UW Home > ESS Home > Faculty Directory

Earth and Space Sciences Faculty

Portrait Photo

Kenichi Matsuoka
Research Assistant Professor

Office: ATG-717     (Mailing Address)
Phone: 206-685-2887
Fax: 206-543-0489 (shared)
E-Mail: matsuoka*
* to send email, replace * with @ess.washington.edu
Personal Website:
http://earthweb.ess.washington.edu/matsuoka

Areas of Interest:
Glacier and ice sheet dynamics

Research Group:
Glaciology

Education:
Ph.D., Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan, 2002

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.



Last Modified: 8/28/2005


Earth and Space Sciences

(Geology, Geophysics, Geological Sciences)
University of Washington
Johnson Hall 070 •  Box 351310
4000 15th Avenue NE • Seattle, WA  98195-1310
Phone 206-543-1190  •  Fax 206-543-0489 
• Site Info: webmaster@ess.washington.edu
• ESS Advising: advising@ess.washington.edu