“Shrinking Glaciers: A Chronology of Climate Change” with Michael Kaplan (Oct 2013)

“Shrinking Glaciers: A Chronology of Climate Change”

with Michael Kaplan (Oct 2013)

 

Michael Kaplan is a Lamont Assistant Research Scientist who area of investigation focus on how fast glaciers in certain parts of the world are disappearing. His field research includes:

* Glacier and climate history of southern South America, New Zealand, Antarctica, and eastern North America: Whether past climate changes are in phase around the globe at low and high frequency timescales

* Quantifying rates of landscape change in southern South America using cosmogenic nuclide measurements and understanding these changes in relation to development of the Andes.

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Dr. Kaplan’s presentation: Kaplan2013

 

Dr. Kaplan is co-PI of the Lamont Cosmogenic Dating Group with Joerg M. Schaefer

http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/cosmo

Humans live on the earth’s surface and Earth Surface Processes (ESP) are cornerstones defining fundamental boundaries for civilization. Many of these processes occur so rapidly and unexpectedly that they have daunting consequences. We are poorly equipped to predict their nature and possible impacts due to the lack of scientific understanding.In particular, the impact of current environmental change on the nature of ESP is hardly predictable. It is a high priority challenge for modern earth sciences to better understand such processes. One of the most promising approaches to this task is the quantitative investigation of ESP from the past to the present, and to apply the insight to current and future environmental challenges. The leading technique to realize this is the application of terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide.

The LDEO Cosmogenic Nuclide Group develops terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide techniques and applies those as chronometers and tracers in the Earth Sciences. Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides are produced by interactions between secondary cosmic rays and near surface rocks. Our research interests cover a wide spectrum of earth scientific disciplines and include timing of ice ages, subglacial erosion rates, uplift rates of Pleistocene terraces, and a better understanding of the production systematics of cosmogenic nuclides.

http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/research/geochemistry/cosmogenic-dating-group

Research conducted by this group was featured in July 2012 American Museum of Natural History “Science Bulletin”
http://www.amnh.org/explore/science-bulletins/(watch)/earth/documentaries/shrinking-glaciers-a-chronology-of-climate-change

[You can view all AMNH Science Bulletins at http://www.amnh.org/explore/science-bulletins.]

Related News Stories about Cosmogenic Nuclide Group research:

Related Links 

Glacier advance in southern middle-latitudes during the Antarctic Cold Reversal
http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v3/n10/full/ngeo962.html

Glacier retreat in New Zealand during the Younger Dryas stadial
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20829791

The Last Glacial Termination
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/328/5986/1652.full

GNS Science
http://www.gns.cri.nz/

University of Maine: Department of Earth Sciences
http://umaine.edu/earthsciences/research/

Other Useful Resources

Ice Drilling program Office Climate Expeditions
http://climate-expeditions.org/

PBS Learning Media: “Glaciers”
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.earthsys.glaciers/glaciers/

Nova : Vanishing into Thin Air
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/vanishing-into-thin-air.html

USGS Benchmark Glaciers
http://ak.water.usgs.gov/glaciology/index.html

Melting Glaciers Threaten Peru

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3172572.stm

Finally, Ski Resorts Wake Up to Warming (Auden Schendler and Lukas Haynes / First Published Sep 05 2013 05:17 pm  / Salt Lake Tribune)

http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56825801-219/climate-industry-mountain-resorts.html.csp

 

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