University of Lethbridge

About Me

I am the Glaciologist in the Department of Geography , but also teach courses with broader physical geography and geology content.

I serve my scientific community in the following roles:

Chief Editor - IGS: Journal of Glaciology and Annals of Glaciology
Associate Chief Editor - IGS: Journal of Glaciology (2016-19)
Scientific Editor - Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface (2014-16)
Scientific Editor - Arctic Antarctic and Alpine Research (2010-16)
Past-President - Western Division of the Canadian Association of Geographers (WDCAG)
Council Member - Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS)
Fellow - Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS)

RECENT GRADUATE STUDENTS and POSTDOCS:
Gaelle Gilson PhD: Macrophysical Properties and a Climatology of Arctic coastal fog in East Greenland (2014-18) (Postdoc 2022-23)
Jade Cooley MSc: Jan Mayen glacier changes between 2000-2020 in historic, climatic, oceanic, and geographic context (17-21)
Agnieszka Lisonek MSc: East Greenland tidewater glacier retreat 2000-2020, considering surging and velocity response. (co-supervisor E Cammeraat, U of Amsterdam) (20-22)
Oliver Kienzle MSc: Modelling the spatial variability of thermokarst susceptibility, Yukon (22- present)

Biography

2021-present Full Professor of Physical Geography - U of Lethbridge
2009-2021 Associate Professor of Physical Geography - U of Lethbridge
2002-2009 Assistant Professor of Physical Geography - U of Lethbridge
1999-2002 Lecturer and Postdoc Researcher - U of Leeds, Swansea and Calgary
1996-2000 PhD in Glaciology - U of Leeds (UK)
1988-1995 BSc & MSc in Physical Geography - U of Amsterdam (NL)

Courses taught at UofL:
GEOG1000/1010 - Introduction to Physical Geography and Introduction to Geography
GEOL2060 - Physical Geology
GEOG3080 - Soils
GEOG3710 - Field Techniques in the Earth Sciences
GEOG3060 - Glaciology & Glacial Geomorphology
GEOL4010 - Quaternary Geology
GEOG4030- The Future of Snow and Ice
GEOG4850 - Glacial Processes, Measurements & Models
ENVS4000 - Cold Regions and Environmental Change
GEOG5000- Graduate Research methods
GEOG & GEOL & ENVS Independent & Applied Studies.
Topics include: Glaciers, Geomorphology, Geology, Climate, Rockslides, Snow, Remote Sensing, GIS

Selected Publications

Kochtitzky W and 17 others (2022) The unquantified mass loss of Northern Hemisphere marine-terminating glaciers from 2000-2020. Nature Communications 13, 5835. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33231-x
Kochtitzky W and 6 others (2019). Terminus advance, kinematics and mass redistribution during eight surges of Donjek Glacier, St. Elias Range, Canada, 1935 to 2016. Journal of Glaciology 65 (252), 565-579. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.34
     Gilson, GF, H Jiskoot , JJ Cassano & TR Nielsen, 2018. Radiosonde-derived temperature inversions and their association with fog over 37 melt seasons in East Greenland. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 123. https://doi.org/
10.1029/2018JD028886
    Gilson, GF, H Jiskoot, JJ Cassano, I Gultepe, TD James, 2018. The Thermodynamic Structure of Arctic Coastal Fog Occurring during the Melt Season over East Greenland. Boundary-Layer Meteorology 168(3) https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-018-0357-3
    Van Wychen, W, L Copland, H Jiskoot, L Gray, M Sharp & DO Burgess, 2018. Surface Velocities of Glaciers in western Canada from speckle-tracking of ALOS PALSAR and RADARSAT-2 data. Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing 44 (1), 57-66.
   Jiskoot, H, TA Fox & W Van Wychen, 2017. Flow and structure in a dendritic glacier with bedrock steps. Journal of Glaciology 63 (241), 912-928.
      Pfeffer, WT, and the Randolph Consortium, 2014. The Randolph Glacier Inventory: a globally complete inventory of glaciers. Journal of Glaciology 60 (221), 537-552.
   Jiskoot, H & MS Mueller, 2012. Glacier fragmentation effects on surface energy balance and runoff: field measurements and distributed modelling. Hydrological Processes 26 (12), 1862-1876.
   Jiskoot, H, D Juhlin, M Citterio & H St.Pierre, 2012. Tidewater glacier fluctuations in central East Greenland coastal and fjord regions (1980s-2005). Annals of Glaciology 53 (60), 35-44.
   Jiskoot, H, 2011. "Dynamics of Glaciers.", "Glacier Surging." and "Tributary Glaciers." Encyclopedia of Snow, Ice and Glaciers (Eds: Singh, Singh & Haritashya), Springer, 245-256, 415-428, and 1209-1210.
   Jiskoot, H, 2011. Long-runout rockslide on glacier at Tsar Mountain, Canadian Rocky Mountains: potential triggers, seismic and glaciological implications. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 36 (2), 203-216.
   Jiskoot, H, CM Curran, DL Tessler & LR Shenton, 2009. Changes in Clemenceau Icefield and Chaba Group glaciers, Canada, related to hypsometry, tributary detachment, length-slope and area-aspect relations. Annals of Glaciology 50 (53), 133-143.
     Kargel, JS & 15 others, 2005. Multispectral imaging contributions to Global Land Ice Measurements from Space. Remote Sensing of Environment 99, 187-219.
   Murray, T, T Strozzi, A Luckman, H Jiskoot & P Christakos, 2003. Is there a single surge mechanism? Contrasts in dynamics between glacier surges in Svalbard and other regions. Journal of Geophysical Research 108 (B5), 2237.
   Jiskoot, H, T Murray & P Boyle, 2000. Controls on the distribution of surge-type glaciers in Svalbard. Journal of Glaciology 46 (154), 412-422.

In The Media

- Times Atlas is 'wrong on Greenland climate change': The Guardian, UK, 19 Sept 2011 (electronic): http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/sep/19/times-atlas-wrong-greenland-climate-change
- Meltdown: The Scoop on Glaciers. Broadcast of SACPA public talk by Shaw TV Lethbridge 10 Apr 2011.
- Slip-sliding away: TV interview. CTV Calgary's In Touch by Dory Rossiter, 8-14 Mar 2010.
- Dr. Hester Jiskoot: About a Glaciologist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdpJ4L5qMy8. YouTube 2009
- Glacier melts. Radio interview, CBC Radio 1 Wildrose Country 6 Jan 2009.
- Tapping into concerns about our water supply. Lethbridge Herald Progress Edition 10 Jun 2008.
- Slip Sliding Away - Glaciers and Climate Change Radio Interview with Boise State Radio 5 Nov 2007.
- Melting glaciers could have devastating effect; glaciologist; Lethbridge Herald; 18 Apr 2007.
- Climate change effect on the Rocky Mountains Park. Radio Interview, CBC The Current, 2 Oct 2006.

Research Interests

Glaciology
Glacier surging
Glacier-environment-climate interactions
Fog on Glaciers / Arctic fog
Rockslides on glaciers
Glacier inventory analysis of Arctic and Alpine glaciers
Glacier, snowpack and climate variability and trends
Quaternary Geology and Sedimentology
Remote sensing of glaciers and landforms
Greenland, Svalbard, Yukon Territory, Canadian Rocky Mountains

Current Research and Creative Activity

Title	Location	Grant Information	Principal Investigator	Co Researchers
Flowing to the future: Influence of climate change on hydrology and ecology of rivers from Alberta's Rocky Mountains	Canadian Rocky Mountains, AB	NSERC Strategic Projects.	S. Rood, University of Lethbridge
Tributary-trunk interaction and glacier response to climate change in western Canada	Canadian Rocky Mountains (BC), Yukon Territory, Greenland	NSERC Discovery Grant, $92,500, 2006-11.

Previous Research

Title	Grant Agency	Completion Date
Dynamic ice flow restrictions on glaciers in northwestern Canada	NSERC Discovery Grant	2005
Fundamental Hydrologic Landscape Units: A framework for water research in Alberta	NSERC Strategic Projects
History and dynamics of the Clemenceau Icefield Group, Rocky Mountains, by remote sensing	NSERC-USRA student scholarship	2006
Tributary-trunk glacier interaction classification in the Yukon Territory	NSERC-USRA student scholarship	2006
Glaciological expedition	Summer Temporary Employment Program (STEP: Alberta Government)	2006
Glaciological expedition	Summer Temporary Employment Program (STEP: Alberta Government)	2005
Fundamental Hydrologic Landscape Units: A framework for water research in Alberta	NSERC Strategic Projects	2004
Dynamic ice flow restrictions on glaciers in northwestern Canada	NSERC Discovery Grant	2003
Greenland ice sheet dynamics and response to climate change	University of Lethbridge Research Fund	2003
Greenland ice sheet dynamics and response to climate change	Alberta Ingenuity Fund Postdoctoral Fellowship	2002

Internet Links

Hester's homepage
The University of Lethbridge
Hester's publications on Google Scholar