Professor Naish says much of his research has focused on the international ANDRILL drilling programme in the sedimentary layers of the West Antarctic ice sheet.

“Evidence shows that this sheet is expected to melt first, along with Greenland. West Antarctica sits below sea level, so as the ocean warms, the ice sheet also warms. One way to understand this is to use the paeloclimate record to go back to a time when the earth was warmer and to see how West Antarctica behaved. We know that greenhouse gases in the atmosphere were slightly above what they are now, and the earth was two to three degrees warmer. When the West Antarctica ice sheet collapsed numerous times, it raised sea levels by up to 10 metres.”

Professor Naish says his lecture will focus on this major finding, and its relevance to future climate change.

“In the past, these climate changes were happening naturally but now we’ve accelerated this process, the greenhouse gases are rising and temperatures are rising faster than they ever have in the past. It’s one of the big issues of our time and it will have a profound effect on our future society.”

The findings are an opportunity to take a major step forward in our understanding of the Antarctic ice sheet’s response to global climate change.

Victoria University Vice-Chancellor Professor Pat Walsh says Professor Naish is an outstanding researcher, teacher and leader in the field of Antarctic research.

“Professor Naish’s Antarctic research has raised international awareness about the role of Antarctic ice sheets in climate and sea-level change. Through the ANDRILL project in particular, he has provided leadership on an issue that is of global significance.”