World-renowned climate change researcher Gordon Hamilton died in a snowmobile accident during ice inspection in Antarctica on Oct. 22.
The 50-year-old University of Maine professor was working on the Ross Archipelago's White Island when his vehicle dropped 100 feet into a crevice. He had been doing the job for many years.
Colleagues were saddened by the climate change researcher's death. Director Paul Mayewski of UMaine Climate Change Institute described Hamilton as a "highly successful glaciologist and also a delight to be with him in the field."
Mayewski said that there was only one part that had to be inspected and it was nearby the starting point. Mayewski added that the ice in the said area can produce dangerous cracks.
Funded by the National Science Foundation, Hamilton's group is assigned to map cracks before the movement of bulldozers for bridge construction. They utilize robots and radars to identify crevasses.
The team is assigned to McMurdo Station, around 25 miles away from the site of accident Shear Zone.
Mayewski revealed that Hamilton's fell into very deep crevasses on a day with clear weather. The team of researchers was gathered back to the station by a helicopter. A majority of the members of the team will return to New Zealand along with the remains of the late scientist.
The President of UMaine Susan J. Hunter expressed mourning saying "Gordon's glaciology research around the world - from Antarctica to Greenland - was second to none. He leaves a legacy as an outstanding scientist, and a caring mentor and well-known teacher to undergraduate and graduate students."