Dr. Melisa Diaz is an Assistant Professor in the School of Earth Sciences and Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center at The Ohio State University. Her research examines how icy landscapes in the Arctic and Antarctic change over time and how they interact with the atmosphere, ocean, and ecosystems. By analyzing the geochemical composition of ice, water, and soil, her team investigates how nutrients and salts cycle through polar environments. Additionally, she studies how climate change impacts polar systems, including how warming temperatures and shifting ice dynamics affect nutrient delivery and bioavailability. By focusing on these remote areas, she aims to uncover crucial insights into the functioning of Earth’s polar regions, providing valuable information on the role of the cryosphere in understanding habitability on Earth and elsewhere in the Solar System.
WISIR, Senior Fellow