{{short description|French Antarctic researcher}}
{{Infobox scientist | name = Catherine Ritz | image = Cat-Ritz-photo.jpg | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = | fields = Ice Sheets<br>Climatology | workplaces = Centre national de la recherche scientifique<br>Université Grenoble Alpes | known_for = }}
'''Catherine Ritz''' is a French Antarctic researcher, best known for her work on ice sheets and their impact on sea level rise.<ref name="researchgate">{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Catherine_Ritz|title=Catherine Ritz|website=ResearchGate|access-date=2016-06-22}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Catherine Ritz received her master's degree ''Maîtrise de Physique'' in physics in France in 1975.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www-lgge.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr/axes/rheologie/catritz.html|title=Equipe Meca Personnel [fr]|website=www-lgge.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr|access-date=2016-06-22}}{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> She conducted her PhD research leading toward the degree ''Thèse de 3ème cycle'' in 1980 from the University of Grenoble,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www-lgge.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr/refbase/search.php?sqlQuery=SELECT%2520author%252C%2520title%252C%2520type%252C%2520year%252C%2520publication%252C%2520abbrev_journal%252C%2520volume%252C%2520issue%252C%2520pages%252C%2520keywords%252C%2520abstract%252C%2520address%252C%2520corporate_author%252C%2520thesis%252C%2520publisher%252C%2520place%252C%2520editor%252C%2520language%252C%2520summary_language%252C%2520orig_title%252C%2520series_editor%252C%2520series_title%252C%2520abbrev_series_title%252C%2520series_volume%252C%2520series_issue%252C%2520edition%252C%2520issn%252C%2520isbn%252C%2520medium%252C%2520area%252C%2520expedition%252C%2520conference%252C%2520notes%252C%2520approved%252C%2520call_number%252C%2520serial%2520FROM%2520refs%2520WHERE%2520serial%2520%253D%25201376%2520ORDER%2520BY%2520author%252C%2520year%2520DESC%252C%2520publication&client=&formType=sqlSearch&submit=Display&viewType=&showQuery=0&showLinks=1&showRows=5&rowOffset=&wrapResults=1&citeOrder=&citeStyle=APA&exportFormat=RIS&exportType=html&exportStylesheet=&citeType=html&headerMsg=|title=LGGE Literature Database -- Ritz Thesis|website=www-lgge.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr|access-date=2016-06-24}}</ref> and she received her ''Thèse de Doctorat d’Etat'' in 1992.<ref name="OSUG">{{Cite web|url=http://lgge.osug.fr/article134.html?lang=fr|title=Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement - RITZ Catherine|website=lgge.osug.fr|access-date=2016-06-22|archive-date=2016-08-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818170722/http://lgge.osug.fr/article134.html?lang=fr|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Career and impact == Ritz is a climatologist and geographer<ref name="researchgate" /> known especially for her contributions to climate change research. She is a Senior Researcher for France's National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) at the Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l’Environnement,<ref name="OSUG" /> and also is affiliated with the Université Grenoble Alpes.<ref name="BBC">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34859398|title=Big Antarctic ice melt scenarios 'not plausible' - BBC News|work=BBC News |date=18 November 2015 |language=en-GB|access-date=2016-06-22}}</ref> Her research involves modeling polar ice cap evolution; using 3D models to examine changes in the ice sheets and ice shelves of Antarctica and Greenland; ice drilling; and investigation of sub-glacial isostasy.<ref name="OSUG" /> She has published over 70 articles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lgge.osug.fr/article423.html|title=Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement - Publications C. Ritz|website=lgge.osug.fr|access-date=2016-06-22|archive-date=2017-01-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104165429/http://lgge.osug.fr/article423.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Among Ritz's more high-profile contributions is an article published in the journal ''Nature'' in December 2015. The article, based on research led by Ritz and Tamsin Edwards from The Open University, created models based on satellite data to examine the potential impact of Antarctic sea ice collapse on global sea levels. Using more comprehensive methods than those used in previous studies,<ref name="Science Daily">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151118155128.htm|title=Sea level rise from Antarctic collapse may be slower than suggested|website=www.sciencedaily.com|access-date=2016-06-22}}</ref> the team found that the collapse of Antarctic ice sheets would have serious consequences for sea level rise (up to a half-meter by 2100 in a high-emissions scenario),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2016/04/antarctic-melting-to-boost-sea-levels-by-2100|title=Antarctica seen raising global seas by 2100 - Yale Climate Connections|date=2016-04-07|website=Yale Climate Connections|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-22}}</ref> but that the effects likely would not be as dramatic as other high-profile studies had predicted.<ref name="Science Daily" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thetimesgazette.com/scientists-say-antarctic-melt-may-be-less-severe/9406/|title=Scientists say Antarctic melt may be less severe {{!}} Times Gazette|website=www.thetimesgazette.com|access-date=2016-06-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2015/november/sea-level-rise-from-anatarctic-collapse.html|title=Bristol University {{!}} News {{!}} November: Sea-level rise from Antarctic collapse|last=Bristol|first=University of|website=www.bristol.ac.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2016-06-22}}</ref> The team found that the most likely outcome is a sea level rise 10 cm by 2100, assuming that greenhouse gases rise at a medium to high rate,<ref name="BBC" /> and that it will be extremely unlikely for a rise of greater than 30 cm to occur.
Ritz also plays a prominent role in international efforts to monitor Antarctic ice and understand climate change. She is Chair of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Ice Sheet Mass Balance and Sea Level Expert Group;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.scar.org/ismass/ismass-members|title=Ice Sheet Mass Balance and Sea Level Expert Group|last=SCAR|website=www.scar.org|access-date=2016-06-22|archive-date=2016-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923133033/http://www.scar.org/ismass/ismass-members|url-status=dead}}</ref> member of the SCAR Antarctic Climate Change in the 21st Century Scientific Research Programme;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.scar.org/antclim21|title=Antarctic Climate Change in the 21st Century|last=SCAR|website=www.scar.org|access-date=2016-06-22|archive-date=2016-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923134539/http://www.scar.org/antclim21|url-status=dead}}</ref> and member of the International Advisory Board of Ice Sheet Modellers to the BRITICE-CHRONO team, which is studying marine-influenced ice sheet decay of the British-Irish ice sheet<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.britice-chrono.group.shef.ac.uk/people/|title=People {{!}} BRITICE-CHRONO|website=www.britice-chrono.group.shef.ac.uk|access-date=2016-06-22|archive-date=2016-08-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817204841/http://www.britice-chrono.group.shef.ac.uk/people/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Rirz was awarded the Seligman Crystal by the International Glaciological Society in 2020 for her work on ice sheet modelling and paleoclimate research.<ref name="IGS-2020">{{cite web |title=Seligman awardee 2020 |url=https://www.igsoc.org/awards/seligman/catritz.html |website=International Glaciological Society |access-date=7 December 2020}}</ref>
==Selected writings== *Ritz, Catherine, Vincent Rommelaere, and Christophe Dumas. "Modeling the evolution of Antarctic ice sheet over the last 420,000 years: Implications for altitude changes in the Vostok region." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 106.D23 (2001): 31943-31964. *Augustin, Laurent, Carlo Barbante, Piers RF Barnes, Jean Marc Barnola, Matthias Bigler, Emiliano Castellano, Olivier Cattani, Catherin Ritz. "Eight glacial cycles from an Antarctic ice core." Nature 429, no. 6992 (2004): 623-628. *Lemieux-Dudon, Bénédicte, Eric Blayo, Jean-Robert Petit, Claire Waelbroeck, Anders Svensson, Catherine Ritz, Jean-Marc Barnola, Bianca Maria Narcisi, and Frédéric Parrenin. "Consistent dating for Antarctic and Greenland ice cores." Quaternary Science Reviews 29, no. 1 (2010): 8-20. *Parrenin, F., Remy, F., Ritz, C., Siegert, M. J., & Jouzel, J. (2004). New modeling of the Vostok ice flow line and implication for the glaciological chronology of the Vostok ice core. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 109(D20).
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/885.htm * https://www.francebleu.fr/emissions/les-portraits-d-isere/portrait-d-isere-catherine-ritz * http://ici.radio-canada.ca/radio/lumiere/archives/archives2003/octobre2003.html * http://lgge.osug.fr/article134.html?lang=fr {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818170722/http://lgge.osug.fr/article134.html?lang=fr |date=2016-08-18 }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritz, Catherine}} Category:French women scientists Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:French climatologists Category:Women climatologists Category:Grenoble Alpes University alumni Category:French Antarctic scientists Category:Women Antarctic scientists Category:French glaciologists