Geography professor Derrick Lampkin will do fieldwork in Antarctica this month (December) to study the unique and isolated ecosystem of the Dry Valleys and how it is affected by climate change. Historically, there has been little melt, but in recent years, scientists have seen melting on the surface, "which they suspect comes from three sources: glaciers, melt from permafrost, and snow that melts instead of turning into water vapor," he said.

"Although they are vastly different today, millions of years ago, Antarctica and Australia had very similar ecosystems because they used to be connected."

--Peter Wilf, associate professor of geosciences, at the Research Unplugged discussion on Wednesday, April 7. Research Unplugged is an informal lecture series hosted by Penn State's Office of Research Publications and held at noon Wednesdays in Penn State's Downtown Theatre Center. The afternoon begins with a brief introduction of the topic, followed by an open floor for questions, comments and discussion. The event is free to the public. Complimentary coffee and light refreshments are served. For information, visit http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/.

One major threat of planetary warming is the melting of the great polar ice sheets. Particularly worrisome to researchers is the fragility of the West Antarctic ice sheet, or WAIS. David Pollard, a senior research scientist at Penn State, and Robert M. DeConto, professor of climatology at the University of Massachusetts, have created a computer model of WAIS's last 5 million years. "One of the next steps is to determine if human activity will make it warm enough to start the collapse," said Pollard.

How did you first become interested in your specialty?

I had just finished my MS in Electrical Engineering and was working on a PhD in EE when I saw a job advertised to go to Antarctica and work on a glacier. I immediately applied and took a year's leave from my studies. When I got back I was so excited about Antarctica that I switched my studies to Geosciences.

What is the most exciting or fascinating part of your job?

"About a year ago, the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change came out with a report indicating that they are "highly confident that global warming and climate change are due to human-induced hydrocarbon burning. And when scientists are highly confident, you can take it to the bank." - Sridhar Anandakrishnan, associate professor in geosciences and the EMS Earth and Environmental Sciences Institute.