LECTURE: Glacial Earthquakes and Ice Sheets Worldwide

The NMMNHS is proud to host the IRIS/SSA Distinguished Lectureship. This lecture is sponsored by the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) and the Seismological Society of America (SSA).

Glacial Earthquakes:
Using Seismic and GPS Observations to Map Changes 
in Glaciers and Ice Sheets Worldwide

• Dr. Meredith Nettles, Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, New York
• Tuesday, September 23 • 7:00–8:30 pm
• New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, 1801 Mountain Rd. NW, Albuquerque, NM (505) 841-2800
• $6 ($5 members, $4 students) Volunteers are FREE.

Purchase in advance online to guarantee your seats, visit www.nmnaturalhistory.org or purchase tickets at the admissions desk the night of the event. Doors open at 6:15 pm.

The great ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica are losing mass, transferring more than 500 billion tons of water to the ocean each year. Most of this ice enters the ocean from large outlet glaciers. Understanding the behavior of the these glaciers is critical for accurate prediction of sea-level rise. The outlet glaciers are changing rapidly, with large variations in flow speed, thickness, and extent. In Greenland, many of the largest glaciers also produce seismic signals the size of those from magnitude 5 earthquakes, strong enough to be recorded around the globe. The number of glacial earthquakes is increasing, with six times as many earthquakes occurring in recent years. Combining earthquake data with GPS measurements from glaciers allows us to learn how the glaciers and ice sheets may be affected by changing environmental conditions. Ice, the tides, earthquakes, and meltwater combine in a fascinating and complex system with real implications for our lives, whether we live on the coast or in the middle of the continent.

Dr. Meredith Nettles is Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. She is also a member of the IRIS/UNAVCO Polar Networks Science Committee. Her research interests include: earthquake source studies, including glaciogenic seismicity and other unusual seismic sources; geodetic and seismic constraints on glacier dynamics; and development of GPS receiver hardware for high-risk environments. She earned her M.S. in geoscience from the University of Arizona (2000) and Ph.D. in geophysics from Harvard University (2005).