Jemma Wadham
British glacial biogeochemist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jemma L. Wadham is a British glacier biogeochemist.
PhD University of Bristol
Jemma Wadham | |
|---|---|
Jemma Wadham at the Arolla Glacier | |
| Alma mater | MA University of Cambridge PhD University of Bristol |
| Awards | Philip Leverhulme Prize (2007) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Glaciology |
| Institutions | University of Bristol |
| Website | https://www.jemmawadham.com/ |
Early life and education
Wadham completed her BA and MA in physical geography at Cambridge University[when?], and then completed her PhD in glaciology at the University of Bristol in 1998.[1]
Career
Wadham undertook a short post-doctoral research post at the University of Leeds before returning to the University of Bristol to take up a post at the Bristol Glaciology Centre.[2][3]
Wadham researches glacial ecosystems and investigates their impact on biogeochemical processes.[4][5][6] She has worked in the polar regions, including the Antarctic[4] and the Greenland ice sheets.[7] This has led to more than 90 articles[8] and a textbook on Antarctic lakes.[9]
Wadham has been involved with the International Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and subglacial science in Antarctica.[10] She has served on the Lake Ellsworth Exploration Steering Committee and is a contributor to this subglacial lake exploration programme.[11]
In 2012, Wadham's team at the University of Bristol used computer models to predict the amount of trapped methane under ice sheets and discovered 400 billion metric tons of carbon beneath.[12][4]
She is one of few women working on technology development for exploring subglacial lakes.[7] Her work in Greenland focused on the dynamics of ice sheets and their contribution to global biogeochemical cycles.[7][6]
In 2022, Wadham and her collaborator Dr. Monica Winsborrow were awarded €15 million to direct the Centre for ice, Cryosphere, Carbon and Climate (iC3), a ten-year Norwegian Centre of Research Excellence funded by the Norwegian Research Council that will run from 2023 to 2033.[13][14] iC3 is located at the University of Tromsø.[15]
Ice Rivers
In 2021, Wadham published a trade book, Ice Rivers,[16] which tells the story of glaciers and their place on a changing planet, alongside the authors' own story of travel and discovery. Reviewers commended the book for its 'outstanding introduction to glaciers', and for its insights into the life of a glaciologist.[17]
Awards and honours
She was awarded a Philip Leverhulme Prize in October 2007 for her international contribution to polar science.[18]