Dorthe Dahl-Jensen
Dr Dorthe Dahl-Jensen (Niels Bohr Institute and University of Manitoba) has played a foundational role both in deciphering the history of Northern Hemisphere climate recorded in Greenland ice cores and in elucidating the history of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Dr Dahl-Jensen is perhaps best known for her role as a leader in ice-core research, playing key roles mobilizing the international ice-core community to collaborate and drill deep ice cores in Greenland. The insight from the ice cores has led to transformations in our knowledge of the Greenland ice sheet and climate change, including early studies that demonstrated that boreholes could be used to calibrate ice-core isotopic data. Dr Dahl-Jensen has also been involved in developing new methods and analysis techniques that span ice physics, ice dynamics and geophysics. One example is Dr Dahl-Jensen’s innovative use of borehole strain rates to constrain the rheology of ice, a topic and approach that remains highly relevant today. Beyond her work as a leading glaciologist and climate scientist, Dr Dahl-Jensen has elevated many scientists, frequently highlighting the work of others in scientific presentations and as seen in her numerous co-authored papers.
To quote from one of the nomination letters: ‘Dr Dahl-Jensen has … been the most important force behind the study of the Greenland ice sheet for more than three decades.’ We recognize Dr Dahl-Jensen for both her scientific accomplishments and the leadership and mentoring she has provided to the glaciological community over the past three decades.
On behalf of the Awards Committee of the International Glaciological Society
Jeremy Bassis, Chair.
