UCL Lunch Hour Lecture: Exploring the Arctic from Space
Dr Katharine Giles (UCL Centre for Polar Observation & Modelling)
Date: 17th January 2012
The Arctic's supposed promise of abundant natural resources, shipping routes and scientific discoveries, has a long held fascination for those prepared to brave its harsh environment. With climate models predicting that the Polar Regions are the most sensitive to climate change, our need to understand them becomes increasingly important. The sub-zero temperatures and inhospitable icescapes faced by explorers also present problems to scientists collecting data.
This lecture focuses on how satellites can help us understand the changing Arctic, and also comes back down to Earth to show UCL scientists stepping out onto the frozen ocean to validate the European Space Agency's CryoSat-2 satellite, which is designed to measure changes in the ice cover with unprecedented accuracy.
UCL is consistently ranked as one of the world's top universities. Across all disciplines our faculties are known for their research-intensive approaches, academic excellence and engagement with global challenges. This is the basis of our world-renowned degree programmes. Visit us at www.ucl.ac.uk.
