The United Nations declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation and proclaimed 21 March the annual World Day for Glaciers. Related initiatives are highlighting the importance of glaciers worldwide, including their role in freshwater supplies and sea level rise, and the increasing threats of glacial hazards, while illustrating the impacts of climate change on the critical role that glaciers play in our Earth’s systems.
Professor Hester Jiskoot will present the trends and future projections in receding glaciers and ice sheets worldwide and the related implications for humanity. Examples of vanishing glaciers will be exposed, as well as ways to slow down the melt and to ultimately preserve glaciers. She will also speak to the sheer beauty of the cryosphere and the importance of snow and ice for the Canadian identity, all while mourning several iconic Canadian glaciers that are now drowning in their own tears. The presentation will be richly illustrated with photos.
Speaker: Dr. Hester Jiskoot
Dr. Hester Jiskoot is Professor of Physical Geography & Glaciology in the Department of Geography and Environment at the University of Lethbridge. With a BSc and MSc from the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) and a PhD from the University of Leeds (UK), her main research interests are in glacier-climate-landscape interactions, with an emphasis on ice flow dynamics and glacier edge effects. Since 1991, Prof. Jiskoot has been a member and leader of glaciological expeditions to Arctic and Alpine regions, while in 2019 she sailed the Northwest Passage on a historic ketch.
At the University of Lethbridge, Professor Jiskoot leads the Glaciology and Geoscience Lab and teaches courses in physical geography and the geosciences. She has been funded broadly, is well- published and collaborates with glaciologists worldwide. Currently Chief Editor of the International Glaciological Society’s scientific publications Journal of Glaciology and Annals of Glaciology, Prof. Jiskoot has previously been in various executive functions of national geographical associations. Prof. Jiskoot is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
Date/Time: Thursday, May 15, 2025. The session begins at 12 noon and concludes at 1 pm.
Cost is free, donations however, are gratefully accepted.
Location: SACPA sessions are held at Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization (LSCO), Atrium Dining Room, 500 -11 Street S, Lethbridge
Lunch and Refreshments: Please arrive early to patronize the LSCO cafeteria and enjoy their excellent variety of good-value food options. The Atrium Dining Room is available by 11:15 am
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