An old truism holds that a scientific discovery has three stages: first, people deny it is true; then they deny it is important; finally, they credit the wrong person. Alfred Wegener's "discovery" of continental drift went through each stage with unusual drama. In 1915, when he published his theory that the world's continents had once come together in a single landmass before splitting apart and drifting to their current positions, the world's geologists denied and scorned it. The scientific establishment's rejection of continental drift and plate tectonic theory is a story told often and well. Yet, there is an untold side to Wegener's life: he and his famous father-in-law, Wladimir K�ppen (a climatologist whose classification of climates is still in use), became fascinated with climates of the geologic past. In the early 20th century Wegener made four expeditions to the then-uncharted Greenland icecap to gather data about climate variations (Greenland ice-core sampling continues to this day). Ending in Ice is about Wegener's explorations of Greenland, blending the science of ice ages and Wegener's continental drift measurements with the story of Wegener's fatal expedition trying to bring desperately needed food and fuel to workers at the central Greenland ice station of Eismitte in 1930. Arctic exploration books with tragic endings have become all too common, but this book combines Wegener's fatal adventures in Greenland with the relevant science--now more important than ever as global climate change becomes movie-worthy ("The Day After Tomorrow").
In my youth I honed my reading interests on fantasy adventures by authors like Frank Baum, Jules Verne, and Edgar Rice Burroughs. As an adult I turned to reading the exploration adventures of real people like Sir Richard Burton, John C. Fremont, John W. Powell, and Lewis and Clark.
I received degrees in geology and geography from the Universities of Oklahoma, Colorado, and Kansas, and had a career as a professor of physical geography and remote sensing at the University of Utah. During that time I wrote numerous research articles, but only after retirement did I begin writing books. My first effort produced a long needed text book on field methods for remote sensing projects. Next I began searching for materials on Alfred Wegener, whom I had heard mentioned briefly in 1950s geology classes as a crackpot who thought the continents were moving. Surprisingly, I found little recent information, and decided to develop the available material into a book, "Ending in Ice," covering both of Wegener's passions: his continental drift theory, and his pioneering climatic studies in Greenland. Wegener captured my admiration for his creativity, his dogged persistence, his courage, and his love of adventure. To listen to a podcast interview about "Ending in Ice," go to Critical Wit #24 at www.criticalwitpodcast.com/
My research on Wegener's Arctic expeditions led me into a third book, "On the Edge." It's about the four centuries long process of mapping North America's coastlines, which was not completed until the early 20th century. Although they occasionally made fatal mistakes, the men in these many expeditions impressed me with their skill, their courage in the face of hardships, and their unwavering sense of mission. "On the Edge" is scheduled for publication by Oxford University Press in July 2012.
I like a book sized project because many lines of interest can converge to shape the finished manuscript. Writing can often be very hard work, but I love the research and the satisfaction of completion.
