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Tangier Smith Elementary School third graders virtually visit Antarctica with WFHS alumnus & researcher (William Floyd School District)

David J Lubinski — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 22:02:24 +0000

Tangier Smith Elementary School third graders virtually visit Antarctica with WFHS alumnus & researcher (William Floyd School District) David J Lubinski Fri, 12/20/2024 - 15:02

PhD student Jared Collins video called from Antarctica to a group of third graders, culminating their studies of the continent. The students previously read the bilingual book La Foca Perdida/ The Lost Seal, written by Diane McKnight. Collins's fieldwork includes being a leader of the Stream Team at McMurdo LTER.

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INSTAAR at AGU 2024

David J Lubinski — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 19:01:36 +0000

INSTAAR at AGU 2024 David J Lubinski Thu, 12/05/2024 - 12:01

Gabe Allen , David Lubinski

Each year, more than 25,000 earth and space scientists from around the world convene for the annual convention of the American Geophysical Union. This year’s conference runs for a week on 9-13 December in Washington, D.C., and will feature talks and posters from INSTAAR’s faculty fellows, faculty research associates, postdocs and students. Our Institute’s contributions will span the globe, touching on Earth systems in the oceans, alpine and polar regions.

Research highlights, from Monday to Friday

Click any image to zoom

A sea-ice free arctic

“The first ice-free day in the Arctic Ocean could occur before 2030” — it’s a stark title for faculty fellow Alexandra Jahn’s latest paper, which was published in Nature on December 3rd. Jahn will give an invited talk about her research during a Monday session. In it, she will detail her work to model the climatic conditions that could lead to an ice-free arctic in the near future. Her collaborator on this project was the Swedish earth scientist Céline Heuzé. Read more about this project in CU ��«��Ƶ Today. [ Monday a.m. talk ]

Woody encroachment into alpine tundra

Although woody encroachment has been well-studied in the arctic, less is known about its effects in alpine tundra. Katya Jay (INSTAAR affiliate and alum, now at NEON and CU ��«��Ƶ ESIL) and her co-authors have combined multiple imagery datasets with many other measurement types to try to understand how encroachment happens over time. The team included Katharine Suding, Will Wieder, and two CU ��«��Ƶ colleagues. Jay will present their findings in a poster session on Tuesday. For more about her recent research, watch her talk at CU ��«��Ƶ's Earth Lab this spring. [ Tuesday a.m. poster ]

Alpine lake biomarkers in Wyoming

Lipid biomarkers preserved in lake sediment provide valuable information about past climate and environmental changes. One such class of biomarkers, brGDGTs, has proven its value as a paleothermometer and has promise for reconstructing other key environmental variables as well. INSTAAR research scientist Jonathan Raberg (also with University of Wyoming) will present his collaborative work to compare sediment brGDGTs with other environmental proxies in Wyoming alpine lakes. [ Tuesday a.m. talk ]

Warming and sediment on the Canning River

Faculty fellow Irina Overeem - with a team of mostly INSTAAR researchers, alums, and affiliates - spent the past two field seasons documenting changes on the Canning River in Alaska. She will speak about their research on Tuesday. The project investigates the transport of sediment and nutrients from the Alaskan permafrost out to the Arctic Ocean. Overeem and PhD student Josie Arcuri are also the stars of a new film about the project titled “Icy River” by ��«��Ƶ-based documentarian Ryan Vachon. INSTAAR will host a screening and a Q&A on January 30th. [ Tuesday a.m. talk ]

Carbon cycling in cold regions

Arctic rivers move, process and store an immense amount of organic carbon — carbon that has built up in the surrounding permafrost over millennia. Faculty fellow Suzanne Anderson will present a poster on Tuesday detailing her work to elucidate the carbon cycles, sources and sinks of these icy waterways. Her research sheds light on these poorly-understood systems during a time when climate change is impacting them on every level. Her collaborators include Irina Overeem, Robert Anderson, Marisa Repasch and Josie Arcuri. [ Tuesday p.m. poster ]

Snowmelt and subalpine forests

As the climate warms, subalpine forests experience longer growing seasons and more variable winter snow. In an invited talk on Thursday, faculty fellow Noah Molotch will detail his investigation into these important ecosystems over the past quarter-century. His work draws on decades of remote sensing data that shows the importance of snowmelt on ecosystem productivity. His collaborators include Eric Kennedy, John Knowles, Sean Burns and Peter Blanken. [ Thursday a.m. talk ]

Marine heatwaves and ocean acidity extremes

PhD student Samuel Mogen, Nikki Lovenduski and collaborators take aim at predicting marine heatwaves and ocean acidity extremes in a new paper in Nature Geoscience. Their new model is adept at forecasting these acute events from months to a year in advance, with varying degrees of certainty based on the event type and location. Mogen will present the team's poster on Thursday in a session on climate variability and predictability. Read more about the forecasts in a recent INSTAAR news story. [ Thursday p.m. poster ]

Flooding in the 21st Century

Faculty fellow Albert Kettner will give an invited tallk on Thursday during AGU’s “Changing Climate: Associated Natural Hazards and Impacts” session. He will focus on his recent work to simulate flooding on a global scale at the end of the 21st century. His research documents changes in the magnitude and frequency of flooding under a specific climate scenario, in which emissions are reduced slowly. His collaborators include Sagy Cohen, Irina Overeem, Balazs Fekete, Robert Brakenridge and Jaia Syvitski. Read more about Kettner’s work in a recent INSTAAR news story. [ Thursday p.m. talk ]

Microbes and methane growth 2020-2022

A new analysis from Sylvia Michel, Pieter Tans, Reid Clark, Jianghanyang (Ben) Li, and collaborators investigates the root cause of a recent atmospheric methane spike. Their finding suggests microbes have been emitting more methane than fossil fuels in recent years. Nonetheless, reducing fossil fuel consumption remains key to addressing climate change. Their work was recently published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Michel will give an invited talk on Friday in a session on Isotopes of the Atmospheric Components. Read more about this study in CU ��«��Ƶ Today [ Friday a.m. talk ]

Mountain hydrology and biogeochemistry

Presentations on 'Mountain hydrology and biogeochemistry in a changing world' are being held in honor of Mark “SnoBear” Williams (INSTAAR Fellow Emeritus and Geography Professor Emeritus), who passed away in 2023. Presenters are invited to build on Mark's diverse contributions and address the question: What’s next for mountain hydrology? A total of 25 presentations will be made. Noah Molotch is the primary convener, assisted by Diane McKnight and Jennifer Morse, plus INSTAAR alums Paul Brooks (University of Utah) and Alia Khan (Western Washington University). [ Friday a.m. posters ] [ Friday p.m. talks ]

Special events

Click any image to zoom

Monday 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Exhibit Hall booth #328

Meet the editors of INSTAAR's journal AAAR

INSTAAR's peer-reviewed, open-access journal Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research will be represented in booth #328 in the Exhibit Hall during the meeting. Stop by on Monday late afternoon to meet with our journal editors Anne Jennings and Diane McKnight as well as the staff at Taylor & Francis who publish and host the journal. AAAR primarily covers environmental science from modern to paleo timescales, with an emphasis on climate change in mountain and high latitude regions.

Monday 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Dacha Beer Garden

Attend the INSTAAR happy hour

Our NewSTAAR committee is hosting an informal INSTAAR happy hour on Monday evening. All INSTAARs are invited, both current folks and alumni. Grad students and postdocs are especially encouraged to attend. The event will be held at the Dacha Beer Garden (Shaw, 1600 7th St NW #7), which has a variety of drink/food options and is within walking distance to the convention center. Committee members will be there until about 7:00 p.m., so drop by when you can.

Wednesday 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Hall E

Celebrate INSTAAR's latest AGU Fellow

Michael Gooseff is among 54 scholars in the 2024 cohort of AGU Fellows. All have made exceptional contributions to their fields and will be celebrated at the Honors Ceremony on Wednesday evening in Hall E of the Convention Center (subsequent banquet requires a ticket and is in a different location). The honor is bestowed annually on less than one tenth of one percent of AGU members. Gooseff was selected for his exemplary leadership and for advancing our understanding of how a changing climate affects ecosystems and freshwater supply. Read more about Mike and his recognition in an INSTAAR news story.

Additional presentations

More than 85 INSTAARs are participating in AGU 2024. Click an author name below to see their abstracts on the AGU website. For questions, email David Lubinski.

INSTAAR authors

[#] = Number of abstracts per author

Lane Allen [1] B
Bob Anderson [10] C, EP
Suzanne Anderson [6] C, EP
John Andrews [1] PP
Natalie Aranda [1] H
Josie Arcuri [3] EP
Holly Barnard [17] B, EP, H, NS
Laurel Bayless [2] C, PP
Dylan Blaskey (alum) [5] GC, H, SY, TH
G Robert Brakenridge [1]
Cassandra Brooks [2] B, SY
Brooke Chase [1] C
Reid Clark [1] A
Cole Cochran [2] EP
Jared Collins [1] H
Carisa DeSantos [1] OS
Abby Eckland [3] EP
Alan Fried [2] A, SY
Tina Geller [2] C, OS
Michael Gooseff [7] GC, H, SY
Jason Hanania [1] H
David Harning (alum) [2] PP
Annika Horlings [1] C
Nicole Hornslein [1] H
Eric Hutton [1] EP
Alexandra Jahn [4] GC, PP
Karla Jarecke [4] H, NS
Katya Jay [2] GC, SY
Anne Jennings [8] C, GP, PP
Tyler Jones [2] B, C
Adeline Kelly [1] H
Eric Kennedy [1] U
Albert Kettner + more [5] ED, EP, NH
Theo Kuhn [1] H
Rose Leeger [1] C
Scott Lehman [2] SY
Sebastien Lenard [3] C, H
Jianghanyang (Ben) Li [6] A
Rhys-Jasper León [2] C
Nikki Lovenduski [4] A, B,
Lauren Magliozzi [1] B
Thomas Marchitto + more [4] B, PP
Bradley Markle [10] C, ED, PP
Diane McKnight [6] B, H,
Sylvia Michel [8] A, B, SY
Giff Miller [1] PP
Samuel Mogen [4] A, OS,
Noah Molotch [9] C, GC, H, U
Julia Moriarty [4] C, OS
Valerie Morris [1] B
Jennifer Morse + more [3] H
Keith Musselman [11] A, B, C, GC, H, NS, SY
Cynthia Nevison [1] B
Isabella Oleksy [3] H
Irina Overeem [10] C, ED, EP
Ross Palomaki [7] C, H
Eric Parrish [1] H
Scott Peckham [3] H
Jennifer Pensky + more [2] H
Ethan Pierce [3] C, EP
Jonathan Raberg [2] PP
Shaily Rahman [4] EP, PP
Marisa Repasch + more (alum) [13] B, EP, H
Dirk Richter [1] SY
Karl Rittger [14] C, GC, H
Katie Rocci [5] B
Kevin Rozmiarek [2] B, C
Juliana Ruef [2] C
Maria Luisa Sánchez Montes (alum) [1] PP
Maggie Scholer [1] A
Julio Sepúlveda [3] GC, PP
Millie Spencer [1] C
Sharon Stammerjohn [5] B, OS
Katharine Suding [2] B, GC
Zephyr Sylvester [1] B
Pieter Tans [3] A, SY
Nicolas Tarasewicz [3] B, H, NS
Peyton Thomas [2] SY
Emma Tyrrell [1] C
Bruce Vaughn [1] B
James Walega [1] SY
Petter Weibring [1] SY
Will Wieder [10] B, GC, H
Anna Wright [2] H
Rahila Yilangai [2] B, NS

If you have questions about this story, or would like to reach out to INSTAAR for further comment, you can contact Senior Communications Specialist Gabe Allen at gabriel.allen@colorado.edu.

America’s largest annual earth sciences conference starts on Monday December 9th and will feature presentations from INSTAAR’s faculty fellows, faculty research associates, postdocs and students. More than 85 INSTAARs contributed to at least one abstract, with 37 of us involved in 3 or more abstracts. The most abstracts for one person is 17! It will be a busy week.

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Irina Overeem scopes out how to cross the frozen Canning River to a field site (see below highlight).

Shifting Horizons (The Poetry of Science)

David J Lubinski — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 04:23:27 +0000

Shifting Horizons (The Poetry of Science) David J Lubinski Mon, 12/02/2024 - 21:23

Inspired by Matthias Troch et al.'s recent research on the health of glaciers in Southern Patagonia, Professor Sam Illingworth of Edinburgh Napier University has written a poem for his poetry blog and podcast. Listen to his poem, a summary of the research behind it, and a related poem (9 minutes total).

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Finding clean water near Mount Everest might be harder than summiting it (The Xylom)

David J Lubinski — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 18:56:32 +0000

Finding clean water near Mount Everest might be harder than summiting it (The Xylom) David J Lubinski Fri, 11/01/2024 - 12:56

INSTAAR research scientist Alton Byers discusses modernization in the Everest region and its impact on groundwater contamination as part of a larger story on water pollution of Nepal's Khumbu Valley. Even in this relatively untouched part of the world, communities lack sufficient access to clean drinking water.

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In memoriam: Jack D. Ives

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 22:45:21 +0000

In memoriam: Jack D. Ives Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/08/2024 - 16:45

Jack D. Ives passed away on September 15, 2024 at the age of 92. He served as the director of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research from 1967 to 1979.

Jack taking photographs in the Pamirs with his medium format Hasselblad, September 1993. Photo: Hortonio, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jack also founded INSTAAR’s interdisciplinary journal Arctic and Alpine Research in 1969, which later expanded to Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research. He was a Professor of Geography at CU ��«��Ƶ (1967–1989) until his departure for UC Davis. His research was foundational to future scientist’s understanding of glacial movement, arctic permafrost, and alpine geography.

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The story is in the ice: Documenting climate change through the Extreme Ice Survey (NSIDC)

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 22:33:11 +0000

The story is in the ice: Documenting climate change through the Extreme Ice Survey (NSIDC) Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/13/2024 - 16:33

From 2007-2022, renowned photographer (and INSTAAR Affiliate) James Balog documented glacial change around the world in real time via timelapse imagery through a project called the Extreme Ice Survey. 1.5 million images from the project are now stored and managed at the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

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Urban fires do more than burn structures. They leave a mark in our waterways (KUNC)

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 21:13:44 +0000

Urban fires do more than burn structures. They leave a mark in our waterways (KUNC) Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/06/2024 - 15:13

While fire is a normal part of the ecosystem of the Mountain West, fires that push into urban areas are destructive to those landscapes. The effects of urban fires, known as urban conflagrations, can have long-term effects on our waterways' local ecology. KUNC host Stephanie Daniel speaks with Lauren Magliozzi. They discuss what we should be looking for in the water after a major wildfire.

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INSTAAR's Dr Lauren Magliozzi on the impact of wildfires on water quality (KOA)

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 03:23:36 +0000

INSTAAR's Dr Lauren Magliozzi on the impact of wildfires on water quality (KOA) Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/01/2024 - 21:23

Lauren Magliozzi joined KOA radio hosts Marty Lenz and Jeana Gondek for a seven-minute conversation on how fire impacts the environment, particularly water systems and their changing sedimentology, geochemistry, hydrology, and ecology. Key differences occur between wildfires in the mountains and urban conflagrations like the Marshall Fire.

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Experts available to discuss record heat, wildfires (CU ��«��Ƶ)

Anonymous — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 17:10:35 +0000

Experts available to discuss record heat, wildfires (CU ��«��Ƶ) Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 07/31/2024 - 11:10

As wildfires swept across North America in the past few weeks, the world also broke an all-time heat record on July 22. These disasters and extreme weather events are affecting everything from public health to infrastructure and ecosystem resilience. Laren Magliozzi is one of five CU ��«��Ƶ experts who are available to media for discussions on a range of issues related to record heat, wildfires and climate change.

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INSTAAR’s Outstanding PRA Award goes to Wendy Roth

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 20:57:18 +0000

INSTAAR’s Outstanding PRA Award goes to Wendy Roth Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 06/14/2024 - 14:57

Shelly Sommer

INSTAAR is pleased to announce that Wendy Roth has received its 2024 Outstanding PRA Award. The award recognizes a professional research assistant (PRA) who has demonstrated excellence both in their role and within the larger communities of INSTAAR and the University.

As her fellow PRA Sylvia Michel says, “Wendy helps everybody with everything! And she does it with grace and good humor.”

Roth first came to INSTAAR as an undergraduate student of John Andrews. She made such an impression working in the Sedimentology Lab that its manager at the time, Rolf Kihl, suggested she run the lab when he retired. After Roth earned her master’s degree, that’s exactly what she did.

Almost 30 years later, Roth bridges between multiple research programs and analytical areas. Roth manages three laboratories at INSTAAR: the Sediment/Plant Processing Lab, Sediment/Plant Analysis Lab, and the XRD/Sediment Prep Lab. She is responsible for the complex maintenance and organization needed to keep labs running smoothly. She coordinates schedules for instrument and resource sharing. She ensures that students using her labs are well trained in safety and science processes, giving them the tools to succeed in their future lab settings.

Roth also organizes conferences, most notably the Arctic Workshop.

A community builder, Roth pitches in to bring people together toward worthy goals. She has been a newSTAAR mentor for several incoming INSTAARs, ensuring that they find their footing within the institution. She participates in numerous JEDI activities. She has organized the open house for middle school students each year for decades. She has also frequently led or co-led an annual drive for food and necessities for those in need.

At the awards ceremony during the INSTAAR spring Celebration Luncheon, INSTAAR Fellow Bob Anderson said simply, "INSTAAR is indeed lucky to have Wendy!"

INSTAAR is pleased to announce that Wendy Roth has received its 2024 Outstanding PRA Award. This new award recognizes a professional research assistant (PRA) who has demonstrated excellence in their role and within the larger communities of INSTAAR and the University.

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Community

Tangier Smith Elementary School third graders virtually visit Antarctica with WFHS alumnus & researcher (William Floyd School District)

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INSTAAR at AGU 2024

Research highlights, from Monday to Friday

A sea-ice free arctic

Woody encroachment into alpine tundra

Alpine lake biomarkers in Wyoming

Warming and sediment on the Canning River

Carbon cycling in cold regions

Snowmelt and subalpine forests

Marine heatwaves and ocean acidity extremes

Flooding in the 21st Century

Microbes and methane growth 2020-2022

Mountain hydrology and biogeochemistry

Special events

Meet the editors of INSTAAR's journal AAAR

Attend the INSTAAR happy hour

Celebrate INSTAAR's latest AGU Fellow

Additional presentations

Categories

INSTAAR authors

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Shifting Horizons (The Poetry of Science)

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Finding clean water near Mount Everest might be harder than summiting it (The Xylom)

Related Articles

In memoriam: Jack D. Ives

Off

The story is in the ice: Documenting climate change through the Extreme Ice Survey (NSIDC)

Off

Urban fires do more than burn structures. They leave a mark in our waterways (KUNC)

Off

INSTAAR's Dr Lauren Magliozzi on the impact of wildfires on water quality (KOA)

Off

Experts available to discuss record heat, wildfires (CU ��«��Ƶ)

Off

INSTAAR’s Outstanding PRA Award goes to Wendy Roth

Off

Community

Tangier Smith Elementary School third graders virtually visit Antarctica with WFHS alumnus & researcher (William Floyd School District)

Off

INSTAAR at AGU 2024

Research highlights, from Monday to Friday

A sea-ice free arctic

Woody encroachment into alpine tundra

Alpine lake biomarkers in Wyoming

Warming and sediment on the Canning River

Carbon cycling in cold regions

Snowmelt and subalpine forests

Marine heatwaves and ocean acidity extremes

Flooding in the 21st Century

Microbes and methane growth 2020-2022

Mountain hydrology and biogeochemistry

Special events

Meet the editors of INSTAAR's journal AAAR

Attend the INSTAAR happy hour

Celebrate INSTAAR's latest AGU Fellow

Additional presentations

Categories

INSTAAR authors

Off

Shifting Horizons (The Poetry of Science)

Off

Finding clean water near Mount Everest might be harder than summiting it (The Xylom)

Related Articles

In memoriam: Jack D. Ives

Off

The story is in the ice: Documenting climate change through the Extreme Ice Survey (NSIDC)

Off

Urban fires do more than burn structures. They leave a mark in our waterways (KUNC)

Off

INSTAAR's Dr Lauren Magliozzi on the impact of wildfires on water quality (KOA)

Off

Experts available to discuss record heat, wildfires (CU ��«����Ƶ)

Off

INSTAAR’s Outstanding PRA Award goes to Wendy Roth

Off

Experts available to discuss record heat, wildfires (CU ��«��Ƶ)