Ice Rivers: A Story of Glaciers, Wilderness and Humanity
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- Create Date：2022-08-15 06:52:29
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jemma Wadham
- ISBN：0141994142
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Summary
Longlisted for the Wainwright Prize
Shortlisted for the Richard Jeffries Award
The story of one woman's passion for glaciers
As one of the world's leading glaciologists， Professor Jemma Wadham has devoted her career to the glaciers that cover one-tenth of the Earth's land surface。 Today， however， these 'ice rivers' are in peril。 High up in the Alps， Andes and Himalaya， once-indomitable glaciers are retreating; in Antarctica， meanwhile， thinning ice sheets are releasing meltwater to sensitive marine foodwebs， and may be unlocking vast quantities of methane stored deep beneath them。 The potential consequences for humanity are almost unfathomable。
Jemma's first encounter with a glacier， as a student， sparked her love of these icy landscapes。 There is nowhere on Earth she feels more alive。 Whether abseiling down crevasses， skidooing across frozen fjords， exploring ice caverns， or dodging polar bears - for a glaciologist， it's all in a day's work。
Prompted by an illness that took her to the brink of death and back， in Ice Rivers Jemma recalls twenty-five years of expeditions around the globe， revealing why the glaciers mean so much to her - and what they should mean to us。 As she guides us from the Alps to the Andes， the importance of the ice to crucial ecosystems and human livelihoods becomes clear - our lives are entwined with these coldest places on the planet。 This is a memoir like no other: an eye-witness account by a top scientist at the frontline of the climate crisis， and an impassioned love letter to the glaciers that are her obsession。
Shortlisted for the Richard Jeffries Award
The story of one woman's passion for glaciers
As one of the world's leading glaciologists， Professor Jemma Wadham has devoted her career to the glaciers that cover one-tenth of the Earth's land surface。 Today， however， these 'ice rivers' are in peril。 High up in the Alps， Andes and Himalaya， once-indomitable glaciers are retreating; in Antarctica， meanwhile， thinning ice sheets are releasing meltwater to sensitive marine foodwebs， and may be unlocking vast quantities of methane stored deep beneath them。 The potential consequences for humanity are almost unfathomable。
Jemma's first encounter with a glacier， as a student， sparked her love of these icy landscapes。 There is nowhere on Earth she feels more alive。 Whether abseiling down crevasses， skidooing across frozen fjords， exploring ice caverns， or dodging polar bears - for a glaciologist， it's all in a day's work。
Prompted by an illness that took her to the brink of death and back， in Ice Rivers Jemma recalls twenty-five years of expeditions around the globe， revealing why the glaciers mean so much to her - and what they should mean to us。 As she guides us from the Alps to the Andes， the importance of the ice to crucial ecosystems and human livelihoods becomes clear - our lives are entwined with these coldest places on the planet。 This is a memoir like no other: an eye-witness account by a top scientist at the frontline of the climate crisis， and an impassioned love letter to the glaciers that are her obsession。
Reviews
Jebadiah
，
I liked it a lot。 Although sometimes when it transitions from hard science about glaciers/climate change to a personal note it could’ve been smoother。
Rhianna
，
A fascinating account of some of the glaciers that Wadham has studied throughout her career as a glaciologist。 Glacier loss is probably one of the most visible signs of climate change， and Wadham clearly has an emotional connection with many of the ones she has studied， sometimes visiting them 20 years apart。 Her passion for her line of work shines through， particularly in the audiobook， which she narrates herself。 Recommended for anyone interested in nature/climate change。
Marco
，
You know what I felt like reading this book？ Like a person from the future reading someone's journal about the past on climate change， melting glaciers， and the race to not only figure it out， but to stop it。In "Ice Rivers" by professor and expedition scientist Jemma Wadham， there's a sense of calm about the rising sea levels and nature itself。 This is partly due to over 20 years of study and the other is her profound sense of the spirituality of nature and humans。 There's her staring into a pol You know what I felt like reading this book？ Like a person from the future reading someone's journal about the past on climate change， melting glaciers， and the race to not only figure it out， but to stop it。In "Ice Rivers" by professor and expedition scientist Jemma Wadham， there's a sense of calm about the rising sea levels and nature itself。 This is partly due to over 20 years of study and the other is her profound sense of the spirituality of nature and humans。 There's her staring into a polar bear's eyes， the grief over her mother passing， her own medical treatments， the idea of a ticking clock both in her life and nature。This reminded me of a few books: "Lab Girl"， "Good Morning， Midnight" and a bit of "When Breath Becomes Air"， two nonfiction， one fiction， all with a reflective look at something bigger than us that also blends in the personal that you feel almost intrusive reading it。 You can tell Wadham loves her work。 You can also tell that she loves deeply the world around her both human and nature and what it means to win and lose in both， to see what nature will do if it has its way and when we intervene。 。。。more
Leah
，
Reading most of this book while doing field work in Alaska felt fitting！ Highly recommend this book as an accessible exploration of glaciology and climate science that also incorporates personal anecdotes， beautiful imagery， and life as a woman in science。 I caught myself noticing so many parallels to my own research， classes I’ve taken and my experiences as a woman in the earth sciences。 5+ stars！
Diana
，
*groans*1。5 stars …what an awful， overly technical book。 What an utter waste of my time。 If you’re a chemist， geologist， or glaciologist， you’ll probably somewhat enjoy this。 Otherwise？ Get ready for a headache。 I don’t know how this book is highly rated because it’s wholly inaccessible to the average human。 I’ve read lots of complex science and nature books in my time but this one was a headache waiting to happen。 I literally had to take ibuprofen to get through this novel。 It keeps droning on *groans*1。5 stars …what an awful， overly technical book。 What an utter waste of my time。 If you’re a chemist， geologist， or glaciologist， you’ll probably somewhat enjoy this。 Otherwise？ Get ready for a headache。 I don’t know how this book is highly rated because it’s wholly inaccessible to the average human。 I’ve read lots of complex science and nature books in my time but this one was a headache waiting to happen。 I literally had to take ibuprofen to get through this novel。 It keeps droning on & on， about unimportant details， with no plot whatsoever。 I didn’t leave appreciating nature， I left thinking: thank god I don’t have to study something boring like glaciers。 And wasn’t that the opposite of the author’s goal？ Eck。 Don’t read this。 Ever。 。。。more
Heather Worth
，
What if I gave up my career to become a glaciologist？
Andy Weston
，
You might expect that such a book would be enlightening， and it certainly is， but it works so well because of Wadham's own story which emerges gradually throughout。 The glaciologist attempts to explain how ice has played such a role in her life， though I suspect to many it will remain a mystery。 Such a book crammed with facts needs to more than that to really appeal and earn the reader's complete attention， and this is such a piece of work。 There are insights into the challenges of being an expe You might expect that such a book would be enlightening， and it certainly is， but it works so well because of Wadham's own story which emerges gradually throughout。 The glaciologist attempts to explain how ice has played such a role in her life， though I suspect to many it will remain a mystery。 Such a book crammed with facts needs to more than that to really appeal and earn the reader's complete attention， and this is such a piece of work。 There are insights into the challenges of being an expedition leader and a rare women in a traditionally male field， and a very understated and modest account of weeks spent on the ice， rappelling， chain-sawing， and most significantly， dealing with injury and illness。 Similar to Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl， the fascination here centres on the process， not so much why she does it， but how。 。。。more
James Easterson
，
A very effective book by a dedicated glaciologist on how glaciers work， how they differ， the effects of climate change and how almost all of them are dying back， the effects of this change on the glaciers， the local communities， the oceans and globe in general。 It describes her new findings of microbes and chemical changes in the outflow， and what the future may hold。 This is also a description of her treks across the globe to the ice fields and glaciers and the challenges involved。 This is a no A very effective book by a dedicated glaciologist on how glaciers work， how they differ， the effects of climate change and how almost all of them are dying back， the effects of this change on the glaciers， the local communities， the oceans and globe in general。 It describes her new findings of microbes and chemical changes in the outflow， and what the future may hold。 This is also a description of her treks across the globe to the ice fields and glaciers and the challenges involved。 This is a no BS book about the science but one of the most understandable science related books I have ever read。 。。。more
Cath Higgins
，
So much more than a book about glaciers and ice sheets， fascinating though they are， this is also a deeply personal story of a scientists love affair with these enigmatic features of our planet。 Travelling from continent to continent the secrets of these ice rivers are revealed to us with passion and joy， along with hints of the author’s own story of loss and courage: yet as each glacier is introduced and it’s quirks explained， it feels like their mystique grows， as if we will never fully unders So much more than a book about glaciers and ice sheets， fascinating though they are， this is also a deeply personal story of a scientists love affair with these enigmatic features of our planet。 Travelling from continent to continent the secrets of these ice rivers are revealed to us with passion and joy， along with hints of the author’s own story of loss and courage: yet as each glacier is introduced and it’s quirks explained， it feels like their mystique grows， as if we will never fully understand them no matter how much of their science is uncovered。 To me that is perhaps the most beautiful， yet saddest part of the book， as no matter how fast glaciologists work to capture the truth of these natural wonders， they’ll never be able to match the pace of their destruction by climate change。 But， what a beautiful elegy Jemma Wadham has written， both in this book and her research over the years。 。。。more
Rachel Welton
，
Interesting and informative tale of the author's field trips to several of the worlds glaciers， told with wonder and enthusiasm。 The stories are wrapped in an entertaining narrative， and I have learnt all sorts of things about glacial flow that I did not previously know。 Interesting and informative tale of the author's field trips to several of the worlds glaciers， told with wonder and enthusiasm。 The stories are wrapped in an entertaining narrative， and I have learnt all sorts of things about glacial flow that I did not previously know。 。。。more
Tamara
，
Fascinating and accessible memoir with insights into the science of glaciers and climate change。 Prompted by a near death experience， leading glaciologist Professor Jenna Wadham writes about her experience from 25 years of studying glaciers， or ice rivers， around the world。 Each chapter focuses on a different region， explaining the unique characteristics and challenges， the effects of the damage already done and the consequences of any further warming， both for local communities and across the g Fascinating and accessible memoir with insights into the science of glaciers and climate change。 Prompted by a near death experience， leading glaciologist Professor Jenna Wadham writes about her experience from 25 years of studying glaciers， or ice rivers， around the world。 Each chapter focuses on a different region， explaining the unique characteristics and challenges， the effects of the damage already done and the consequences of any further warming， both for local communities and across the globe。 #IceRivers #NetGalley 。。。more
Rebecca
，
（3。5） Wadham， a leading glaciologist and one of the few female scientists in the field， introduces readers to the science of glaciers: where they are， what lives on and under them， how they move and change， and the grave threats they face （and， therefore， so do we）。 The science， even dumbed down， was a little hard for me to follow， but I loved experiencing extreme landscapes like Greenland and Antarctica with her。 She neatly inserts tiny mentions of her personal life， such as her mother’s death， （3。5） Wadham， a leading glaciologist and one of the few female scientists in the field， introduces readers to the science of glaciers: where they are， what lives on and under them， how they move and change， and the grave threats they face （and， therefore， so do we）。 The science， even dumbed down， was a little hard for me to follow， but I loved experiencing extreme landscapes like Greenland and Antarctica with her。 She neatly inserts tiny mentions of her personal life， such as her mother’s death， a miscarriage， and emergency brain surgery to remove a benign cyst。 While she doesn’t dwell on the particular challenges of being a woman in science， she does mention that she feels she has to be extra tough to compete （and for peeing at remote campsites， she can’t recommend a Shewee highly enough）。 There’s a lovely moment right at the end of the book where she confronts an ailing glacier in Peru and ponders its mortality along with her own: “this glacier was so beautiful， so solid， so pure and yet inexorably melting away。 … Maybe it would be here in twenty years， maybe it wouldn’t。 Maybe I would， maybe I wouldn’t。” She found a way to release her emotions through art， collaborating with an actress on a play at the Hay Festival in Lima in which she portrayed a glacier。 The afterword then mentions a funeral held for a glacier in Iceland in 2019。 A plaque read: “In the next 200 years all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path。 This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done。 Only you know if we did it。”Readalikes: This Cold Heaven by Gretel Ehrlich and Lab Girl by Hope Jahren 。。。more
Sarah Lee
，
Ice Rivers by Jemma Wadham is a beautifully written book。 A world renowned Glaciologist， Wadham has spent her life and career studying glaciers across the world。 This book spans her life and her career travelling from the Alps， Antarctica， the Andes and the Himalayas， investigating what is happening to the world's glaciers。I found this book so interesting， with an insight on how global warming is affecting the glaciers of the world。 Wadham writes in a very accessible way， so although there is so Ice Rivers by Jemma Wadham is a beautifully written book。 A world renowned Glaciologist， Wadham has spent her life and career studying glaciers across the world。 This book spans her life and her career travelling from the Alps， Antarctica， the Andes and the Himalayas， investigating what is happening to the world's glaciers。I found this book so interesting， with an insight on how global warming is affecting the glaciers of the world。 Wadham writes in a very accessible way， so although there is some science in this book， it is written in such a way that is understandable to a lay person。 She writes of the glaciers with such passion， beautifully describing the environments， the challenges ahead and her research。 She has led such an interesting life， and writes about the good and bad events she has had to face in her life。 She writes with warmth， compassion and from early pages I felt drawn in and wanted to read more and more。 Such an interesting read， and one from which I feel I have learned a lot。 。。。more
Jill
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‘Ice Rivers’ is written by Professor Jemma Wadham， one of the world’s leading glaciologists and describes chapter by chapter many of the glaciers she has visited and studied over her illustrious twenty-five year career。 She also describes the all too evident effect of climate change on the glaciers of the world and successfully argues why this should be of grave concern to us all。There is plenty of science in this book， but the author’s accessible prose neither patronises nor alienates。At a time ‘Ice Rivers’ is written by Professor Jemma Wadham， one of the world’s leading glaciologists and describes chapter by chapter many of the glaciers she has visited and studied over her illustrious twenty-five year career。 She also describes the all too evident effect of climate change on the glaciers of the world and successfully argues why this should be of grave concern to us all。There is plenty of science in this book， but the author’s accessible prose neither patronises nor alienates。At a time when so many in the UK are restricted to spending much of their time either at or near to home， the descriptions of each country seem particularly evocative， placing the reader right next to the author on the icy glacier。 Wadham also weaves into her narrative a number of frank events and experiences from her personal life， revealing her to be a remarkable woman。An inspirational and highly informative read。Thank you to NetGalley and X Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Chantal Lyons
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