EGU Hans Oeschger Medal 2006

The Swiss scientist Bernard Stauffer has won the prestigious EGU Hans Oeschger Medal for his contributions to ice core research, in particular for methodological developments, greenhouse gas measurements and ice chemistry.

This medal has been established by the Division on Climate: Past, Present & Future in recognition of the scientific achievement of Hans Oeschger. It is reserved for scientists for their outstanding achievements in ice research and/or short term climatic changes (past, present, future).

Bernard Stauffer is a former professor at University of Bern. Stauffer spent many seasons in Greenland and Antarctic where he lead ice core projects. He was one of the driving forces of several European drilling projects such as GRIP and EPICA. For EPICA, he chaired the Science Group and served as Chief Scientist during the field season 2002/2003.

Resumé

In collaboration with colleagues from the University of Bern, he developed a method to measure the concentration of trace gases of small ice samples. This was a major experimental challenge for various reasons. The dry extraction system was based on a needle crusher and proved to this date to be a reliable tool in avoiding the contamination of gas samples on which the content of carbon dioxide, the most important greenhouse gas after water vapor, was to be measured. Using this device, Stauffer was leading the effort which resulted in the first determination of the concentration of CO2 during the last ice age. This is arguably one of the most important results in paleoclimate research because it defines the range of natural variability of CO2 in the climate system.

Medal Lecture

Professor Stauffer will accept his medal and give his Medal lecture during the EGU General Assembly, to be held in Vienna, Austria from 2 – 7 April 2006. The lecture 'Composition of air bubbles in polar ice' starts at Tuesday, 4 April at 13:30 h in Lecture Room 13 (F1).

More information:
http://www.copernicus.org/EGU/awards/medallists/_2006/hans_oeschger.html