Gordon de Quetteville Robin

摘要

Gordon de Quetteville Robin died on 21 September 2004 at the age of 83. During his life he contributed significantly and innovatively to his own academic subject of glaciology and, persuaded of the high value of cooperation between national groups at an early age, promoted actively and effectively the cause of international collaboration in Antarctica. He raised the profile and contribution to polar research of the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, to a new peak during his influential directorship between 1958 and 1982. Robin was best known for his pioneering contributions to the study of large ice sheets in the polar regions. He was the first to produce scientifically reliable measurements of the thickness of the Antarctic ice sheet using seismic sounding; he generated the first analysis of the temperature distribution in polar ice sheets; and, with Stan Evans, he initiated the development and implementation 40 years ago of the radio echo sounding technique to measure the thickness of ice masses using high frequency radars that remains the standard methodology, and undertook extensive airborne campaigns in Antarctica using the technique. New branches of research arose from his studies of radio echo sounding — internal layering and sub-glacial lakes. He was responsible for the first scientific proposal to measure polar ice sheets from space using satellite radar altimetry and the first to undertake an empirical study of the propagation of ocean waves into sea ice. He made a number of other significant contributions to the understanding of ice dynamics, the climate record in ice sheets, and the study of ice shelves. His written work was distinguished by innovative ideas combined with careful observation and thorough analysis.