Field Notes From DRI’s Ice Core Team in Greenland: A Story Map

The DRI ice core team is back in Greenland! This summer, the team is stationed at the top of the Greenland ice sheet at a permanent base named Summit Station.

In May and June 2023, the team is drilling a 150 meter-long, large-diameter ice core to measure methane and carbon monoxide trapped in bubbles in the ice. They are setting up a fully-operational ice core melter and analysis system in the field to try to better understand what processes impact these ice core gas records. Follow along for updates and pictures from the field.

Last year in  “Return to Tunu,” we learned how aerosols, which are tiny particles in the atmosphere that come from desert dust, volcanic eruptions, wildfire smoke, or human pollution, can get trapped and preserved in ice cores. By collecting and analyzing an ice core, researchers are able to reconstruct past climate, pollution, and environmental history.  In addition to aerosols, ice cores also trap tiny air bubbles that preserve the air from the Earth’s atmosphere, allowing scientists to reconstruct long-term histories of Earth’s atmospheric composition. These gas records are some of the most important records for climate science and understanding climate change. This project focuses on understanding both the chemistry of the ice and its air bubbles, and any potential connections between them.

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On Friday, April 25th, 21 graduate students presented their research at DRI’s Reno campus for the annual poster presentation session. Organized by Kathleen Rodrigues, PhD, Assistant Research Professor of Luminescence, the poster session offers an opportunity for DRI-affiliated graduate students to network with each other and with DRI faculty, hone their presentation skills, and showcase the research they’re working on in pursuit of their degrees.

Long Science in the Nevada Bristlecone Preserve

Long Science in the Nevada Bristlecone Preserve

Ancient bristlecone pines have been collecting data for us for millennia. Anne Heggli’s research aims to provide a nearly microscopic look at how the climate in the Great Basin is changing, from hour to hour and season to season. With scientific monitoring equipment positioned from the floor of the Great Basin’s Spring Valley up to the peak of Mount Washington, her project examines temperature fluctuations, atmospheric information, and snowpack insights across the region’s ecosystems.

Meet Cayenne Engel

Meet Cayenne Engel

Cayenne Engel, M.Sc., is a Staff Research Scientist in urban climate adaptation who joined DRI in September 2024. Based at DRI’s Las Vegas campus, she is dedicating her time to assessing and expanding the region’s urban tree canopy to bring relief to communities burdened by temperatures that regularly soar above 100° Fahrenheit. In the following interview, Engel shares her passion for public service-oriented research, how Nevada’s unparalleled landscape lured her west, and her love for intricate puzzles.

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