Helen A. Fricker
Prof. Helen A. Fricker (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego) is an international leader in polar remote sensing. Her work with satellite-based laser altimetry has led to ground-breaking advances in our understanding of the dynamics of the Antarctic Ice Sheet.
One of Prof. Fricker’s most significant contributions to glaciology is the use of altimetry to revolutionize the study of ice sheet-ocean interactions. She has used satellite-derived data to observe sub-ice-shelf oceanographic processes, crucial for understanding mass fluxes in the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Her research has shown that thinning ice shelves reduce their buttressing effect on glacial ice streams, leading to accelerated glacial ice loss.
Equally significant is Prof Fricker’s use of laser altimetry to discover large, active subglacial lakes beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Subglacial lakes had been presumed to be static features of the ice sheet, but her work demonstrated for the first time that the lakes could fluctuate on rapid timescales of weeks to months.
Other outstanding scientific discoveries include the first mapping of marine ice at the base of the Amery Ice Shelf, and more recently, a 30-year record of ice-sheet height change that has revealed pervasive mass loss across Antarctica. Such records are critical for better constraining Antarctica’s contribution to global sea level rise.
Prof. Fricker is a generous and tireless contributor to the glaciological community. She has been instrumental to the success of NASA’s ICESat and ICESat-2 satellite missions, pushing boundaries for new satellite missions, and has established one of the world’s most productive glaciological research centers where none previously existed (Scripps Glaciology Group). She has transformed the careers of many junior scientists through her mentorship and support. Notably, the majority of her papers are first-authored by her students and postdoctoral mentees, speaking to her generosity as a scientist and mentor. Her activities have extended well beyond her science to advocate for increased understanding of Antarctica and its implications for the planet, including through briefing senior politicians and advisors.
Prof. Fricker’s extensive body of work and her dedication to the scientific community have made her a leading figure in glaciology and polar remote sensing. Her innovation and insight in applying new data sources to long-standing glaciological problems have transformed how we now think about the dynamic processes shaping Antarctica.
On behalf of the Awards Committee of the International Glaciological Society
Sue Cooke, Chair.
