University of Victoria Experts Highlight Glacier Preservation on World Water Day

On World Water Day, the University of Victoria underscores glacier preservation’s importance, featuring experts David Atkinson, Jay Cullen, and Sophie Norris. Their research addresses the implications of glacier loss on ecosystems and climate change, highlighting the critical nature of this environmental issue.

The significance of glaciers in sustaining human life cannot be overstated, as they serve as vital sources of drinking water, irrigation, and clean energy, while also supporting healthy ecosystems. On this World Water Day, the United Nations emphasizes the necessity of glacier preservation. Experts from the University of Victoria, available for media inquiries, are ready to discuss various aspects of glacier conservation.

David Atkinson, from the Geography department, specializes in the monitoring and prediction of large-scale weather systems. He has deployed weather monitoring equipment on the Columbia and Nahanni icefields. Leading the BSc Climate Science program, he focuses on equipping students to assist communities in addressing climate challenges. (Contact: [email protected])

Jay Cullen, the director of the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, is an expert in chemical oceanography, particularly regarding the effects of glacier melting in the Arctic on trace metals in the ocean. His ongoing research includes a PhD student collecting water samples in Antarctica as part of a Royal Canadian Navy mission. (Contact: [email protected])

Sophie Norris, also from Geography, specializes in glacial erosion and assessing the historical responses of glaciers and ice sheets to climatic changes. She employs an extensive range of geochronological and computer modeling techniques to measure landscape transformations. (Contact: [email protected])

The University of Victoria highlights the crucial role glaciers play in human survival and the environment, as emphasized by the United Nations on World Water Day. Experts such as David Atkinson, Jay Cullen, and Sophie Norris stand ready to provide insights into glacier preservation, its impact on climate change, and the consequent effects on our ecosystems and communities.

Original Source: www.uvic.ca