Home / Science / Global Warming's First Witness, Lonnie Thompson, Dies at 78
Global Warming's First Witness, Lonnie Thompson, Dies at 78
7 Nov
Summary
- Climate scientist Lonnie Thompson died at 78 in Columbus, Ohio.
- He was a pioneer in studying tropical glaciers and their melting.
- Thompson documented global warming's effects over five decades.
Lonnie Thompson, a distinguished climate scientist, passed away on Monday at his home in Columbus, Ohio. He was 78 years old. Dr. Thompson, a professor at Ohio State University, dedicated over fifty years to studying Earth's melting mountain ice.
He led numerous expeditions, more than 60 in total, to remote and challenging high-altitude regions across the globe. His primary focus was on tropical glaciers, which he and his wife, Ellen Mosley-Thompson, were among the first to research scientifically.
Thompson's groundbreaking work involved drilling deep into glaciers to retrieve ice cores, some hundreds of feet long. These cores provided invaluable data, allowing scientists to analyze ancient climate patterns, temperature shifts, and atmospheric composition, thereby documenting global warming's impact in real-time.
