Glaciers under surveillance!

Since he was very young, Ugo Nanni, a PhD student at the Institute of Environmental Geosciences (IGE), has been searching, digging and poking around, looking for small fossils and big adventures. He turned to glaciers because their world is inextricably linked with snow-covered peaks, our need for adventure and the failings of our society.

"..Close your eyes and imagine a high-altitude glacier on a beautiful spring day. The sun melts the snow and ice. Water thus formed on the surface flows through the crevasses into the icy depths. Once the base of the glacier is reached, the water flows under several hundred meters of ice, which, in turn, facilitates the slow movement of the glacier...

Can you picture that? Perfect! My name is Ugo, and I am a PhD student at the Institute of Geosciences of the Environment. The aim of my thesis is to understand how subglacial water behaves and influences the movement of glaciers. But how can these processes that occur in inaccessible places be studied? Well, I listen to them from the surface, capturing the tiny vibrations generated by the deep water! This innovative method allows me to better understand the dynamics of glaciers and polar ice caps.

After presenting my work to you, I will tell you about an original project that I was lucky enough to take part in as part of the 2019 Science Festival with 11 other PhD students from all over France: in order to share our research and our daily life with the general public, we produced a comic strip in which we are the characters! This meeting will give me the opportunity to show you to the finalized comic book and share my experiences with you!"

Meet Ugo Nanni in Grenoble during his presentations:

• Tuesday October 8th, from 1:00 pm to 1:45 pm: “Science infuse” workshop at Joseph Fourier University Library "Les glaciers sous écoute !"
• Wednesday October 9th, from 6:30 pm to 8 pm: Les Modernes bookshop, "Sciences & livres: rencontre avec des auteurs grenoblois!"