Erin Pettit is an associate professor at the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. She is also a National Geographic emerging explorer applying acoustic research with hydrophones to calving and melting glaciers reaching the ocean, to examine ice shelf disintegration and the ice-ocean boundary. Her research on glacier noise includes studying its effects on marine animals. She has presented at TEDWomen on listening to glaciers, and has created the Girls on Ice program to teach high school girls about glaciology, ecology, and mountaineering.

Pettit is a lead Principal Investigator on the TARSAN project. She and her team will measure ocean circulation and thinning beneath the Thwaites Glacier. The team will employ automated underwater vehicles and automated land-ice stations.