Antarctic Ice Sheet Instability: A Ticking Time Bomb
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Books
- "Curiosity Unbounded" - This is the title of the podcast series, not a specific book.
Research & Studies
- "Marine Ice Sheet Instability" - A phenomenon where thinning ice sheets cause faster flow and further thinning, potentially becoming insensitive to emissions.
- "Thermodynamic Feedback in Glaciers" - A natural process where frictional heating from glacier flow influences water at the bed, potentially leading to freezing and stabilization.
Tools & Software
- Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) - A technology used to measure motion, including glacier movement.
- Thermosiphons - Passive heat pumps used to stabilize foundations in the Arctic and potentially to freeze glaciers to their beds.
People Mentioned
- Brent Minch (Associate Professor in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences) - The guest of the podcast, who studies glaciers and ice sheets.
- John Glenn - Mentioned as a hero and a former marine, inspiring the guest's interest in flight and potentially his career path.
- Yasser Arafat - Mentioned as someone the guest flew to Camp David during peace talks.
Organizations & Institutions
- MIT - The institution where the guest and host are affiliated.
- Marine Corps - The military branch the guest joined at age 17.
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) - Where the guest interned and encountered the technology for their master's thesis.
- Caltech - Where the guest applied and was accepted for their PhD.
- UNICEF - An organization that brought aid to people during the Liberian civil war.
- MIT News - The department responsible for the podcast.
- Institute Office of Communications - A department at MIT involved in podcast production.
- Office of the President - A department at MIT involved in podcast production.
Websites & Online Resources
- news.mit.edu - The website for MIT News.
- news.mit.edu/podcasts - The specific URL for MIT's podcast series.
Other Resources
- Greenland Ice Sheet - The largest contributor to current sea level rise.
- West Antarctic Ice Sheet - A major source of uncertainty in sea level rise projections.
- Thwaites Glacier - A specific glacier in West Antarctica that is a key focus of concern for sea level rise.
- Trans Antarctic Pipeline - Mentioned as an example where thermosiphons are used to stabilize foundations.