The Sydney Chapman Endowed Chair in Physical Sciences was created by the Alaska State Legislature in 1983. The purpose was to establish a distinguished position that would help the University of Alaska Fairbanks achieve an international reputation for excellence in teaching and research. The legislature recognized that the distinguished scientists who occupy this chair will attract a nucleus of talented faculty and students and thereby enhance the quality of the teaching and research at UAF. 

Dr. Sydney Chapman (1888-1970), for whom the endowed chair is named, is considered one of the most distinguished geophysicists of the 20th century. He was professor of geophysics and advisory scientific director of UAF's Geophysical Institute from 1951-70. Since its inception, five distinguished scholars have held the title "Chapman Chair". Presently, two distinguished scholars serve as co-chairs: Dr. Eddy Carmack and Dr. David Scholl. Both host a variety of lectures that often include other distinguished scholar at UAF throughout the academic year.

Wednesday, March 20th: Elvey Building (GI) Elvey Auditorium
3:30 p.m.

Ron Kwok will discuss recent changes in the ice thickness  and drift as obseved through satellite images. He is a Senior Research Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.

The recent decline in the extent of Arctic summer sea ice has resulted in a dramatic shift in its composition. With the record minimum in summer ice extent in 2012, seasonal ice now covers more than half of the Arctic Ocean. This rapid shift to a new seasonal ice regime, in less than a decade, will have important implications on the interplay of the thermodynamics and dynamics of the ice cover in its response to external forces at different length and time scales. 

With the large expanse of thinner and mechanically weaker sea ice, it is anticipated that the dominant processes that govern the coupling between the ocean, atmosphere and sea ice will change as the ice cover becomes more sensitive to processes that were less significant (e.g. ice deformation) in a multiyear sea ice regime.