Jemma Wadham

Jemma L. Wadham is a British glacier biogeochemist.

Early life and education Wadham completed her BA and MA in physical geography at Cambridge University, and then completed her PhD in glaciology at the University of Bristol in 1998.

Career Wadham undertook a short post-doctoral research post at the University of Leeds before returning to the University of Bristol to take up a post at the Bristol Glaciology Centre.

Wadham researches glacial ecosystems and investigates their impact on biogeochemical processes. She has worked in the polar regions, including the Antarctic This has led to more than 90 articles and a textbook on Antarctic lakes.

Wadham has been involved with the International Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and subglacial science in Antarctica. She has served on the Lake Ellsworth Exploration Steering Committee and is a contributor to this subglacial lake exploration programme.

In 2012, Wadham's team at the University of Bristol used computer models to predict the amount of trapped methane under ice sheets and discovered 400 billion metric tons of carbon beneath. iC3 is located at the University of Tromsø.

Ice Rivers In 2021, Wadham published a trade book, Ice Rivers, which tells the story of glaciers and their place on a changing planet, alongside the authors' own story of travel and discovery. Reviewers commended the book for its 'outstanding introduction to glaciers', and for its insights into the life of a glaciologist.

Awards and honours She was awarded a Philip Leverhulme Prize in October 2007 for her international contribution to polar science.