Student studies climate change by examining Patagonia glacier
When it comes to adventure travel, senior environmental studies major Christine Wrublesky is a veteran. Whether it’s tree jumping and waterfall repelling in Costa Rica, rock climbing in Yosemite, backpacking in Europe, trekking in Alaska or exploring glaciers and geographic history in Chile, Wrublesky has seen her share of the world.
“My dad travels a lot with his job and with his frequent flyer miles, my family’s been able to go on a lot of trips,” said Wrublesky, who played varsity soccer at Richmond all four year years. “Growing up, our trips always involved outdoor sports and adventure, so I’ve had an interest in the environment from a pretty young age.”
It’s no surprise, then, that Wrublesky declared an environmental studies major, with concentrations in science and in society, at the end of her sophomore year. She found her minor through the department’s cross-listed courses: As she took more and more environmental studies coursework, she realized many of the classes she enjoyed overlapped with geography. In the summer after her junior year, Wrublesky had the opportunity to go on a trip with Richmond’s geography department to Chile’s Easter Island and Patagonia region.
Back from Chile, Wrublesky and trip organizer, Dr. Mike Harrison, were energized to kick-start a research project based on the Moreno glacier she’d seen up close in Patagonia. Harrison was curious why the Moreno glacier wasn’t retreating when so many glaciers across the region were. He challenged Wrublesky to find out more.
As she immersed herself in the research process, Wrublesky had to familiarize herself with an entirely new vocabulary of terms, read up on previous studies and glean information through satellite imagery as well as scholarly articles. She studied satellite images of the glacier over several decades and compared them to photographic images from as early as 1917.
“The glacier that we’re studying is one of the few that is not retreating,” Wrublesky said. “This particular research is really interesting in light of global warming. Glaciers are supposed to be an indicator of climate change. If this one isn’t retreating, with the trend in temperature going down on a grand global scale, further research is required to find out why.”
Wrublesky will present a poster and five-minute presentation on her research at the Association of American Geographers Conference in Boston this April. The conference will also afford Wrublesky the opportunity to talk to professionals in the field, which she hopes will help her figure out what the future holds.
“Twenty years ago, the idea of a career in environmental studies was really out there. There’s a lot of diversity within environmental studies careers today.”
Whether she travels or goes straight to work, Wrublesky’s outlook is positive. “I’d really like to get into adventure ecotourism, maybe start as a guide and eventually have my own company,” she said of her post-graduate plans. “Or work for Patagonia Inc., a company which dedicates a lot of time and resources to environmental projects through their earth-friendly clothing line.”
As for the immediate future, Wrublesky will get to see her beloved glacier at least once more. This summer, she’ll return to Chile as an assistant for the Easter Island trip.