MDPI World Water Day Webinar 2025
the chair
Glacier and Ice Cap Disequilibrium: Underscores Relevance of Preservation Focus
Mountain glaciers and ice caps have been recognized and studied as sensitive indicators of climate since the 19th century, with glacier mass balance being acknowledged as the most reliable indicator of climate change. Geodetic, glaciological, and gravimetric studies independently identify that despite significant mass balance and loss in the last 50 years, glaciers are not approaching equilibrium. Instead, mountain glacier mass balance loss has accelerated significantly this century. This has led to a sharp increase in glaciers vanishing. These glaciers are a critical part of the landscape, providing abundant fresh water during the driest and warmest parts of the year. Aquatic life and communities in glaciated watersheds have developed based on this abundant supply. The panelists of this webinar have worked and lived in these basins and will discuss the changes and impacts observed in our collective work across four continents. We also looking forward to listening to your perspectives.
In addition, kindly find an article penned by our esteemed Chair, Prof. Dr. Mauri Pelto here.
Date: 21 March 2025
Time: 4:00 pm CET | 8:00 am PDT | 11:00 pm CST Asia
Webinar ID: 880 7776 1591
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Meet the Event Chair
Important Dates
- Registration end dateMar 21, 2025
Meet Our Speakers
Dr. Prajjwal Panday
Environmental Science, Nichols College, Dudley, MA, USA;
Dr. Panday is a broadly trained geographer with expertise in environmental modeling, hydro-climatology, remote sensing, and geospatial technologies. His research and intellectual interests focus on using a systems approach to determine linkages between climate variability, anthropogenic changes, and land–water interactions. His research also utilizes field-based observations, satellite remote sensing, geospatial data, and process-based modeling to understand terrestrial and hydrological processes across various spatial and temporal scales. Much of his work thus far has focused on the monitoring and modeling of various components of the hydrological cycle in some of the fastest-changing regions of the world such as the Himalayas and the Amazon. Dr. Panday is also currently working with local watershed organizations in the cities of Worcester and Webster to facilitate water quality monitoring activities.
Dr. Laura Thomson
Department of Geography and Planning, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada;
Dr. Thomson grew up enjoying the wonderful community of Williams Lake in the central interior of British Columbia before heading east to study in the Department of Earth Sciences at Western University as a Loran Scholar (’04). Here, she received her BSc and MSc degrees in Geophysics and Planetary Science, while also completing a one-year research internship in glacier mapping at the University of Northern British Columbia. Her PhD research at the University of Ottawa focused on the glaciers of Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut, where she now maintains the long-term (>50 year) glacier monitoring program. She has been fortunate to hold fellowships with the Western Canada Cryospheric Network, with the European Space Agency’s Earth Observation Team, and to work as a visiting scientist at the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) at the University of Zürich. She pursued postdoctoral studies in Glaciology at Simon Fraser University under the mentorship of Dr. Gwenn Flowers, where they investigated the impact of changing ice temperatures on ice motion and the long-term stability of Arctic glaciers. She was thrilled to join the Queen’s Geography and Planning community in 2018 and is looking forward to fostering new collaborations in the years to come.
Sponsors and Partners
Organizer
In this section, you will find the recordings of this webinar to watch, re-watch and share with your colleagues!
"Snow and Glacier Hydrology in Changing Climate and Urbanisation"
Special Issue Editors: Dr. Mohd Soheb
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2025
"Mathematical, Physical, Chemical, and Biological Methods for Ice and Water Problems"
Special Issue Editors: Prof. Dr. Zhijun Li and Dr. Fang Li
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025