29. Dr Jacob Anderson: melting ice sheets, permafrost and DNA

In this episode, I chat with Dr Jacob Anderson who is a postdoctoral researcher at the Lamont Doherty Observatory, Columbia University. Jacob's research focuses on the ice of Antarctica and Greenland. We discuss how permafrost, permanently frozen ground, can be used to inform us about past climates, including ice sheet retreat and the harmful release of frozen carbon back into the atmosphere. We also cover the preservation of DNA in these environments, which may be up to two million years old. We also discuss the possibility of harmful bacteria being re-released into the atmosphere as the ice melts, possibly leading to an apocalyptic global virus. #ice #icesheets #antarctica #greenland #earth #earthscience #globalwarming #climatechange #podcast #geology #newzealand #columbiauniversity #rocks #permafrost #DNA #microbes #bacteria #glaciers #carbon #carboncycle Jacob's Instagram is @jthanderson Our Instagram is @coepod TikTok is @coepod X is @thecoepod