AntarcticGlaciers.org was set up in July 2012. The aim of this website is to promote the science of Antarctic glaciology and to disseminate our findings to the wider community. We write not only about our own research on the Antarctic Peninsula but also about wider discoveries among the Antarctic glaciology community. We focus on published, peer-reviewed literature, and references are included in all posts.
This outreach endeavor, motivated by a desire to publicly communicate the risks that climate change and rising sea levels pose to our world’s glaciers and ice sheets, has evolved into one of the premier sites on this subject. This website aims to inspire young people and school children with geology and geomorphology, and specifically targets teachers to supply them with engaging, original content that they can use in lesson planning.
The website seeks to serve as a reliable platform for students, educators, researchers and the general public to access in-depth articles, videos and data about glaciers and the processes shaping them. The geographical scope includes Antarctica, the world’s glaciers, and Greenland. The website covers a wide range of topics, including glacial geology, ice cores, climate change impacts, and the significance of ice melt in sea level rise.
The website’s educational resources, research findings, and data, cater to a diverse audience with varying levels of expertise.
Website Owner
This website was designed and developed as a collaboration between Bethan Davies from the Department of Geography, Newcastle University, and Stefan Senk from www.senktec.com. There are numerous guest contributors.
The website is managed, owned and curated by Bethan Davies.
Reuse of material
Please use the material, images and photographs provided on the website freely for educational purposes only. For other purposes, please contact the team.
AntarcticGlaciers.org by Bethan Davies is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Specific purposes of AntarcticGlaciers.org
AntarcticGlaciers.org serves as an educational resource and platform dedicated to providing information about Antarctic glaciers and the processes that shape them. The website primarily aims to enhance public understanding of glaciology, climate science, and the significance of Antarctic ice in the context of global climate change.
The specific purposes of AntarcticGlaciers.org includes:
1. **Educational Content**: The website offers a wealth of educational content, including articles, videos, and interactive resources, that explain the science behind Antarctic glaciers in a clear and accessible manner.
2. **Public Awareness**: It seeks to raise public awareness about the importance of Antarctic glaciers and their role in global climate systems. By providing up-to-date information and research findings, the website fosters a broader understanding of climate change impacts.
3. **Science Communication**: The website serves as a platform for scientists and researchers to share their findings with the public, helping bridge the gap between scientific research and the general audience.
4. **Engagement and Outreach**: It engages with educators, students, and the general public by providing tools and resources for teaching and learning about glaciology, climate science, and environmental issues.
5. **Support for Research**: AntarcticGlaciers.org supports ongoing glaciological research by disseminating results, promoting collaboration, and providing data resources.
Users and Pageviews
As of December 2017, AntarcticGlaciers.org has received 1.9 million page views from visitors located across the globe. The website has been cited by diverse news outlets including The Guardian, New York Times, Washington Post, The Conversation, Sky News, National Geographic, Nature, Huffington Post and The Independent. It has been cited by organisations such as NASA Earth Observatory, National Snow and Ice Data Centre, American Geophysical Union, Royal Geographical Society, Geologists’ Association and RealClimate.org. The website is also used as a teaching resource by over 20 UK universities, numerous schools and the Geographical Association. Resources from the website have been used in textbooks for GCSE Geography and in several MOOCs. Analysis of Google Analytics data shows that a substantial portion of the website audience are engaged in the education sector.
See the 2023 users report here.