Rignot Research Group

From The press release: UCI Earth system science professor Eric Rignot has been awarded $2.2 million by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to expand his aerial glacier mapping to the Patagonian Ice Fields of Chile and the frozen fjords of West Greenland. "We are very excited to have received this vital funding from the prestigious Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation," said Rignot, adding that the advanced helicopter survey work "will provide critical data to improve our understanding of how glacial ice contributes to sea level rise in a warming climate." Partners in the three-year project will be Centro de Estudios Cientificos in Chile and Sander Geophysics in Canada. "We're thrilled that one of our outstanding professors will be able to continue his global work, thanks to the Foundation's generosity," said physical sciences dean Kenneth Janda. Jacob Levin, assistant vice chancellor for research development, said private funding for the South American work was indispensable because no U.S. science agency covers the area. "Research is extremely important on the glaciers of Patagonia, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere outside Antarctica," he said.

Planning for the Patagonia mission in March 2012 is currently underway. Details to follow...