Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory scientist Robin Bell will participate in a Google+ Hangout hosted by the White House on Tuesday, April 22 at 4:00 p.m. EDT. The new series of White House Hangouts, We the Geeks, highlights the future of science, technology and innovation in the United States.
In this Hangout you’ll have the chance to hear from Bell and other scientists who are doing research at the edges of the Earth. These “extreme” scientists and engineers conduct their work atop mountains and volcanoes, in frigid temperatures, at high speeds and on the ocean floor in pursuit of new insights that will push the boundaries of science and technology.
Bell, who will join the Hangout from New Zealand, is a polar scientist who studies sub-glacial lakes, ice sheet dynamics and tectonics in Earth’s polar regions. Her work examines the implications of climate change on the poles and involves adapting scientific instruments to produce imaginative new insights into these regions.
Bell has led nine major expeditions to Antarctica and Greenland in order to study ice sheet collapse. On these adventures, Bell’s discoveries have included a volcano beneath the West Antarctic ice sheet, several large lakes locked beneath two miles of ice, and most recently, evidence that the ice sheet can thicken from below. She was a leading proponent of the 2007-2008 International Polar Year, and has chaired the National Academy of Sciences Polar Research Board.
In addition to her polar work, Bell conducts research closer to her New York home. Beginning in 1998, she led the Hudson River Estuary Project team, mapping over 160 miles of the Hudson River, from Staten Island to Albany, in order to define crucial habitats and contaminated deposits.
Extreme science enthusiasts can join the conversation by asking questions on Twitter using #WeTheGeeks and view the hangout on Tuesday at 4:00 pm ET by visiting the We the Geeks homepage.
