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Helen Amanda Fricker

@helen-amanda.bsky.social

Professor of Glaciology at Scripps Polar Center, UC San Diego https://bsky.app/profile/scrippsocean.bsky.social Studies Antarctica with satellites πŸ‡¦πŸ‡ΆπŸ›°οΈπŸ§Š Graduate of @UCL & @UTAS Happy to be safely on Bluesky ❄️❄️❄️

1,907 Followers  |  1,635 Following  |  1,473 Posts  |  Joined: 23.10.2023  |  2.1646

Latest posts by helen-amanda.bsky.social on Bluesky

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iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...

05.10.2025 22:58 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Science Communication for Scientists | Linking Strategy with Creativit Grounded in strategic thinking and social science research, this textbook empowers students to confidently navigate skillful and effective science

www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-mon...

05.10.2025 22:57 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Ha ha ssh @lpadman.bsky.social, but now there is a cite it will soon be in the dictionary. It has grown on me. :-)

03.10.2025 20:25 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I love it! And it's great to have a paper to cite for this term. Really nice -congrats!!

03.10.2025 15:03 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
AGU Honors Program AGU has a variety of honors that recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Earth and space science through scientific research, education, science communication, and outreach.

and @helen-amanda.bsky.social for the Bowie Lecture "outstanding contributions to fundamental geophysics and unselfish cooperation in research".

Plenty of other great people in the list too!
www.agu.org/honors
2/2

25.09.2025 06:03 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Experts Warn Against Five Polar Geoengineering Ideas A team of international scientists is urging caution against five of the most-discussed polar geoengineering ideas, stating they are highly unlikely to help the polar regions and could harm ecosystems...

πŸ”οΈ New research finds that 5️⃣ widely discussed polar geoengineering proposals are unlikely to help the Arctic or Antarctic. Instead, they could cost billions & trigger ecological, political & environmental risks. Read more about the study supported by Scripps glaciologist @helen-amanda.bsky.social. ⬇️

15.09.2025 21:19 β€” πŸ‘ 85    πŸ” 40    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 0

This may explain why there’s an aggressive response to people who merely post Kirk’s own words. It threatens the existence of the alternate Kirk - the motivational speaker that had been marketed to young kids and white Christian groups through selective quotation & clips.

14.09.2025 12:55 β€” πŸ‘ 20285    πŸ” 6980    πŸ’¬ 726    πŸ“Œ 340
A busy figure with three panels (a, b, and c). Panel a is a plot with distance along centreline (in km) on the x axis and elevation (in metres above sea level) on the y axis. The plot shows the location (along flowline) and elevation of samples collected for cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating at sites adjacent to the Foundation Ice Stream. Panel b is a map that shows the Foundation Ice Stream (and neighbouring ice streams and glaciers), the flowline used in panel a, and the locations from which the samples in panel a were collected. Panel c is a plot with age (in thousands of years) on the x axis and elevation above modern ice surface (in metres) on the y axis. Exposure ages (between 20 ka and the present day) from the sites in panels a and b are plotted, with most of them falling between ~4 and 9 ka. The ages show that the Foundation Ice Stream thinned by hundreds of metres (at least 700 to 800 m) between about 9 and 4 ka.

A busy figure with three panels (a, b, and c). Panel a is a plot with distance along centreline (in km) on the x axis and elevation (in metres above sea level) on the y axis. The plot shows the location (along flowline) and elevation of samples collected for cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating at sites adjacent to the Foundation Ice Stream. Panel b is a map that shows the Foundation Ice Stream (and neighbouring ice streams and glaciers), the flowline used in panel a, and the locations from which the samples in panel a were collected. Panel c is a plot with age (in thousands of years) on the x axis and elevation above modern ice surface (in metres) on the y axis. Exposure ages (between 20 ka and the present day) from the sites in panels a and b are plotted, with most of them falling between ~4 and 9 ka. The ages show that the Foundation Ice Stream thinned by hundreds of metres (at least 700 to 800 m) between about 9 and 4 ka.

Chuffed to be included in this review paper on the Foundation-Patuxent-Academy ice stream system, Antarctica led by Neil Ross - you can see the preprint in open review here: doi.org/10.5194/egus... - featuring the busiest figure I've ever made πŸ‡¦πŸ‡ΆπŸ§Š

10.09.2025 14:19 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

This Sir Douglas Mawson quote from @helen-amanda.bsky.social study on the abrupt and unknown ice loss of Antarctica.
"We had come to probe its mystery, we had hoped to reduce it to terms of science, but there was always the 'indefinable' which held aloof, yet riveted our souls,"

26.08.2025 21:06 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Scripps Oceanography’s new director aims to build collaborative studies toward β€˜understanding and protecting our planet’ Planetary scientist Meenakshi Wadhwa is due to return to her postdoctoral roots at UCSD in October after six years as director of the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State

www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/08/04/s...

17.08.2025 01:17 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The climate data was fine

The labor data was fine

The crime data was fine

They just didn't like the answers (hot, not, not)

13.08.2025 02:35 β€” πŸ‘ 1395    πŸ” 257    πŸ’¬ 9    πŸ“Œ 4
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Pledge to Stand Up for UC The future of America’s leading public university system is at stake.
12.08.2025 17:44 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Excellent question.

31.07.2025 01:18 β€” πŸ‘ 1374    πŸ” 506    πŸ’¬ 191    πŸ“Œ 50
Donald Trump's Golf Spending Spree
Yesterday, Donald Trump said that the U.S. has "too many non-working holidays." Our "pro-worker president" thinks that w Donald Trump's Golf Spending Spree

Trump will spend his weekend promoting a new golf course at his resort in Scotland – costing taxpayers an estimated $10 million.

After this jaunt, he will have spent at least $52 million of taxpayer money on golf trips.

If that’s not fraud, waste, and abuse, I don’t know what is.

26.07.2025 18:01 β€” πŸ‘ 5308    πŸ” 2012    πŸ’¬ 232    πŸ“Œ 102
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Scuba diving tourism dollars flow into ocean protection and local communities worldwide The global scuba diving tourism industry generates up to around $20 billion US per year, finds a study published in Cell Reports Sustainability. This revenue helps boost local economies by employing l...

"#Scuba #diving is not a fringe hobby. It is a multibillion-dollar pillar of the economy that can channel tourists' dollars straight into #coastal communities and #ocean protection," said Dr. Anna Schuhbauer phys.org/news/2025-07... via @physorg_com

25.07.2025 17:09 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

There needs to be a #GoFundMe so that government scientists can attend #AGU2025. Their travel is restricted, but there's surely nothing stopping them from taking a personal trip to New Orleans?

23.07.2025 16:52 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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#Antarctic sea ice is:

βš™οΈ a global climate engine
β˜‚οΈ a cooling sunshade
πŸŒ€ a pumphouse for currents
🧊 a vast verandah for life
♻️ one of the largest seasonal cycles on Earth
🌬️ highly sensitive to climate variability

🌊 What happens when there's less sea ice?
aapp.shorthandstories.com/a-world-with...

22.07.2025 05:32 β€” πŸ‘ 78    πŸ” 38    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 6

I love this! Amazing work. πŸŽ‰

21.07.2025 15:44 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
The Voyager Declaration
Dear Interim Administrator Duffy,

In light of your recent appointment as Interim NASA Administrator, we bring to your attention recent policies that have or threaten to waste public resources, compromise human safety, weaken national security, and undermine the core NASA mission. We, the signatories of this letter, dissent from these policies, and raise these concerns because we believe strongly in the importance of NASA's mission, which we are dedicated to uphold.

Major programmatic shifts at NASA must be implemented strategically so that risks are managed carefully. Instead, the last six months have seen rapid and wasteful changes which have undermined our mission and caused catastrophic impacts on NASA's workforce. We are compelled to speak up when our leadership prioritizes political momentum over human safety, scientific advancement, and efficient use of public resources. These cuts are arbitrary and have been enacted in defiance of congressional appropriations law The consequences for the agency and the country alike are dire.
Our Shared Commitment to DissentinοΏ½ Opinions

We share a commitment to dissenting views in accordance with NASA Policy Directive 1000.0C,

NASA supports full and open discussion of issues of any nature (e.g., programmatic, institutional), including alternative and divergent views. Diverse views are to be fostered and respected in an environment of integrity and trust with no suppression or retribution. (NPD 1000.0C, Section 3.5.5)
Employees across the agency have raised concerns about recent actions to NASA leadership, yet we remain pressured to implement harmful measures. We choose to write to you directly because: (I) as Interim Administrator, you are the final step in the chain of Technical Authority, and (2) the issues we raise are agency-wide, rather than project-specific.
As defined in NASA Procedural Requirement 7120 5F, Formal Dissent is "a substantive disagreement with a decision or action that an indiv…

The Voyager Declaration Dear Interim Administrator Duffy, In light of your recent appointment as Interim NASA Administrator, we bring to your attention recent policies that have or threaten to waste public resources, compromise human safety, weaken national security, and undermine the core NASA mission. We, the signatories of this letter, dissent from these policies, and raise these concerns because we believe strongly in the importance of NASA's mission, which we are dedicated to uphold. Major programmatic shifts at NASA must be implemented strategically so that risks are managed carefully. Instead, the last six months have seen rapid and wasteful changes which have undermined our mission and caused catastrophic impacts on NASA's workforce. We are compelled to speak up when our leadership prioritizes political momentum over human safety, scientific advancement, and efficient use of public resources. These cuts are arbitrary and have been enacted in defiance of congressional appropriations law The consequences for the agency and the country alike are dire. Our Shared Commitment to DissentinοΏ½ Opinions We share a commitment to dissenting views in accordance with NASA Policy Directive 1000.0C, NASA supports full and open discussion of issues of any nature (e.g., programmatic, institutional), including alternative and divergent views. Diverse views are to be fostered and respected in an environment of integrity and trust with no suppression or retribution. (NPD 1000.0C, Section 3.5.5) Employees across the agency have raised concerns about recent actions to NASA leadership, yet we remain pressured to implement harmful measures. We choose to write to you directly because: (I) as Interim Administrator, you are the final step in the chain of Technical Authority, and (2) the issues we raise are agency-wide, rather than project-specific. As defined in NASA Procedural Requirement 7120 5F, Formal Dissent is "a substantive disagreement with a decision or action that an indiv…

β€’	We dissent to changes to NASA's Technical Authority capacities that are driven by anything other than safety and mission assurance. The culture of organizational silence promoted at NASA over the last six months already represents a dangerous tum away from the lessons learned following the Columbia disaster. Changes to the system of Technical Authority, as suggested would be made in the June 25th NASA Town Hall, should be made only in the interests of improving safety, not in anticipation of future budget cuts.
β€’	We dissent to the closing out of missions for which Congress has appropriated funding because it represents a permanent loss of capability to the United States both in space and on Eatlh. Once operational spacecraft are decommissioned, they cannot be turned back on. Additionally, cancelling missions in development threatens to end the next generation of crucial
observations.
β€’	We dissent to implementing indiscriminate cuts to NASA science and aeronautics research because this will leave the American people without the unique public good that NASA provides. Basic research in space science, aeronautics, and the stewardship of the Earth are inherently governmental functions that cannot and will not be taken up by the private sector. Furthermore, NASA has a nearly threefold return on investment in economic activity, and supports national security by ensuring the United States maintains its lead in science and technology.
β€’	We dissent to NASA's non-strategic staffing reductions because they will jeopardize NASA's core mission. Thousands of NASA civil servant employees have already been terminated, resigned or retired early, taking with them highly specialized, irreplaceable knowledge crucial to carrying out NASA's mission.
β€’	We dissent to canceling NASA participation in international missions because in doing so, NASA is abandoning America's allies. To date, 55 nations have signed on to the Artemis Accords, and withdrawing support from missions with our long-s…

β€’ We dissent to changes to NASA's Technical Authority capacities that are driven by anything other than safety and mission assurance. The culture of organizational silence promoted at NASA over the last six months already represents a dangerous tum away from the lessons learned following the Columbia disaster. Changes to the system of Technical Authority, as suggested would be made in the June 25th NASA Town Hall, should be made only in the interests of improving safety, not in anticipation of future budget cuts. β€’ We dissent to the closing out of missions for which Congress has appropriated funding because it represents a permanent loss of capability to the United States both in space and on Eatlh. Once operational spacecraft are decommissioned, they cannot be turned back on. Additionally, cancelling missions in development threatens to end the next generation of crucial observations. β€’ We dissent to implementing indiscriminate cuts to NASA science and aeronautics research because this will leave the American people without the unique public good that NASA provides. Basic research in space science, aeronautics, and the stewardship of the Earth are inherently governmental functions that cannot and will not be taken up by the private sector. Furthermore, NASA has a nearly threefold return on investment in economic activity, and supports national security by ensuring the United States maintains its lead in science and technology. β€’ We dissent to NASA's non-strategic staffing reductions because they will jeopardize NASA's core mission. Thousands of NASA civil servant employees have already been terminated, resigned or retired early, taking with them highly specialized, irreplaceable knowledge crucial to carrying out NASA's mission. β€’ We dissent to canceling NASA participation in international missions because in doing so, NASA is abandoning America's allies. To date, 55 nations have signed on to the Artemis Accords, and withdrawing support from missions with our long-s…

We stand in solidarity with our colleagues at the NIH and EPA who have released similar statements concerning the administration's actions at their respective agencies.

We dedicate this letter to Gus Grissom, Ed White, Roger Chaffee, Dick Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Gregory Jarvis, Christa McAuliffe, Rick Husband, Willie McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark, and Ilan Ramon. Their legacies underpin every conversation about our shared commitment to safety and dissenting opinions at NASA.

We stand in solidarity with our colleagues at the NIH and EPA who have released similar statements concerning the administration's actions at their respective agencies. We dedicate this letter to Gus Grissom, Ed White, Roger Chaffee, Dick Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Gregory Jarvis, Christa McAuliffe, Rick Husband, Willie McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark, and Ilan Ramon. Their legacies underpin every conversation about our shared commitment to safety and dissenting opinions at NASA.

NEW: Hundreds of NASA employees have filed a letter of formal dissent.

"We are compelled to speak up when our leadership prioritizes political momentum over human safety, scientific advancement, and efficient use of public resources. The consequences for the agency and the country alike are dire."

21.07.2025 15:06 β€” πŸ‘ 3827    πŸ” 1523    πŸ’¬ 51    πŸ“Œ 59
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Trump and Epstein: Protecting a Sex Trafficking Ring The Trump-Epstein story exposes how extreme wealth, political power, elite protection, and conspiracies dismantle any illusion of justice.

πŸ“Œ Trump is the infection that spread through every institution meant to hold him accountable and he has corrupted the system while pretending to expose it.

He is not releasing the Epstein Files because he is implicated in them. πŸ‘‡πŸΌ

21.07.2025 01:56 β€” πŸ‘ 836    πŸ” 347    πŸ’¬ 44    πŸ“Œ 17

We are so excited!

18.07.2025 16:01 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Membership Information By becoming a KPBS Member you join appropriately 59,000 San Diegans that make a commitment each year to public radio and television. Your contribution ensures the health of an important community reso...

Local San Diego @kpbssandiego.bsky.social www.kpbs.org/membership-i...

17.07.2025 15:24 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Donate : NPR Power independent journalism in your community. Donate to your NPR station.

Today is a great day to donate to NPR www.npr.org/donations/su... #npr @npr.org

17.07.2025 15:20 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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STAND UP FOR SCIENCE

Stand Up for Science is asking folks to call Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY) today. He is Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee. (202)225-4601

The main message is β€œZERO cuts to NASA, NOAA and NSF in 2026!”

You can sign up for email alerts at standupforscience.net

16.07.2025 19:12 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I Concur. Pun intended! Awful software...and definitely discourages travel.

16.07.2025 14:36 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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For MAGA, Ignorance is Strength Research cuts aren’t about shrinking government, they’re about killing science

As @pkrugman.bsky.social writes, this is a deliberate effort to destroy science.

16.07.2025 04:53 β€” πŸ‘ 286    πŸ” 66    πŸ’¬ 8    πŸ“Œ 1

NASA ROSES is out (delayed from Valentine's Day) and there is *nothing* in it for cryosphere research. While the ice sheets are melting, sea ice cover is shrinking, permafrost is slumping, sea level is rising...NASA cannot fund you to work on any of it.

10.07.2025 15:57 β€” πŸ‘ 32    πŸ” 16    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Let’s talk about weather balloonsβ€”a.k.a. radiosondesβ€”and why recent cuts to NWS staffing and balloon launch schedules are putting the public at risk (eg., Deaths in Texas). No satellite or model can replace what these humble balloons do. Here's why. 🧡

09.07.2025 04:26 β€” πŸ‘ 1631    πŸ” 706    πŸ’¬ 32    πŸ“Œ 87

Resilience investments saves lives and saves money. The existing and proposed cuts to resilience programs will make our communities more vulnerable to extreme weather, less safe when disasters approach, and with less resources to recover. It’s dangerous.

07.07.2025 02:10 β€” πŸ‘ 112    πŸ” 35    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 1

Comms pros for electeds: get your bosses on the record and on TV and on the Internet and on the House/Senate Floors tomorrow hammering home how devastating the existing and proposed cuts to NOAA and the workforce and resilience and climate are. Nobody knows about them except us nerds! Tell people.

06.07.2025 16:37 β€” πŸ‘ 331    πŸ” 98    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 3

@helen-amanda is following 20 prominent accounts