Life on the Edge of Ice: Cascading Changes from Glacial Landscapes and Carbon Cycling to Alpine Ecosystems

Speaker: Dr. Mike Styllas, Paris Institute of Earth Physics
Series: Scott Polar Research Institute - Polar Physical Sciences Seminar

In ancient times, humans inhabiting mountain regions often attributed divine dimensions to the cryosphere. Centuries later, explorers and scientists ventured into Earth's cryosphere in search of adventure, discovery and scientific inquiry. These pioneers lived literally on the edge of ice, pushing the limits of their physical and mental endurance. But they were never alone. From microorganisms to large mammals, diverse forms of life have long inhabited these seemingly inhospitable environments. How are these relationships changing as the ice disappears?

The Anthropocene has brought human activities to nearly every icy corner of our planet. Today, mountain glaciers are vanishing before our eyes, while the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are losing mass, with far-reaching consequences for biogeochemical cycles and downstream terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

In this presentation, I will explore these transformations through three geographical perspectives. Drawing on recent findings from the global “Vanishing Glaciers” project and emerging research from Greenland, I will examine how glacier retreat reorganizes mineral weathering, atmospheric CO2 exchange and nutrient transport across the glacial ice-stream-fjord continuum, revealing contrasting biogeochemical responses and their implications for downstream ecosystems. I will then turn to the Mediterranean mountains as a “crystal ball” for increasingly dry postglacial landscapes, where the legacy of Late Quaternary glaciation interacts with Saharan dust deposition, alpine soil development and growing water scarcity. Finally, I will visit the Mount Everest-Khumbu region (Sagarmatha National Park), where glacier retreat, tectonically active landscapes and augmenting adventure tourism infrastructures and frequentation, combine to create emerging environmental, waste-management and cultural challenges.

Collectively, these examples illustrate how the retreating edge of ice reorganizes connections among the atmosphere, water, geology, ecosystems and human societies, redefining what it means to presently live on the edge of ice.