Jemma Wadham

Wadham completed her BA and MA in physical geography at Cambridge University. She then completed her PhD at the University of Bristol in 1998.

Wadham undertook a short post-doctoral research post at the University of Leeds before returning to the University of Bristol to take up a post at the Bristol Glaciology Centre.[1][2]

Wadham researches glacial ecosystems and investigates their impact on biogeochemical processes.[3][4][5] She has worked in the polar regions, including the Antarctic[6] and the Greenland ice sheets.[7] This has led to more than 90 articles[8] and a textbook on Antarctic lakes.[9]

She has been involved with the International Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and subglacial science in Antarctica.[10] She has served on the Lake Ellsworth Exploration Steering Committee and is a contributor to this subglacial lake exploration programme.[11]

In 2012, Wadham's team at the University of Bristol used computer models to predict the amount of trapped methane under ice sheets and discovered 400 billion metric tons of carbon beneath.[12][13]

She is one of few women working on technology development for exploring subglacial lakes.[7] Her work in Greenland has advanced our understanding of the dynamics of ice sheets and their contribution to global biogeochemical cycles.[7][5]

She was awarded a Philip Leverhulme Prize in October 2007 for her international contribution to polar science.[14]