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Alex Robel

Associate Professor

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School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences College of Sciences

Alex Robel is a leading expert in the fields of climate change and glaciology.

Alex Robel is a leading expert in the fields of climate change and glaciology. As a researcher who combines physics, applied mathematics, and earth and ocean sciences, Robel and his team are focused on understanding how climate changes are impacting Earth’s largest ice sheets and glaciers. He is helping to develop mathematical models that provide insight into how fast ice is melting and how fast oceans are rising. Robel grew up in Miami and is passionate about using this data to help coastal communities –particularly in the southeastern U.S. and Atlantic seaboard– prepare for and adapt to rising sea levels and other concerns.  

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News and Recent Appearances

Rising Tide Program Launches for Early Career Scientists

Rising Tide will welcome researchers for two-year fellowships that are focused on faculty mentoring and skills development to apply for competitive faculty positions.

How Can K–12 Educators Teach Blind Students to Code?

Ed Tech

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2024/09/how-can-k-12-educators-teach-blind-students-code

Water beneath glaciers may surge due to thinning ice sheets

Earth.com

Thinning ice sheets may be more than just markers of global warming; they may also be indicative of a significant increase in subglacial waters flowing out into the ocean. This alarming possibility is the outcome of a new study led by ɫ researchers Alex Robel and Shi Joyce Sim.

Thinning Ice Sheets May Drive Sharp Rise in Subglacial Waters

Up to twice the amount of subglacial water that was originally predicted might be draining into the ocean – potentially increasing glacial melt, sea level rise, and biological disturbances.

Coastal Glacier Retreat Linked to Climate Change

Researchers have developed a methodology to determine why coastal glaciers are retreating, and in turn, how much can be attributed to human-caused climate change.

Serious, Salty Trouble Is Brewing Under Antarctic Glaciers

WIRED

In these conditions, and if the freshwater flow from melting ice is not too fast, seawater should be able to invade at least hundreds of feet past the grounding line, and probably miles, says Alexander Robel, head of the at ɫ and lead author of the new paper, published in the journal The Cryosphere. Yet, like tidal pumping, this phenomenon also isn’t represented in current models of glacial melt in Antarctica. “This is based on the prior assumption that basically there's a hydraulic barrier at the grounding line, and seawater never gets upstream,” says Robel.

The New Video of One of the Scariest Places on Earth

The Atlantic

What’s already obvious from the images is that, when the glacier hits the ocean, it immediately begins to change. Part of the excitement of the video is that it forces scientists to ask some basic questions, starting with “What is that?” Robel, the ɫ Technology glaciologist, told me that he expects to see many of its images in conference presentations for years to come, as scientists debate what is even happening in them.

Reframing Antarctica’s Meltwater Pond Dangers to Ice Shelves and Sea Level

There's a speed limit on the damage surface ponds can do to ice shelves, but that doesn't mean the ponds aren't dangerous.

Instability in Antarctic Ice Projected to Make Sea Level Rise Rapidly

Instability hidden within Antarctic ice is likely to accelerate its flow into the ocean and push sea level up at a more rapid pace than previously expected.

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