UC Irvine
Isabella Velicogna
Velicogna Laboratory
The focus of our research group is to study the cryospheric components of the water cycle and their response to climate forcing. In particular, we study the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, their contribution to sea level rise and the evolution of the Arctic water cycle in response to climate change.

We use multi-sensor geophysical techniques, especially satellite time-variable gravity (GRACE) and altimetry (ICESAT, ERS, Envisat), as well as passive microwave and GPS, in combination with in-situ data, global climate model outputs and re-analysis data.

Our work has implications for future sea level rise, Earth system modeling and global land water cycle. The impacts are not only scientific but also societal as we are working on developing tools to better predict the regional patterns of sea level rise and we are looking at changes in land ecosystems associated with changes in land hydrology.

We collaborate with other researchers in our department (ice sheet research and hydrology), and at other universities in the US and abroad. Our projects range in scale and complexity from regional-scale studies to continental-scale studies with integrated complex modeling and satellite data sets.

Follow the links above to learn more about our current personnel, our research and active projects, opportunities for graduate student and postdoctoral research, teaching, available data, or to contact us.

Recent News ....
We Know West Antarctica Is Melting. Is the East In Danger, Too?
National Geographic Aug 9, 2018

UCI research indicates Totten and Moscow University glaciers of East Antarctica lost about 18 billion tons of ice each year between 2002 and 2016.

Glaciers in East Antarctica also Imperiled by Climate Change, Researchers Find
AGU Press Release July 26, 2018

Press release on UCI GRL paper on the mass loss of Totten and Moscow University glaciers, which lost about 18.5 billion tons of ice per year – equivalent to 0.7 millimeters (0.03 inches) of global sea level rise between April 2002 and September 2016.

Global fingerprints of sea-level rise revealed by satellites
Nature Sep 11, 2017

Geological processes send more meltwater from glaciers and ice sheets to Earth's mid-latitudes.

The New York Times Magazine
Sep 12, 2017

What Could We Lose if a NASA Mission Goes Dark?

NASA/UCI Find Evidence of Sea Level 'Fingerprints'
Sep 7, 2017

NASA/UCI Find Evidence of Sea Level 'Fingerprints'

Scientific American
Sep 8, 2017

3 Things We Know about Hurricane Irma

Charting Ice Sheet Contributions to Global Sea Level Rise
Eos - July 18, 2016

An international team produced an integrated assessment of polar ice mass losses in 2012. Now efforts to provide an up-to-date assessment are under way, with an open invitation for participation

UCI and NASA document accelerated glacier melting in West Antarctica
UCI News - Oct 2016

UCI and NASA document accelerated glacier melting in West Antarctica

The Washington Post
August 17, 2015

What live peer review looks like when the fate of the planet is at stake

Conde Nast Traveler
May 20, 2015

Glacier Hunting Off Greenland’s Frozen Coast

!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+"://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");