My research at UiT The Arctic University of Norway involves reconstructing the ice sheets that once covered Eurasia, as well as exploring their influence and interaction with the landscape, environment and subsurface.
My publication record (Google Scholar)
Contact me at henry.patton [at] uit.no or via Twitter
Visit these two Open Access articles published in Quaternary Science Reviews for the science behind this reconstruction, or visit Icemap.no for an interactive learning experience.
Build-up (37-19 ka BP) | Deglaciation (21-8 ka BP) | Full interactive simulation | The Icemap Story
In 1492 Columbus re-discovered the Americas, completely changing everyone’s world-view. European trading powerhouses reacted immediately, dispatching ships to uncover potential shortcuts towards Asia around this ‘New World’. However, the Arctic was a vast unknown. Finding navigable routes through this frozen North was a treacherous undertaking, and would foil many explorers over the following centuries. This history of exploration, including tales of mutiny, cannibalism, and survival against the odds is recreated on this interactive map, showing how successive expeditions contributed to finally unlocking the Northwest and Northeast passages.
In 1595 the Arctic was a vast unknown, full of mystery and ripe for exploration, with the Northeast and Northwest passages still several hundred years away from their discovery. Explore this interactive map prepared by the famous cartographer, Mercator – the first dedicated view of the Arctic from the golden age of cartography.