To Mercer, the connection to Antarctica was inescapable: the amount of sea-level rise as measured in Indonesia matched the volume of water that would be added if the West Antarctic Ice Sheet melted completely and entered the sea.
John H. Mercer trained as a glaciologist and held various research positions across the globe. His life changed dramatically in 1960 when he joined Ohio State University’s renowned Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center. Founded by an endowment provided by Admiral Richard Byrd, it became a major center of research on polar glaciers, with scientific luminaries teaching or training there.
