Kenichi Matsuoka
Affiliate Assistant Professor
Office: off campus
Phone: +47 77 75 06 45
Fax: 206-543-0489 (shared)
Email: matsuoka@npolar.no
Website: http://earthweb.ess.washington.edu/matsuoka
Interests: Glaciology, Ice Sheet Dynamics
Research Groups: Glaciology
Current Research:
My research interests are broadly opened for dynamical behavior of mountain glaciers and polar ice sheets. Since they are the major fresh-water source and heat sink, I believe that it is the most significant question in Quaternary research how glaciers and ice sheets behave under climatic forcing.
As X-ray visualizes inside of human bodies, we can investigate the internal structures of glaciers and ice sheets with radio waves. I use airborne and ground-based ice-penetrating radar as a primary tool of my research. Radio-wave scattering from within ice masses and beneath the ice gives insights into what is happening there and how ice is flowing. My main study area is Shirase Glacier drainage basin, East Antarctica, from my graduate days. In addition, I worked on researching Kamchatcka/Patagonia glaciers and developing ice-penetrating radar.
I received my PhD from Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan, in 2002. The title of the thesis is "Multi-frequency radar sounding of the interior of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and its application to ice-sheet dynamics". In April, 2002, I was appinted as a JSPS research fellow (JSPS: Japanese Society of Promotion Sciences). I have been in Glaciology Group at the University of Washington since July 8, 2002.