European Geosciences Union
Division on Cryospheric Sciences
President: Carleen Tijm-Reijmer (cr@egu.eu)
Deputy President: Nanna B. Karlsson
(nbk@geus.dk)
The Cryosphere are those parts of the Earth and other planetary bodies that are subject to prolonged periods of temperatures below the freezing point of water. These include glaciers, frozen ground, sea ice, snow and ice. One of the main aims of the EGU Division on Cryospheric Sciences is to facilitate the exchange of information within the science community. It does so by organizing series of sessions at the annual EGU assembly, and through the publishing of the open-access journal `The Cryosphere’. The division awards the Julia and Johannes Weertman medal for outstanding contributions to the science of the cryosphere.
The 2021 Julia and Johannes Weertman Medal is awarded to Martyn Tranter for his outstanding fundamental contributions in the innovative and emerging field of glacial biogeochemistry, leading to the paradigm shift in recognizing bio-albedo effects.
The 2021 Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award is awarded to Christine L. Batchelor for her contributions to cryospheric sciences by her studies on glacial history and palaeo-ice sheet reconstructions.
The 2020 Julia and Johannes Weertman Medal is awarded to Julienne C. Stroeve for her fundamental contributions to improved satellite observations of sea ice, better understanding of causes of sea ice variability and change, and her compelling communication to the wider public.
The 2020 Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award is awarded to Anna E. Hogg for outstanding research in the field of satellite remote sensing of the cryosphere and her contributions to science communications.
Did you know that the oldest organism on Earth is believed to be a microorganism found in 3-million-year-old permafrost in Siberia? There, it was living at a cosy average temperature of -10 °C at 14 m depth. Or did you hear that some other Arctic soil microorganisms can happily live at extreme temperatures down to -40 °C? Scientists often use these “extreme” microorganisms to get an idea on how extra-terrestrial life could look like. However, these microorganisms are also important …
In July 2021, together with a group of MSc students from the University of Bremen, I set off from the flat plains of Northwest Germany and embarked on a journey to the mountainous regions of Austria, with the Vernagtferner Glacier as our final destination. My aim was to learn as much as I could in the glaciology field course offered by the university. During my student days in Brazil, glaciers filled my imagination. However, until now I had only seen …
We are used to think of algae as marine or lacustrine organisms, but they are actually able to thrive also on the cryosphere. In a previous post, we learnt how snow algae live and reproduce on snow. Now we will explore how and why scientists study snow algae, and how social media can be used for identifying new study areas. Snow algae in the Alps Snow algae in the Alps have been overlooked or confused with dust for a long …
Women make up 50.8% of the worlds population, yet fewer than 30% of the world’s researchers are women. Of this percentage, BAME (Black Asia and Minority Ethnic) comprise around 5%, with less than 1% represented in geoscience faculty positions. The divide between women in the population and women in STEM needs to be addressed. Through a series of blog posts we hope to raise the voice of women in the cryosphere community, and spread awareness of the amazing work they …
In the September issue of The Loupe find out how climate activism grew out of the environmental movements of the 60s and 70s and what it will need to do to evolve in the future with guest blogger Arindam Roy, and discover what it’s like to be an Early Career Scientist studying chemical compounds in our atmosphere with Atmospheric Sciences Division Early Career Scientist representative Mengze Li!
You can also watch the free recording of our special webinar about Air Pollution with Craig Poku, available now on our YouTube channel.
Want to come and work with us at EGU in Munich and have a passion for Open Access publishing? Why not apply for our new Editorial Manager position! Applications will be reviewed from Friday 8 October 2021 so don’t delay, apply today
In addition to the latest Journal Watch and GeoRoundup of September EGU journal highlights, this issue also shares the first rresults of EGU’s new “authors survey”: