Portrait of Howard Conway

Earth and Space Sciences

Howard Conway

Research Professor Emeritus

Howard Conway is a glaciologist who uses geophysical methods and models to study how the Antarctic Ice Sheet responds to changes in climate, ocean temperature and sea level. In particular, sectors of the West Antarctic ice sheet are undergoing rapid and dramatic change, but remaining questions are how much and how fast will the ice sheet disintegrate? Complete collapse would raise global sea level by about 3 m, which would have huge societal impact. In addition, he studies glacier-climate interactions with the goal of using the glacial record to interpret past climate. He has studied glaciers in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Patagonia, Scandinavia and the Himalaya. He also studies the timing, size, and hazard of snow avalanches in the Pacific Northwest and in New Zealand.