Thinning of Atlantic ice sheet to be discussed at Oct. 16 presentation

Bill Shaw from the Naval Postgraduate School will discuss the thinning of Antarctica’s ice sheet as part of Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment Speaker Series at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16, in the Communications Facility room 120 on Western’s campus.

The presentation is free and open to the public.

The Western Antarctic Ice Sheet contains enough water to raise global sea levels by several meters. Over the last decade, satellite observations indicate that the glaciers flowing off the WAIS are thinning and retreating. Data suggests that these changes are associated with ocean-forced melting taking place below the floating portion of the ice sheet’s outlet glaciers. Shaw’s talk, titled “The Retreat of Antarctica’s Glaciers,” describes an expedition to Pine Island Glacier, a primary outlet of the WAIS, to observe oceanic processes beneath the glacier.

William Shaw is a physical oceanographer at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He specializes in ocean turbulence, dynamics of planetary boundary layers, ocean-ice interaction, and the Arctic Ocean. He has participated in numerous Arctic and Antarctic field programs, studying oceanic heat transport and its effect on sea ice and ice shelves.

The presentation will include a question-and-answer period. Anyone interested in the topic is encouraged to attend and participate.

The Huxley Speaker Series, sponsored by Western’s Huxley College of the Environment, is intended to bring together environmentally-minded members of Western and Bellingham communities. Speakers address topics of contemporary environmental concern in the region and the world.

Western’s Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized leader in producing the next generation of environmental professionals and stewards. Huxley’s distinctive, interdisciplinary curriculum reflects a broad view of the physical, biological, social, and cultural world, and has earned international recognition for quality.

For more information, please contact Western’s Huxley College of the Environment at (360) 650-2554.