Nancy Bertler

Professor Nancy Bertler is a leading Antarctic climate researcher holding a joint appointment with Victoria University of Wellington and Earth Sciences New Zealand, where she serves as Professor of Earth Sciences at the Antarctic Research Centre. She leads the National Ice Core Research Facility and has spearheaded numerous major Antarctic research initiatives including the Roosevelt Island Climate Evolution (RICE) Programme, the Antarctic Science Platform (ASP) as its inaugural Director (2018-2025), and currently the Antarctic Sea-Ice Switch Programme (2024-2029).

• Joint appointment: Victoria University of Wellington & Earth Sciences New Zealand
• Leadership roles: National Ice Core Research Facility, RICE Programme, Antarctic Sea-Ice Switch Programme
• International representation: Co-Chair of International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences, New Zealand Alternate Delegate to SCAR

Bertler's research focuses on the recovery, analysis, and interpretation of high-resolution ice core records from coastal Antarctica to better understand the continent's response to—and influence on—future global climate change. Her pioneering work targets ice core records from Antarctic coastal regions, which provide complementary information to deep ice core records from the Antarctic interior. She has led 13 major Antarctic field campaigns involving multiple nations, with cumulative field work exceeding 30 months in Antarctica. Her research spans ice core chemistry, paleoclimate reconstruction, sea ice dynamics, atmospheric circulation patterns, and the relationship between Antarctic climate and global climate systems.

Her publication record demonstrates significant contributions to understanding Antarctic climate history, with recent work focusing on mineral dust transport, sea ice dynamics, ice sheet behavior during past warm periods, and the development of new ice core proxies. The trends in her research show an increasing emphasis on understanding abrupt climate changes and their implications for future sea level rise under continued global warming.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Rutherford Discovery Fellowship (2011/2012)
  • Blake Leader Award from Sir Peter Blake Trust (2016)
  • 2019 Prime Minister's Science Prize as part of the Melting Ice and Rising Seas team

As an educator and mentor, Bertler established the course 'Climate Change and New Zealand's Future' at Victoria University and has actively supported numerous students, many of whom now work in leading international ice core research groups. She serves as scientific advisor to New Zealand's delegation to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and has presented to the New Zealand parliament on Antarctic ice sheet vulnerability. Her current research portfolio includes substantial grant funding through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Royal Society Te Apārangi, and Antarctica New Zealand for projects investigating West Antarctic ice sheet stability, sea ice dynamics, and climate history.

Bertler leads multiple significant research teams including the internationally collaborative Antarctic Sea-Ice Switch Programme involving eight nations, the Tiaki Moana programme within the Antarctic Science Platform, and the Roosevelt Island Climate Evolution project. Her laboratory infrastructure includes the National Ice Core Research Facility at GNS Science, one of the most advanced facilities of its kind globally, and the Victoria University 1000m ice coring system, one of only four such systems worldwide.