GIVING THE ICE
PROTECTING THE PLANET
A VOICE
Scripps collaborator Glenn McClure may look the part of an
Antarctic explorer , but this musical composer strikes a new chord for a changing planet .
Lending an ear to the sound of science .
BY BRITTANY HOOK
WHEN IT COMES TO CLIMATE CHANGE , a major struggle is merely getting people to listen . So UC San Diego researchers have gotten creative — collaborating with a musical composer to lend a voice to the ice of Antarctica .
It started scientifically enough in 2014 , when a team led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography researcher Peter Bromirski deployed an array of seismometers on the Ross Ice Shelf , a 500-mile-wide region at the front lines of climate change . “ Ice shelves protect land ice from reaching the sea , restraining the magnitude and rate of sea-level rise ,” explains Bromirski .
The equipment captured the amplitude and speed of vibrations through the ice caused by crashing sea waves . Much like a pulse , measuring these vibrations can help assess the health — or structural integrity — of the shelf . The instruments even recorded the effects of a 2015 earthquake in Chile and resulting tsunami , which produced large land motions in excess of 20 centimeters .
“ Continuous shaking of the ice shelf can affect ice shelf integrity and ice shelf evolution ,” says Bromirski , “ ultimately leading to accelerated sea-level rise .”
This is where the story takes a musical turn . News of Bromirski ’ s research caught the attention of composer Glenn McClure , a faculty member at SUNY Geneseo and Eastman School of Music . McClure approached the National Science Foundation and Scripps with the idea to turn the collected vibrational data into unique musical compositions — catching the ear of those who may not be so tuned to the effects of climate change .
“ I ’ m very confident that Glenn ’ s transformation of the Ross Ice Shelf seismic data to a musical composition will produce an excellent symphonic work ,” said Bromirski . “ His plan to present his composition as orchestral and choral work will further awareness and draw attention to the importance of Antarctica ’ s ice shelves and the sea-level rise resulting from global warming .”
As part of the project , McClure recently joined the Scripps-led research team on a 40-day expedition to retrieve the instruments — hard work that involved long days of shoveling in whiteout conditions . McClure will then use modular mathematics to translate the data into compositions that will be performed live throughout the country , as well as be incorporated into a forthcoming immersive exhibit at Birch Aquarium at Scripps .
“ When you ’ re trying to translate complex science to general audiences , you don ’ t want to start with a lot of text ,” says Harry Helling ’ 80 , executive director of Birch Aquarium . “ So we connect our science to visitors by creating immersive experiences that are compelling and strike all senses . This leads to a learning cycle for people to understand both our science and their place on the planet .”
“ I hope these musical compositions will allow a very broad audience to get excited about the material ,” says McClure . “ The more that we can help Antarctica tell its story , the better we all will be .”
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