Mary R. Albert
Professor of Engineering
Executive Director, U.S. Ice Drilling Program Office
mary.r.albert@dartmouth.edu
Education
- B.S., Mathematics, Pennsylvania State University 1975
- B.E., Dartmouth 1983
- M.S., Engineering Sciences, Dartmouth 1983
- Ph.D., Applied Mechanics and Engineering Sciences, University of California, San Diego 1991
Research Interests
Snow and firn physics; air-snow transfer; ice cores and climate; porous media; transport phenomena
Current Research Projects
Teaching
- ENGS 7: Climate Change
Selected Publications
- NEEM Community Members, 2013. Eemian Interglacial Reconstructed From a Greenland Folded Ice Core. Nature, v. 493, p. 489-494. (NEEM Community Member are: D. Dahl-Jensen, M.R. Albert, A. Aldehan, and 130 others.)
- Nghiem, S.V., D.K. Hall, T. L. Mote, M. Tedesco, M.R. Albert, K. Keegan, C.A. Shuman, N.E. DiGirolamo, G. Neumann, 2012. The Extreme Melt Across the Greenland Ice Sheet in 2012. Geophysical Research Letters, v. 39, L20502, doi:10.1029/2012GL053611.
- Bisiaux, M.M., R. Edwards, J.R. McConnell, M.R. Albert, H. Anschutz, T. Neumann, E. Isaksson, J.E. Penner, 2012. Variability of Deposition of Black Carbon to the East Antarctic Plateau. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics v. 12, p. 3799-3807.
- Scambos, T.A., M. Frezzotti, T. Haran, J. Bohlander, J. Lenaerts, M. vanden Broeke, K. Jezek, D. Long, S. Urbini. K. Farness, T. Neumann, M. Albert, J.G. Winther, 2012. Extent of low-accumulation ‘wind glaze’ areas on the East Antarctic plateau: implications for continental ice mass balance. J. Glaciol., v. 58(210), p. 633-647.
- Anschetz, H., K. Muller, E. Isaksson, J. McConnell, H. Fischer, M. Albert, J.G. Winther, 2011. Variation of Accumulation Rates Over the Last Eight Centuries on the East Antarctic Plateau. Journal of Geophysical Research – Atmospheres, v. 116, 10.1029/2011JD01575.
- Langley, K., J. Kohler, K. Matsuoka, A. Sinisalo, T. Scambos, T. Neumann, A. Muto, M. Albert, J.G. Winther, 2011. Recovery Lakes, East Antarctica: Radar Assessment of Sub-Glacial Water Extent. Geophysical Research Letters v. 38.
- Lomonaco, R., M.R. Albert, I. Baker, 2011. Microstructural Evolution of Fine-Grained Layers Through the Firn Column at Summit, Greenland. Journal of Glaciology, v.57(204), p. 755-762.
- Severinghaus, J., M. Albert, Z. Courville, M. Fahnestock, K. Kawamura, S. Montzka, J. Muhle, T. Scambos, E. Shields, C. Shuman, M. Suwa, P. Tans, R. Weiss, 2010. Deep air convection in the firn at a zero-accumulation site, central Antarctica. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 293, p. 359-367.
- Fain, X., C. Ferrari, A. Dommergue, M. Albert, M. Battle, J. Severinghaus, L. Arnaud, J-M Barnola, W. Calms, C. Barbante, C. Boutron, 2010. Polar firn air reveals large-scale impact of anthropogenic mercury emissions during the 1970s. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106(38), p. 16114-16119.
- Horhold, M.W., M.R. Albert, J. Freitag, 2009. Impact of Accumulation Rate on Anisotropy and Air Permeability of Polar Firn at a High Accumulation Site. Journal of Glaciology 55(192), p. 625-630.
- Neumann, T.A., M.R. Albert, C. Engel, Z. Courville, F. Perron, 2009. Sublimation Rate and the Mass Transfer Coefficient for Snow Sublimation. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, v. 52(1-2), p. 309-315.
- Fain, X., C, Ferrari., A. Dommergue, M. Albert, M. Battle, L. Arnaud, J-M Barnola, W. Cairns, C. Barbante, C. Boutron, 2008. Mercury in the snow and firn at Summit Station, Central Greenland, and implications for the study of past atmospheric mercury levels. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, v.8,p. 3441-3457.
- Li, Li, P. Gaiser, M.R. Albert, D.L. Long, E. Twarog, 2008. WindSat Polarimetric Signatures of Snow over Greenland. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 46(9), 2622-2631.
- Courville, Z.R., M.R. Albert, M. Fahnestock, C. Shuman, L.M Cathles IV, 2007. Impact of Accumulation Hiatus on the Physical Properties of Firn. Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 112, F02030, doi:10.1029/2005JF000429.
- Jordan, R.E., M.R. Albert, E. Brun, 2008. Physical Processes within Snow and Their Parameterization, Chapter II in Snow and Climate, Armstrong and Brun, eds, Cambridge University Press, p. 12-69.
- Albert, M.R, 2004. The International Polar Year. Science, (303) 1437.
- Albert, M.R., A.M. Grannas, J. Bottenheim, P. Shepson, 2002. Processes and Properties of Snow-Air Transfer in the High Arctic With Application to Interstitial Ozone at Alert, Canada. Atmospheric Environment (36) 2779-2787.
- Albert, M.R., E. Shultz, 2002. Snow and Firn Properties and Air-Snow Transport Processes at Summit, Greenland. Atmospheric Environment (35) 2789-2797.
Awards
- Lifetime National Associate of the National Research Council of the National Academies, 2011
- Department of the Army, Meritorious Civilian Service Award, 2009
- IEEE Best Journal Paper of the Year 2009 Award: Li, Gaiser, Albert, Long, Twarog, “Windsat passive microwave polarimetric signatures of the Greenland Ice sheet” IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing , v.46(9), p. 2622-2631, 2008
- U.S. Chief Scientist, Norwegian-US Scientific Traverse of East Antarctica, 2007-2010
- Congressional Antarctic Service Medal, 2000
- U.S. Army Commanders Award for Civilian Service/Partners in Education, 1999
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Women in Science Achievement Award, 1996
- Department of the Army Research and Development Award, 1989
Professional Activities
- Executive Committee, American Geophysical Union Cryosphere Focus Group
- Associate Editor (Invited), Water Resources Research
- Review Coordinator (Invited), National Research Council of the National Academies:
- Monitoring Climate Change Impacts: Metrics at the Intersection of the Human and Earth Systems, NRC 2010
- Scientific Value of Arctic Sea Ice Imagery Derived Products, NRC 2009
- Design of the Martha Muse Award, NRC 2008
- Exploration of Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments: Environmental and Scientific Stewardship, NRC 2007
- Faculty Advisor, Dartmouth Graduate Women in Science and Engineering
- Member, American Association for Advancement of Science, American Geophysical Union, International Glaciological Society
- Chair, U.S. National Committee for the International Polar Year, 2003-2005 (Committee of the NAS Polar Research Board) (Invited)
- Member (Invited), Polar Research Board, National Academy of Sciences, 2003-2006
- Member (Invited) National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs Advisory Committee (1998-2001); Committee Chair (Invited) 2000
News
Can the Ice Wall in Game of Thrones Survive Science?
Wired
March 27, 2013Ice
BBC World Service - The Forum
February 16, 2013Antarctic Ice Core Contains Unrivaled Detail of Past Climate
National Science Foundation
February 5, 2013Mary Albert: Ice and Snow and Many Hats
Dartmouth Now
February 4, 2013Innovations in Ice Drilling Enable Abrupt Climate Change Discoveries
IDPO
December 17, 2012“Ancient Air” & “Core Science”
International Innovation
August 22, 2012An inside look at Greenland’s melting surface ice
The Washington Post
August 3, 2012Greenland ice sheet had biggest thaw since 1973 this month, scientists say
The Washington Post
July 24, 2012IGERT Graduate Student Adds to Critical NASA Discovery
Dickey Center
July 24, 2012College sells 28 acres used for army research
The Dartmouth
April 19, 2012Cold Regions Researchers And Engineers Gather In Fairlee
Vermont Public Radio
April 6, 2012Cold Truths: new issue of Dartmouth Engineer
Dartmouth Now
March 9, 2012Dartmouth Teams Exhibit at USA Science and Engineering Festival
Dartmouth Now
March 11, 2010International Greenland Ice Coring Effort Sets New Drilling Record in 2009
redOrbit.com
August 26, 2009Dartmouth to Lead Ice-Core Drilling Oversight Office
Dartmouth News
December 22, 2008New Hampshire Scientists Study Global Warming
NHPR
August 28, 2008Ice researchers chip away
NH Union Leader
August 4, 2008Dartmouth awarded NSF grant for new polar sciences, engineering grad program
Dartmouth News
June 8, 2008GEOS - Reading Ice Cores
POLAR-PALOOZA PodCasts
June 1, 2007
In Dartmouth Engineer Magazine
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Kudos
Winter 2013 -
Cold Truths: From the microstructure of snow to the massiveness of ice sheets, from fundamental science to practical applications, from Thayer’s ice lab to the earth’s polar regions, Thayer researchers are uncovering what snow and ice reveal about the world.
Winter 2012 -
Kudos
Summer 2011 -
Kudos
Winter 2009 -
Lab Reports: Antarctica's Cold Data on Climate Change
Winter 2008 -
Kudos
Fall 2005
Video
Seminar: Polar Science in a Time of Rapid Change










