The Ice Chronicles: The Quest to Understand Global Climate Change

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments PAUL: I want to begin my acknowledgments by thanking my wife, Lyn, who has shared so much of my life. Without her, it would not have been possible for me to have undertaken the expeditions and science described in this book. She gives me the freedom to live my dreams and most importantly the love that has supported me in both the good and bad times we all face in our lives. Together with B. J., Kruthers, Mac, Maggie, Bob, and Tiana, we have been very fortunate. Support to follow my own path came from day one in my life. My mother, Lisa Asnis, gave me her gift for optimism, a sense of humor, and her will to achieve a goal. My father, Paul Mayewski, gave me the desire to explore, the strength to persevere, and a sense of humor in the face of adversity. My stepmother, Maxine S. Mayewski, gave me an understanding of higher education. My stepfather, Al Asnis, taught me how to relax. My parents-in-law, Mike and Jean Weisman, have welcomed me to their family and have been enthusiastic supporters of the adventures that Lyn and I have had as a consequence of my career. Supportive friends, too many to list completely, were there at many stages in my career. Some include Smokey, Berry Lyons, David Meeker, Melanie and Dennis Hodge, Steve and Annie Frye, Berrien Moore, Bill Joslin, Peter Lamb, Gary and Donna Weisman, Mike Hussey, and Michael Morrison. I have had several mentors throughout my career who have helped form my professional career: Parker Calkin, Dennis Hodge, Hal Borns, Richard Goldthwait, Colin Bull, Terry Hughes, George Denton, Claude Lorius, Bob Bates, and Bradford Washburn. It would not have been possible to produce this book had it not been for my colleagues from GISP2 (the Greenland Ice Sheet Project Two). Several were particularly important to the success of the program and resulting science: Michael Morrison, Mark Wumkes, Jay Klinck, Mark Twickler, Kendrick Taylor, Debra Meese, Tony Gow, Richard Alley, Greg Zielinski, Jack Dibb, Michael Bender, Peter Grootes, Wallace Broecker, Jim White, Michael Ram, and many others. Colleagues from the European GRIP (Greenland Ice Core Project) always offered friendship and stimulating scientific discussions: Bernhard Stauffer, Michel Legrand, Robert Delmas, Henry Rufli, Claus Hammer, J. P. Steffensen, Henrick Clausen, and many others. GISP2 would not have existed without support from the Office of Polar Programs of the National Science Foundation and in particular the support and advice of Julie Palais, Herman Zimmerman, and Peter Wilkniss. GISP2 was fortunate to have an extremely insightful Advisory Committee comprised of Wally Broecker, John Imbrie, and Charlie Bentley. On many occasions their wisdom and advice was critical. The drilling expertise of the Polar Ice Coring Office at the University of Alaska (Fairbanks), in particular Mark Wumkes and his drilling colleagues , cannot be understated: Without them, we would not have even had an ice core. We would not have gotten to Greenland without the New York Air National Guard (Scotia, New York). Non-GISP2 activities referred to in this book were supported by the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Electric Power Research Institute. Logistic support for these activities is greatly appreciated and was provided by the U.S. Navy VXE-6 Squadron, the New York Air National Guard, the Polar Ice Coring Offices at the University of Alaska and the University of Nebraska , Ice Core Drilling Services at the University of Wisconsin, Icefield Instruments in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada, as well as Sherpas and porters from Nepal, porters from India, yaks from Tibet, and ponies from northern China. I was fortunate to have met my co-author Frank White, with whom it has been a great pleasure to share this book. His insight and experience were essential, but most importantly we have been able to keep up the process of writing this book and remain good friends for the several years it has taken to develop the book. Finally, I hope that what we have written in this book will make a valuable contribution to the public’s understanding of climate change and change in the chemistry of the atmosphere. Future decisions by the public related to these issues will have an immense impact on the quality of human life. xxiv Acknowledgments ç frank: I must begin with my wife, Donna. I started working on The Ice Chronicles around the time we met, and I...