Professor Jørgen Peder Steffensen studied physics and mathematics at the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) before shifting his focus to geophysics. He has been working on ice core drilling projects in Greenland since 1980. His work focuses on analysing the physical and chemical properties of ice cores to understand past atmospheric conditions and temperature variations. He is also the curator of Niels Bohr Institute’s ice core library, which, with over 40,000 ice core pieces, is one of the largest collections of its kind in the world. Steffensen has authored over 90 scientific articles, making him one of Denmark’s most cited geophysicists.
Scientist: Jørgen Peder Steffensen
A scientist’s opinion: interview with geophysicist and glaciologist Professor Jørgen Peder Steffensen on ice core research
Similar to tree rings, ice cores contain distinct layers representing each year's snowfall. These annual layers act as a natural archive, not just of Earth's past climate, but also of the history of humanity. Jørgen Peder Steffensen, Professor of ice-core-related research at the Centre for Ice and Climate at the Niels Bohr Institute at the ...
The art of Arctic science
As Arctic researchers gather in Aarhus, Denmark, for the annual Arctic Science Summit Week (25/3-1/4/2026), the European Science-Media Hub explores the benefits of visual storytelling to engage audiences worldwide with the urgency and significance of scientific work. This article features photos about Arctic ice research, which have been published in National Geographic. In 2022, photographer ...