Difference between revisions of "Template:Westarctica.wiki:Today's featured article"

Latest revision as of 15:25, 20 August 2025

Quin Blackburn was a geologist on the First and Second Byrd Expeditions and leader of the geologic party that explored the Transantarctic Mountains. Blackburn served as a geologist and seaman—before—the mast on the First Byrd Expedition (1928-1930). During this expedition, Blackburn and 41 other explorers were forced to winter over in the Little America base due to their ship being stuck in the pack ice.

Undoubtedly, Quin Blackburn's most lasting contribution to Antarctic exploration was as the leader of the Second Byrd Expedition's Geologic Party (1933-1935). During this expedition, he led a three-man team on a 1,500 mile trek across Marie Byrd Land, investigating the geology of the Queen Maud Mountains while also sledging the length of the Scott Glacier onto the Polar Plateau. His prowess as an explorer was evident by the fact that his team returned from their long polar traverse having gained weight. Blackburn copied Robert Falcon Scott's system of traveling with and consuming a large team of dogs to ensure a steady supply of protein, fat, and Vitamin C during the expedition.

(Full Article...)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[File:Dr Eights.jpg|300px|left]]
+[[File:Quin Blackburn.jpg|250px|left]]
-'''[[James Eights]]''' (1798–1882) was an American explorer, scientist, and artist who joined one of the earliest expeditions to [[Antarctica]]. He was born in Albany, New York, the son of physician Jonathan Eights and Alida Wynkoop. James also became a physician and was appointed an examiner at a local engineering school which is now known as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
+'''[[Quin Blackburn]]''' was a geologist on the First and Second Byrd Expeditions and leader of the geologic party that explored the [[Transantarctic Mountains]]. Blackburn served as a geologist and seaman—before—the mast on the [[Richard E. Byrd|First Byrd Expedition]] (1928-1930). During this expedition, Blackburn and 41 other explorers were forced to winter over in the Little America base due to their ship being stuck in the pack ice.
-Upon the recommendation of Amos Eaton, who called Eights "one of the most competent geologists in North America", Eights obtained the position of naturalist on the first voyage of discovery made outside the United States. He was a member of the "South Sea Fur Company and Exploring Expedition" of 1829. This was a private enterprise organized by Jeremiah N. Reynolds. The expedition included two brigs, ''Annawan'' and ''Seraph'', commanded by Benjamin Pendleton and Nathaniel B. Palmer respectively, plus the schooner ''Penguin'' commanded by Alexander Palmer.
+Undoubtedly, Quin Blackburn's most lasting contribution to [[Antarctic]] exploration was as the leader of the Second Byrd Expedition's Geologic Party (1933-1935). During this expedition, he led a three-man team on a 1,500 mile trek across [[Marie Byrd Land]], investigating the geology of the [[Queen Maud Mountains]] while also sledging the length of the [[Scott Glacier]] onto the Polar Plateau. His prowess as an explorer was evident by the fact that his team returned from their long polar traverse having gained weight. Blackburn copied [[Robert Falcon Scott]]'s system of traveling with and consuming a large team of dogs to ensure a steady supply of protein, fat, and Vitamin C during the expedition.
-Eights made observations of the flora and fauna in the lands reached by the expedition, which included Patagonia and Staten Island. He was the first to describe a trilobite fossil found on the South Shetland Islands in the [[Antarctica|Antarctic]], a pycnogonid, and the presence of glacial erratics.
+'''([[Quin Blackburn|Full Article...]])'''
-'''([[James Eights|Full Article...]])'''