From the Vents to the Arctic: Kathy Crane’s Ocean Explorations
Exploring Earth’s Final Frontiers—And Beyond
This fall, NASA launched the Europa Clipper spaceship on a mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa to investigate the possibility of life in its subsurface ocean. In this episode of Rising Tide: The Ocean Podcast, Dr. Kathy Crane, a pioneering geologist, shares her experience mapping hydrothermal vents in the deep Pacific 45 years ago—an expedition that led to the discovery of chemosynthetic life, including giant clams and tubeworms. These deep-sea organisms offer clues about potential extraterrestrial life on Europa and beyond. Crane also reflects on her experiences as a woman in geology and her work exploring the Arctic seabed during the Cold War. This episode offers a compelling look at scientific discovery and the uncharted frontiers of both Earth and space. Dive in.
