The AGU is the largest non-profit organization relating to Earth science, which broadly includes any science that studies the Earth and runs the gamut from rocks and oceans to the atmosphere and space. Prof. Milne has been a member of the AGU since his postgraduate days. He joined the ranks of AGU Fellows in 2021 and was awarded the honour of presenting the William Bowie Lecture — a distinguished geophysics lecture at the AGU annual meeting — for his contributions to geodesy, which is the study of how the surface of the Earth is moving.
Prof. Milne specialises in the study of solid Earth, oceans and ice sheets, investigating the different interactions that they have with each other through the development of computer models. To test and improve these models, Prof. Milne and his group use a variety of observations, including satellite and in situ observations of ice sheets and oceanic changes, as well as sea-level changes through geological time obtained from the analysis of fossilized corals. The models are used to better understand how ice sheets evolve and how their evolution affects the deformation of the Earth and sea levels around the planet.
Additionally, by comparing model output to observations relating to current global change as well as changes that occurred in the geological past, Prof. Milne’s research increases our understanding of interactions between different components of the Earth System and the important role these interactions play in its evolution on different timescales. Improving these computer models and making them more realistic is crucial given their role in predicting future changes in ice sheets and sea levels. Although the models get increasingly more complex, they can more accurately predict how fast or by how much sea levels will change in various regions worldwide. The results from models such as those developed by Prof. Milne and collaborators have been applied by governments to make scientifically informed decisions.
The relevance of Prof. Milne’s research is heightened by current climate change trends. Being elected as an AGU Fellow recognises his contributions and their impact. He appreciatively reflects, “the Fellowship is a prestigious lifetime recognition that some of my work has been useful and benefited the scientific community.”
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