Posse Scholars at the Department of Geography

The first Posse Scholar will join the Department in October 2022 as part of the new cohort for the MPhil in Anthropocene Studies.

"I joined the Posse community back in 2018 when I became part of the Los Angeles Posse cohort at Dickinson College, and it is such an honor to now come to Cambridge as a Posse student. I am so grateful for the friends and mentors who helped make this experience possible and continue to support and uplift me." - Cecilia Ribordy, Posse Scholar 2022-23.

For those interested in studying at Cambridge in future, the partnership will offer a further Posse Studentship for 2023 entry. To be considered for the studentship, applicants will need to apply by the deadline of the 1st December. There are many other opportunities for support available to promising applicants; the Gates US funding competition offers scholarships to candidates who demonstrate a capacity for leadership - the deadline to be considered for these scholarships is the 12th October.

New evidence for possible liquid water beneath the south polar ice cap of Mars

An international team of researchers, led by Neil Arnold at SPRI, has revealed new evidence for the possible existence of liquid water beneath the south polar ice cap of Mars.

The team, including researchers from the University of Sheffield, the University of Nantes, University College, Dublin, and the Open University used spacecraft laser-altimeter measurements of the shape of the upper surface of the ice cap to identify subtle patterns in its height.

Their results agree with earlier ice-penetrating radar measurements that were originally interpreted to show a potential area of liquid water beneath the ice. There has been debate over the liquid water interpretation from the radar data alone, with some studies suggesting the radar signal is not due to liquid water.

The results, reported in the journal Nature Astronomy, provide the first independent line of evidence, using data other than radar, that there is liquid water beneath Mars' south polar ice cap.

Olga Tutubalina and Gareth Rees interviewed for BBC Radio 4

SPRI researchers Dr Gareth Rees and Dr Olga Tutubalina were interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Inside Science for a special programme about science collaborations with Russia. Listen online from 05:42.

New members of staff join the Department

With only one week to go before the start of term, we're delighted to welcome two new members of staff to the Department.

Rachael Garrett – Moran Professor of Conservation and Development

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to take up the Moran Professorship in the Department of Geography and the Cambridge Conservation Initiative to pursue my passions at the intersection of conservation and development in such a rich interdisciplinary community.

Liam Saddington - Teaching Associate in Human Geography

I am excited to join the Department of Geography as a Teaching Associate in Human Geography. Through the "Living with Global Change" paper, I am looking forward to seeing how the undergraduates engage with my work on small island states to think more broadly about questions of climate justice, globalisation and equity in the 21st century.