Mauri Pelto
User Profile
Dr. Mauri Pelto, a geologist and glaciology professor in the Environmental Sciences Department at Nichols College in Dudley, Mass., has studied alpine glaciers throughout the world for 26 years. After watching the slow retreat and eventual disappearance of several glaciers, Pelto recognized that significant societal value could be gained by devising a method to forecast which glaciers are holding their own and which are heading toward extinction. Pelto believes that satellite imagery holds the key to accurately predicting the futures of alpine glaciers and could ultimately serve as the centerpiece of automated forecasting techniques. In 2008, Pelto applied for and received assistance in the form of satellite imagery from Planet Action, a climate research initiative of Spot Image in partnership with ESRI. Early results of his project indicate the glaciologist has developed an entirely new means of monitoring glaciers and interpreting their reaction to climate change.
