Expert Profile
Eric Rignot

Distinguished Professor and Chair, Earth System Science
Dr. Rignot works to understand the interactions of glaciers and climate and what effects they will have on global sea levels.
Areas of Expertise
- Ice Sheet Dynamics and Mass Balance
- Climate Change
- Glaciology
- Radar
Biography
Dr. Rignot works to understand the interactions of ice and climate, in particular to determine how the ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland will respond to climate change in the coming century and how they will affect global sea level.
He uses satellite remote sensing techniques (imaging radar, laser altimetry, radio echo sounding), airborne geophysical surveys (icebridge), field surveys (radar, GPS, bathymetry, CTD), and numerical modeling (ice sheet motion, ocean circulation near glaciers, coupled ocean/ice sheet models).
In addition, he is an expert in how ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland will respond to climate change, interactions of ice and climate, global sea level, satellite remote sensing and ocean circulation.
Media






Media Appearances
Glaciers under close surveillance
The UNESCO Courier, 1/6/2025
Why Greenland? Remote but resource-rich island occupies a key position in a warming world
Associated Press, 1/7/2025
Doomsday Glacier may collapse sooner than we thought
Earth.com, 9/22/2024
Scientists looked deep beneath the Doomsday Glacier. What they found spells potential disaster for the planet
CNN, 9/20/2024
Swedish Icebreaker Is the First to Dig Into Greenland’s Remote Victoria Fjord
Eos, 9/13/2024
Thwaites Glacier gets a 'daily bath of warm water' melting inland ice miles past the grounding line.
Daily Kos, 7/14/2024
Faster ice sheet melting could bring more coastal flooding sooner
USA Today, 6/25/2024
Scientists identify new Antarctic ice sheet ‘tipping point,’ warning future sea level rise may be underestimated
CNN, 6/25/2024
The Doomsday Glacier in Antarctica is melting faster than scientists thought
USA Today, 5/20/2024
This ‘doomsday’ glacier is more vulnerable than scientists once thought
The Washington Post, 5/20/2024
Articles
Ice flow modelling to constrain the surface mass balance and ice discharge of San Rafael Glacier, Northern Patagonia Icefield
Journal of Glaciology
Mass balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet from 1992 to 2017
Nature
Intercomparison and Validation of SAR-Based Ice Velocity Measurement Techniques within the Greenland Ice Sheet CCI Project
Remote Sensing
Education
Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI)
Master's Degree, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1987
Ecole Centrale Paris
Engineer's Degree, Aerospace Engineering, 1985
University of Southern California
Ph.D., Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, 1988
University of Southern California
Master's Degree, Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering, 1988
University of Southern California
Ph.D. and E.E., Electrical Engineering and Aeronautical Engineering, 1991
Accomplishments
- 2017 Louis Agassiz Medal
- NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal
- Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher
- 2007 Nobel Peace Prize (Contributing Author)
Affiliations
- NASA
- JPL