Professorial Lecture by Professor Gary Wilson

'Four years in Antarctica investigating Earth’s changing climate' by Professor Gary Wilson.

Gary is the President of the International Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research and has visited Antarctica most summers for the last 35 years. Cumulatively, he has now spent more than four years of his life on the icy continent or on the rough seas that surround it. In that time, he has witnessed changes that show Antarctica is now responding to and adding to global warming. He has also been part of the ongoing international research efforts to determine the potential extent of change in Antarctica and the scale of impact on the rest of the globe as the planet warms. More recently he has also been working on the global carbon cycle in order to determine the planet’s natural contribution to global warming and identifying how we might support the planet to help us limit global warming and the degree of impact on economy, society and civilization.

In this lecture he will discuss geological evidence for the potential extent to which Antarctica will respond as we warm the planet beyond 15.7°C (450 ppm of atmospheric CO2; 2°C and up to 170 ppm of CO2 more than in pre-industrial times) and the impact on the rest of the planet. Evidence will be drawn from projects that drilled deep below Antarctica’s ice and projects that drilled deep into the Southern Ocean. He will also discuss current warming in Antarctica and natural processes contributing CO2 to the atmosphere in Antarctica as it warms, as well as natural processes in the Southern Ocean, Subantarctic and southern midlatitudes drawing CO2 out of the atmosphere and the opportunity to restore these to full potential.

This 45-minute public lecture will be held at the at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, starting at 5.45pm. Ticket scanning and Opus Bar will be open from 5pm.

Free parking is available on campus via Gate 2B, Knighton Road, Hamilton from 4.30pm.

Please register your attendance by clicking on the 'select tickets' button above and bring your eticket, with you on the evening to be scanned.

If you would like to hear from us about future Public Lectures held at the University of Waikato, please join click to join our mailing list.

is Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, where he leads the University’s research strategy. He previously held senior roles at GNS Science, Antarctica New Zealand, the New Zealand Antarctic Research Institute, and the University of Otago.

A graduate of Victoria University of Wellington, Gary has held academic positions at The Ohio State University and the University of Oxford. He has published more than 130 peer‑reviewed papers, led major multinational research projects, and is President of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, coordinating research across 46 countries. His international leadership has been recognised with numerous awards, including a Fulbright Award and the Thomson Medal from the Royal Society Te Apārangi.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher The University of Waikato