Glaciology on EARTH Magazine

Observers at the edge of the ice: Smaller, cheaper machines can safely go where humans can't

Wed, 17 Aug 2016 10:23:05 -0400

Tourists and glaciologists alike want to get as close to glaciers as is safely possible. Credit: Gary Bembridge, CC BY 2.0 Credit: Gary Bembridge, CC BY 2.0.

Any tourist bound for Greenland or Alaska on a cruise ship would be happy to capture video of a huge chunk of ice as it calves from the face of a glacier hundreds of meters tall or more — filmed from a safe distance of course. When it hits the ocean below, falling ice can send up cascading walls of water that could capsize or drown any vessel that dares too close.

Down to Earth With: Glaciologist Ted Scambos

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 18:53:47 -0500

Ted Scambos. Credit: NSIDC, University of Colorado.

As a young boy, Ted Scambos was fascinated by space and technology, and spent many hours watching aircraft take off and land at the Air Force bases where his father, a pilot, was stationed. For his birthday or Christmas, he says he would often ask for a new telescope or a book about the planets. By sixth grade, Scambos had decided to become an astronomer. But by high school, his attention shifted from outer space to chemistry, and he set up an elaborate chemistry set in his parents’ basement. As Scambos’ interests evolved, he gradually realized that although astronomy and chemistry were both very hands-on disciplines at first, the deeper he delved, the more esoteric they became. Instead, he found himself drawn to geology, especially after discovering how much he enjoyed fieldwork.

Down to Earth With: Glaciologist Erin Pettit

Thu, 17 Sep 2015 10:17:25 -0400

Glaciologist Erin Pettit is an associate professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. Credit: Ted Scambos.

Pettit mentors participants in the Girls on Ice program as they learn mountaineering and science skills. Credit: Girls on Ice/Erin Pettit.

If it has to do with frozen water, Erin Pettit has probably studied it. As an associate professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, Pettit investigates all things ice. Her research spans vast spatial scales, from the behavior of entire glaciers down to the structure of individual ice crystals. And it has taken her from Alaska to Greenland to Antarctica, and to many of the mountain ranges in between.

Down to Earth With: Glaciologist Richard Alley

Tue, 13 Jan 2015 13:05:38 -0500

If you don’t know who Richard Alley is, stop reading for a minute and search for him on YouTube. Go on, this can wait. Back? What you likely saw was Alley singing his rendition of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” in which he explains subduction zones, or another similar song. In addition to being something of an Internet sensation for his energetic lectures and songs about geologic processes, Alley is a glaciologist who studies the effects of climate change. Alley’s work has taken him to glaciers around the world, from Greenland to the Antarctic ice sheet. He is also trying to understand how best to communicate scientific ideas to the public. So far those efforts have included singing to his undergraduate classes and filming a television series for PBS called “Earth: The Operators’ Manual.” (There’s a public-friendly book and website of the same title as well.)

Down to Earth With: Glaciologist Lonnie Thompson

Sun, 04 Jan 2015 19:38:59 -0500

As a child growing up in Gassaway, W.Va., Lonnie Thompson was poor. When his father died while Thompson was a senior in high school, he realized he’d need to earn a reliable paycheck as quickly as possible. As an undergraduate at Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., he knew he wanted to study science; he started off as a physics major before settling on geology. Later, when he arrived at Ohio State University (OSU) as a graduate student in 1971, Thompson’s intent was to study coal geology, a practical choice that he believed would quickly secure him a job.

Stonehenge's Mysterious Stones

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:41:58 -0500

Glacial eratics in Canada, such as this giant boulder on the Alberta plains, exemplify how glaciers could have carried giant boulders from mountains in Wales and deposited them on Salisbury Plain. Lionel Jackson

Glaciers once carried giant boulders out of the Canadian Rocky Mountains and moved them hundreds of kilometers southward. Graham Colson

Glaciers carried giant boulders out of the Canadian Rocky Mountains for hundreds of kilometers. Brian John and Lionel Jackson

A tale of glaciers, man, rocks and North America