t required. I showed the lecture to one of the older professors & he said (quote) They would have ripped you apart! I still write lectures & of course they have to have a little humour it’s the best way to digest a lesson.
