Discoveries in the Making
Research at a glacial pace
Among the most fundamental indicators of global climate change have been dramatic shifts in the extent of glaciers around the world. Many of these massive ice sheets appear to be shrinking in size, shedding large amounts of fresh water that contribute to global sea level rise and could literally change the face of the coastal landscapes that we are familiar with today. As obvious as this melting sometimes appears to be, Luke Copland emphasizes the necessity to examine the physical dynamics of this process in detail. The Canada Foundation for Innovation recently awarded just over $200,000 for this assistant professor in the Department of Geography to set up a new “Laboratory for Cryospheric Research.” Outfitted with equipment ranging from satellite imaging software to ground-penetrating radar, Copland and other members of this facility are planning to monitor the state of glaciers in the Yukon and Canadian High Arctic, as well as Asia’s Himalayan mountains. Their work will form part of internationally co-ordinated efforts to track ice movement and change in a number of key regions over the next five years, research that will lay the foundation for a better understanding of the nature and extent of changes that are occurring in the world’s climate.
Luke Copland, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography
Tel: (613) 562-5800, ext. 2826
E-mail: luke.copland@uottawa.ca