The Polar Regions are among the key regions of interest in climate change studies because an increase in temperature due to global warming is amplified in these regions. In the process of studying the polar regions, Dr Josefino Comiso, a Filipino physicist working at NASA, discovered several techniques for measuring parameters in the polar regions.
Dr Comiso and his co-workers produced three world atlases on sea ice as observed by satellite microwave radiometers. These are now used by other scientists doing research on polar as well as global process.
He is also one of the leading authorities on polynyas and associated changes happening in the polar regions. Polynyas are semi permanent areas of open water in sea ice. He discovered the existence of a recurring polynya at the Cosmonaut Sea, south of the Indian Ocean. He studied the role of coastal polynyas around the Antarctic, the primary source of bottom water that circulates around the globe and recharges the world’s oceans.
For someone born in a land without snow, the outstanding accomplishment of Dr Comiso is truly something to be proud of.
Agham Pinoy 