Climate Insights from Antarctica: Exclusive Interview with George Denton

Hosted by Trust Emeritus Executive Director, Nigel Watson, this interview engages distinguished climate scientist George Denton in a conversation about the remarkable scientific legacy left behind by early polar explorers like Scott and Shackleton. Discover how the pioneering data they recorded continues to inform climate science and shed light on the intricate relationship between Antarctica and climate change.

This enlightening conversation brings together history, science, and exploration to provide invaluable insights into our planet’s future.

We invite you to immerse yourself in this conversation and delve into the rich tapestry of history, science, and exploration that George Denton embodies.

About George Denton

George Denton © Comer Family Foundation_web

George Denton in the Godley Valley, Southern Alps, New Zealand 2020. Photo by Jasmin Shah. © Comer Family Foundation

George Denton is one of the most accomplished climate scientists of our time, with his widely acclaimed research in glacial geology crucial in charting the future of the earth’s climate. During his long career, George has studied the history of glaciers all over the world, including the Antarctic and Southern Alps of New Zealand.

In 1958, when he was studying at Tufts University in the United States, George made his first visit to the Antarctic, and has returned 30 times. Over the years, he has met many fascinating people with connections to the continent, some with direct links to the heroic explorers.

Two special Antarctic landmarks, the Denton Glacier and Denton Hills have been named in George’s honour, in recognition of his decades of work there.

George received his Masters and PhD from Yale, and in 1990, received the prestigious Vega Medal (Gold) from the Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography. In 1996, he was elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

George’s research has inspired several generations of students, and he continues to work with students today, as a Professor at the School of Earth and Climate Sciences and Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine.

We sincerely thank George for taking the time to share his fascinating insights with us.

Denton meets Hillary-southern-Yukon © George Denton

George Denton meets Sir Edmund Hillary, Southern-Yukon © George Denton

Scott’s Party at the South Pole © J J Kinsey Collection. Canterbury Museum.

Early Polar Explorers Set the Scene for Climate Research

The geographical discoveries made by the heroic explorers in Antarctica, such as the Ross Ice Shelf and the Transantarctic Mountains, remain pivotal to our understanding of climate science today. Through their meticulous documentation and published works, these explorers left a lasting legacy that continues to benefit future generations studying the continent’s dynamic icy landscape.

A Valuable Climate Clue

This map assembled during Scott’s expeditions, discussed by Nigel and George, provides valuable insights into Antarctica’s geography and its response to climate change.

The comprehensive nature of the map, capturing important geographical features encountered during Scott’s and Shackleton’s expeditions, serves as a precursor to current scientific research on the impacts of climate change in Antarctica. It reveals crucial routes, such as Shackleton’s discovery of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, the largest glacier on Earth. The map also highlights the interconnection between the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, the Ross Barrier (Ross Ice Shelf), and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, shedding light on how these elements influence the behaviour of the ice sheet in the face of climate change.

Captain Scott’s map of the Antarctic region

A ‘Battle’ in the Southern Ocean

George Denton and his fellow scientists have built upon the knowledge of earlier explorers to study Antarctica’s ice sheets and their response to climate change. George says that shifts in the strength, position and duration of southern hemisphere Westerly winds leads to the upwelling of warm marine water, affecting peripheral areas of Antarctica like Pine Island Bay and the vulnerable “Doomsday Glacier” (Thwaites Glacier) located there.

The resulting sublimation (melting) of ice underneath the ice sheet and increased accumulation of ice on the surface creates a “battle” in the Southern Ocean the result of which will determine the future of the ice sheet and could have significant implications for sea level rise. The Doomsday Glacier was identified by George Denton and Terry Hughes as the “weak underbelly” of the ice shelf in 1975. George says the data collected during Shackleton’s Endurance Expedition in the Weddell Sea and Elephant Island laid the foundation for our understanding of the Weddell Sea and its dynamics.

The fundamental question remains: How will these dynamics unfold?

Thwaites Glacier 2019 © NASA Landsat Image Gallery

Thwaites Glacier (nicknamed the “Doomsday Glacier”), 2019 © NASA Landsat Image Gallery

Shackleton's hut_Cape Royds © AHT-Jane Ussher

A Century on from the Heroic Era of Exploration

In 2022, the Trust celebrated the centenary of the end of the heroic era of Antarctic exploration. George highlights their enduring significance as an important part of human history.

He says the expeditions of these early heroic explorers serve as a profound source of inspiration, particularly for young people. Recognising the transformative impact of his own experience on his first trip to Antarctica, George says the importance of engaging and immersing young individuals in the legacy of these explorers is paramount. Guiding and nurturing the younger generation forms a significant part of George’s enduring work and legacy.

In the context of Shackleton’s centenary in 2022, we are reminded of the tangible connection to the past through Shackleton’s hut, surrounded by granite boulders left by the expansive Ice Sheet that stretches across the Ross Sea. George encourages us to measure these very boulders, pondering how they arrived from the Ross Sea. These questions unravel the mysteries of the Ice Sheet’s response to climate change, which holds the greatest potential to reshape our planet. It all traces back to these boulders by Cape Royds hut.