Scientists at NSIDC: Ted Scambos

High-resolution image

Senior Research Scientist
Lead Scientist for NSIDC Science Team

PhD, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1991

Specialties [top]

Glaciology; remote sensing of the poles; climate change effects on the cryosphere; Antarctic history; geochemistry; and planetary science

Recent Highlights and Upcoming Expeditions [top]

Winter 2009: Scambos completed a traverse from Troll Station near the Dronning Maud Land coast in Antarctica to the South Pole as part of the Norwegian-American Scientific Traverse of East Antarctica.
February 2008: Scambos, as one of 17 Principal Investigators, will begin an interdisciplinary study focusing on the rapid effects of climate change now occurring on the Antarctic Peninsula. For more information, read the press release.
February 2008: Scambos co-authored new research on the 2002 collapse of the Larsen B Ice Shelf. For more information, read the press release on the International Glaciological Society Web site.
October 2007: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was named to receive the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, along with former Vice President Al Gore. Scambos contributed to the most recent IPCC report, Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis.
October 2007: Briefed former Vice President Al Gore on ice sheets
September 2007: Reported on 2007 record Arctic sea ice loss and its global significance: collaborated on an analysis of the factors contributing to the extreme ice losses in 2007 with M. Serreze, J. Maslanik, M. Holland, W. Meier, and J. Stroeve
February 2007: Scambos collaborated with NSIDC/University of Washington researcher Dr. Ian Howat to show that partial recovery and slowdown can follow glacier acceleration in Greenland
October 2006: Reported on 2006 Arctic sea ice minimum and its global warming significance; collaborated on an analysis of the predicted and observed sea ice decline rates with J. Stroeve, M. Serreze, M. Holland, and W. Meier
January-April 2006: Participated in the 2006 IceTrek expedition, which involved landing on an Antarctic iceberg to set up observational instruments for detecting changes as the iceberg drifts north and begins to melt. The work was in collaboration with the Argentine national Antarctic research program. Scambos is analyzing the continuing results of iceberg changes during drift and decay, using data and images transmitted by the AMIGOS sites on AMIGOSberg and A22a. For more information, see the IceTrek Web site.
Developed preliminary AMIGOS (Automated Met-Ice-Geophysics Observing System ) for field work on icebergs in 2006. Planning further system development in 2006 and 2007 in collaboration with D. MacAyeal, R. Ross, and T. Haran. The AMIGOS station concept is an automated in situ observing system for weather, surface processes, ice motion, ice thickness, tilt and acceleration, and surface firn temperature that uses a satellite communication system (Iridium) to uplink data and pictures.

Expeditions
Winter 2009-2010: Scambos will participate in the Larsen Ice Shelf System, Antarctica (LARISSA) Project from December 2009 through March 2010. He and his colleagues will will set up monitoring systems equipped with weather instruments, GPS units, and cameras at key points on glaciers that feed into the Larsen Ice Shelf. They hope to gain insight into the factors that lead to ice shelf collapse, and better understand the environmental impact of such break-up events. The team will report the expedition's progress through a blog, On Thin Ice.

Current Research [top]

Investigating megadunes, large-scale wind-ripple features, in the East Antarctic Plateau and their possible effects on ice core chemistry (see NSIDC's Antarctic Megadunes Web site)
Evaluating the ability of images and laser altimetry to detect water movement beneath the ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland. Image analysis includes a new technique based on image differencing.
Understanding the processes that lead to rapid ice-shelf retreat by studying the similar melting processes of drifting icebergs (see NSIDC's IceTrek Web site).
Combining laser altimetry data from MODIS/ICESat with high-resolution images to create improved digital elevation models of the ice sheets.
Mapping Antarctic ice flow and ice temperature changes during the past 30 to 50 years into two projects called VELMAP and THERMAP (see NSIDC's VELMAP Web site and THERMAP Web site)

Current Projects [top]

The Antarctic Glaciological Data Center: Continued Data Collection and Management for Antarctic Glaciology

"At Risk" Ice Shelves and Outlet Glaciers

Building the VELMAP Database for Antarctic Outlet Glaciers

Characteristics of Snow Megadunes and their Potential Effects on Ice Core Interpretation

Detecting Ice Sheet Changes via Optical Image Differencing

Improved Ice Sheet DEMs Using MODIS and GLAS

An International Workshop on the Ice and Climate System of the Antarctic Peninsula

Investigating Iceberg Evolution During Drift and Break-Up: A Proxy for Climate-Related Changes in Antarctic Ice Shelves

Activities [top]

Member, American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Member, International Glaciology Society (IGS)

Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Member, Radarsat Antarctic Mapping Advisory Group (AMAG)

NSIDC Liaison, ICESat Science Team

Science Editor, Journal of Glaciology

Publications [top]

2009

Fricker, H. A., and T. Scambos. 2009. Connected subglacial lake activity on lower Mercer and Whillans Ice Streams, West Antarctica, 2003�2008. Journal of Glaciology 55(190): 303-315.

Fricker, H. A., R. Coleman, L. Padman, T. A. Scambos, J. Bohlander, and K. M. Brunt. 2009. Mapping the grounding zone of the Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica using InSAR, MODIS and ICESat. Antarctic Science 21(5): 515-532, doi:10.1017/S095410200999023X.

Glasser, N. F., B. Kulessa, A. Luckman, D. Jansen, E. C. King, P. R. Sammonds, T. A. Scambos, and K. C. Jezek. 2009. Surface structure and stability of the Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctic Peninsula. Journal of Glaciology 55(191): 400-410.

Scambos, T. A. 2009. Ice Shelves. In Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment 2007-2008: A contribution to the International Polar Year, edited by J. Turner et al., 248-252. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.

Scambos, T., H. A. Fricker, Cheng-Chien Liu, J. Bohlander, J. Fastook, A. Sargent, R. Massom, and An-Ming Wu. 2009. Ice shelf disintegration by plate bending and hydro-fracture: Satellite observations and model results of the 2008 Wilkins ice shelf break-ups. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 280(1-4): 51-60, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2008.12.027.

2008

Glasser, N. F., and Scambos, T. A. 2008. A structural glaciological analysis of the 2002 Larsen B ice shelf collapse. Journal of Glaciology 54(184): 3�16, doi:10.3189/002214308784409017.

Howat, I., I. Joughin, M. Fahnestock, B. Smith, and T. Scambos. 2008. Synchronous retreat and acceleration of southeast Greenland outlet glaciers 2000-2006: Ice dynamics and coupling to climate. Journal of Glaciology 54(187): 646-660, doi:10.3189/002214308784409017.

Howat, I. M., B. E. Smith, I. Joughin, and T. A. Scambos. 2008. Rates of southeast Greenland ice volume loss from combined ICESat and ASTER observations. Geophysical Research Letters 35, L17505, doi:10.1029/2008GL034496.

Hulbe, C., T. A. Scambos, T. Youngberg, and A. K. Lamb. 2008. Patterns of glacier response to disintegration of the Larsen B Ice Shelf, Antarctic Peninsula. Earth and Planetary Change 63(1): 1-8, doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2008.04.001.

Lazzara, M. A., K. C. Jezek, T. A. Scambos, D. R. MacAyeal, and C. J. Van Der Veen. 2008. On the recent calving of icebergs from the Ross ice shelf. Polar Geography 31(1-2): 15-26. doi:10.1080/10889370802175937.

Massom, R. A., S. E. Stammerjohn, W. Lefebvre, S. A. Harangozo, N. Adams, T. A. Scambos, M. J. Pook, and C. Fowler. 2008. West Antarctic Peninsula sea ice in 2005: Extreme ice compaction and ice edge retreat due to strong anomaly with respect to climate. Journal of Geophysical Research 113, C02S20, doi:10.1029/2007JC004239.

Scambos, T., R. Ross, R. Bauer, Y. Yermolin, P. Skvarca, D. Long, J. Bohlander, T. Haran. 2008. Calving and ice shelf break-up processes investigated by proxy: Antarctic tabular iceberg evolution during northward drift. Journal of Glaciology 54(187): 579-591, doi:10.3189/002214308786570836.

2007

Fricker, H. A., T. Scambos, R. Bindschadler, and L. Padman. 2007. An active subglacial water system in West Antarctica mapped from space. Science 315: 1544-1548, doi:10.1126/science.1136897.

Howat, I. M., I. Joughin, and T. A. Scambos. 2007. Rapid changes in ice discharge from Greenland outlet glaciers. Science 315(5818): 1559-1561, doi: 10.1126/science.1138478.

Scambos. T., et al. 2007. Antarctic. In State of the Climate, ed. A. Arguez. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 88: S71-S77.

Scambos, T. A., T. M. Haran, M. A. Fahnestock, T. H. Painter, and J. Bohlander. 2007. MODIS-based Mosaic of Antarctica (MOA) data sets: Continent-wide surface morphology and snow grain size. Remote Sensing of the Environment 111(2-3): 242-257, doi:10.1016/j.rse.2006.12.020.

Stroeve, J., M. M. Holland, W. Meier, T. Scambos, and M. Serreze. 2007. Arctic sea ice decline: Faster than forecast. Geophysical Research Letters 34, L09501, doi:10.1029/2007GL029703.

2006

Catania, G. A., H. Conway, C. F. Raymond, and T. A. Scambos. 2006. Evidence for floatation or near floatation in the mouth of Kamb Ice Stream, West Antarctica, prior to stagnation. Journal of Geophysical Research 111, doi:10.1029/2005JF000355.

Catania, G. A., T. A. Scambos, H. Conway, and C. F. Raymond. 2006. Sequential stagnation of Kamb Ice Stream, West Antarctica. Geophysical Research Letters 33, doi:10.1029/2006GL026430.

Joughin, I., J. Bamber, T. Scambos, S. Tulaczyk, M. Fahnestock, and D. MacAyeal. 2006. Integrating satellite observations with modeling: basal shear stress of the Filchner-Ronne Ice Streams, Antarctica. Philosophical Transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences 15(1844): 1795-814.

Massom, R. A., A. Worbe, V. Lytle, T. Markus, I. Allison, T. Scambos, H. Enomoto, K. Tateyama, T. Haran, J. Comiso, A. Pfaffling, T. Tamura, A. Muto, P. Kanagaratnam, B. Giles, N. Young, G. Hyland, and E. Key. 2006. ARISE (Antarctic Remote Ice Sensing Experiment) in the East 2003: validation of satellite-derived sea-ice data products. Annals of Glaciology 44(1): 288-296, doi:10.3189/172756406781811268.

Scambos, T. A., T. M. Haran, M. A. Fahnestock, T. H. Painter, and J. Bohlander. 2006. MODIS-based mosaic of Antarctica (MOA) data sets: continent-wide surface morphology and snow grain size. Remote Sensing of the Environment 111(2): 242-257, doi:doi:10.1016/j.rse.2006.12.020.

Scambos, T. A., T. M. Haran, and R. Massom. 2006. Validation of AVHRR and MODIS ice surface temperature products using in situ radiometers. Annals of Glaciology 44(1): 345-351, doi:10.3189/172756406781811457.

Scambos, T., and C. Novak. 2006. On the current location of the Byrd 'Snow Cruiser' and other artifacts from Little America I, II, III, and Framheim. Polar Geography 29(4): 237-252.

Smith, B. E., C. F. Raymond, and T. Scambos. 2006. Anisotropic texture of ice sheet surfaces. Journal of Geophysical Research 111, F01019, doi:10.1029/2005JF000393.

2005

Albert, M, C. Shuman, Z. Courville, R. Bauer, M. Fahnestock, and T. Scambos. 2005. Extreme firn metamorphism: impact of decades of vapor transport on near-surface firn at a low-accumulation glazed site on the East Antarctic plateau. Annals of Glaciology 39: 73-78.

Brown, I., and T. Scambos. 2005. Satellite monitoring of blue ice extent near Byrd Glacier, Antarctica. Annals of Glaciology 39: 223-230.

Catania, G., H. Conway, C. Raymond, and T. Scambos. 2005. Evidence for floatation or near floatation in the mouth of Kamb Ice Stream, West Antarctica, prior to stagnation. Journal of Geophysical Research 111, doi:10/1029/2005JF000355.

Hulbe, C., R. Johnston, I. Joughin, and T. Scambos. 2005. Marine ice modification of fringing ice shelf flow. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 37(3): 323-330.

Raup, B., T. Scambos, and T. Haran. 2005. Mapping and topography of streaklines on an Antarctic ice shelf using Advanced Land Imager (ALI). IEEE Transactions of Geoscience and Remote Sensing (TGARS) 43(4): 736-742.

Scambos, T., O. Sergienko, A. Sargent, D. MacAyeal, and J. Fastook. 2005. ICESat profiles of tabular iceberg margins and iceberg break-up at low latitudes. Geophysical Research Letters 23, doi:10.1029/2005GL023802.

Stroeve, J. C., D. Long, J. C. Comiso, T. A. Scambos, and C. A. Shuman. 2005. Estimation of glaciers and sea ice extent and their properties. In Encyclopedia of hydrological sciences, volume 2. Ed. Malcom G. Anderson, 831-852. London: John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

2004

Berthier, E., B. Raup, and T. A. Scambos. 2004. New velocity map and mass-balance estimate of Mertz Glacier, East Antarctica, derived from Landsat sequential imagery. Journal of Glaciology 49(167): 503-511, doi:10.3189/172756503781830377.

Scambos, T. A., J. Bohlander, B. Raup, and T. Haran. 2004. Glaciological characteristics of the Institute Ice Stream using remote sensing. Antarctic Science 16(2): 205-213, doi:10.1017/S0954102004001919.

Scambos, T. A., J. Bohlander, C. Shuman, and P. Skvarca. 2004. Glacier acceleration and thinning after ice shelf collapse in the Larsen B embayment, Antarctica. Geophysical Research Letters 31, doi:10.1029/2004GL020670.

2003

Scambos, T. A., C. Hulbe, and M. A. Fahnestock. 2003. Climate-induced ice shelf disintegration in the Antarctic Peninsula. Antarctic Research Series 79: 79-92.

Serreze, M., J. Maslanik, T. Scambos, and seven others. 2003. A record minimum arctic sea ice extent and area in 2002. Geophysical Research Letters 30(3), doi:10.1029/2002GL016406.

2002

Nolin, A., F. Fetterer, and T. Scambos. 2002. Surface roughness characterizations of sea ice and ice sheets: case studies with MISR data. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 40(7): 1605-1615, doi:10.1109/TGRS.2002.801581.

Scambos, T. A., and T. Haran. 2002. An image-enhanced DEM of the Greenland ice sheet. Annals of Glaciology 34: 291-298.

2000

Fahnestock. M. A., T. A. Scambos, R. A. Bindschadler, and G. Kvaran. 2000. A millennium of variable ice flow recorded in the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica. Journal of Glaciology 46(155): 652-664, doi:.10.3189/172756500781832693.

Fahnestock, M. A., T. A. Scambos, C. A. Shuman, R. J. Athern, D. P. Winebrenner, and R. Kwok. 2000. Snow megadunes on the East Antarctic Plateau: extreme atmosphere-ice interaction. Geophysical Research Letters 27(22): 3719-3722.

Scambos, T. A., C. Hulbe, M. A. Fahnestock, and J. Bohlander. 2000. The link between climate warming and breakup of ice shelves in the Antarctic Peninsula. Journal of Glaciology 46(154): 516-530, doi:10.3189/172756500781833043.

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