Felicity Aston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Felicity Aston
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | University College London (BSc) University of Reading (MSc) |
| Awards | Member of the Order of the British Empire (2015) Polar medal (2015) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Climatology |
Felicity Ann Dawn Aston is a British explorer, writer, and climate scientist. She is famous for her amazing journeys to the coldest places on Earth. She has skied across Antarctica and led many expeditions to the North and South Poles.
Contents
Early Life and Work
Felicity Aston grew up in Kent, England. She studied at University College London and the University of Reading. She earned degrees in science and applied meteorology. Meteorology is the study of weather and climate.
From 2000 to 2003, Felicity worked in Antarctica. She was a lead weather scientist at Rothera Research Station. This station is on Adelaide Island near the Antarctic Peninsula. She helped watch the climate and ozone layer there. She spent three summers and two winters without leaving Antarctica.
Amazing Expeditions
Felicity Aston has completed many challenging expeditions. She often leads all-female teams.
Race Across Arctic Canada
In 2005, Felicity joined a race called the Polar Challenge. This race went across Arctic Canada. The goal was to reach the 1996 position of the North Magnetic Pole. Her team was the first all-female group to finish this race. They came in 6th place out of 16 teams.
Crossing the Greenland Ice Sheet
In 2006, Felicity led another first. She guided the first all-female British team across the Greenland ice sheet. This was a tough journey over a huge area of ice.
Skiing to the South Pole
In 2009, Felicity organized and led the Kaspersky Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition. Seven women from six different Commonwealth countries took part. They skied all the way to the South Pole. This trip celebrated 60 years of the Commonwealth. Felicity wrote a book about this journey. It is called Call of the White: Taking the world to the South Pole.
First Solo Antarctic Crossing
In 2012, Felicity made history. She became the first person to ski alone across the entire Antarctic land-mass. She used only her own strength. She was also the first woman to cross Antarctica alone. Her journey started on November 25, 2011. It lasted 59 days and covered 1,084 miles (1,744 kilometers). She only had two supply drops along the way.
Felicity said this trip showed her how strong people can be. She learned that our bodies are tougher than we think. Our minds are also more resilient than we imagine.
North Pole Expedition
In 2018, she led an all-women team to the North Pole. This team included women from Europe and Arab countries. One team member, Asma Al Thani, was the first Qatari person to ski to the North Pole. This expedition also helped scientists study how people's minds work in extreme cold.
Other Adventures
Felicity has also walked across the frozen Lake Baikal. This lake in Russia is the world's deepest and oldest. She also completed the Marathon des Sables. This is a very long running race across the desert.
Researching Arctic Sea Ice
From 2020 to 2024, Felicity led the B.I.G (Before It's Gone) expedition. This was another all-female project. Its goal was to research Arctic sea ice. The team skied across places like Drangajökull in Iceland, Svalbard, and Nunavut in Canada. During these trips, they collected snow and ice samples. Scientists will study these samples for tiny pieces of plastic, soot, and heavy metals.
Awards and Recognition
Felicity Aston is an ambassador for two charities. These are the British Antarctic Monument Trust and Equaladventure. She received an honorary doctorate from Canterbury Christ Church University. This was for her amazing achievements in exploration.
She is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. She is a member of The Explorers Club. In 2016, she helped present a TV show about the 1898 Klondyke Gold Rush. Her photo was part of the 100 First Women exhibition.
In 2015, Felicity was given two special awards. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). She also received the Polar Medal. These awards were for her important work in polar exploration.
Personal Life
Felicity Aston now lives in Iceland. She is married and has a son. She also farms eiderdown from wild eider ducks. These ducks live on an island in the Arctic Westfjords.
See also
In Spanish: Felicity Aston para niños
