JIRP is a collaborative endeavor run primarily through the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder, with significant support from the University of Maine School of Earth and Climate Sciences, the University of Maine Climate Change Institute, and the University of Alaska Southeast Dept. of Environmental Science.

In addition to CU Boulder, UMaine, and UAS, JIRP welcomes students, faculty, and research teams from colleges, universities, research institutes, and professional programs around the world.

 

What's New:

2024 Applications are Closed!

We are no longer accepting applications for the Summer 2024 Expedition. To be notified when applications for the 2025 Expedition open, please fill out the 2025 Interest Form. Applications will open in fall 2024.

JIRP in Print

JIRP Board member and teaching faculty Ben Huff photographed students on the 2022 expedition. He wrote and published an article about JIRP in the April/May 2023 edition of Smithsonian magazine. Congratulations to Ben!

Check out Ben’s Smithsonian article here. You can find more of Ben’s work on his website.

JIRP in Film

Caroline Wexler, a student from 2022, created a mini documentary about her JIRP experience. Her film, The Icefield: An Expedition Memoir was accepted into the 2023 USAPECS International Polar Film Festival. Congratulations Caroline! Check out her film here.

Data from the Icefield

Looking for mass balance, GPS survey, or meteorologic data from the Icefield? Find it on our new Data from the Icefield page.

Interested in helping us get more data up in a more accessible format? Email our staff at office@juneauicefield.org.

 

What is JIRP?

A short film by 2018 student Andrew Opila.

 

The JIRP Instagram Feed

After JIRP So what happens after it’s over? Well, everyone goes their separate ways. I came back to Utah, and am in the process of finishing school. Eventually I will go to graduate school but depending on the decisions from schools this year
The Last Traverse/The End: The last traverse from C26 to Atlin was a long slog. We went from blue ice to marsh and forest to the small municipality in BC. We were greeted by a member of the Royal Mounted Police who made our border crossing official.
The People: JIRP only exists because crazy people all over the world continue to believe it is worth it. The people of JIRP make or break an experience and they certainly made mine. Here are a few of the best.
The Science! A big part of JIRP is the research on the Icefield. The accessibility and availability of the icefield provides a great opportunity for all sorts of research. Here are a few projects that I participated in. 1) Pits, pits, pits! 5 meter
The Camps 1) C17 2) at C17 I saw a bear and 3) learned to tele on the same day 4) C10: lived in a shed meant for a Thiokol with a bunch of crazy gals 5) C9: come to dig pits, stay for the whiteout 6, 7)C18: if only the clouds would clear, what v
I first applied to JIRP in 2021, but I didn’t get in. It was pretty disappointing but I knew that I wanted to do something with glaciers so I reached out to JIRPs program manager, Annie Boucher, and asked her if there were any other programs li
Hello all! My name is Kitsel Lusted! Before I talk about my JIRP experience, I’ll give you a little background on me. I’m a Utah native: born in Salt Lake, raised in the small northern Brigham City, and educated again in Salt Lake. I wa
introducing 2022 student Kitsel Lusted to take over the feed this week!
For this post, I’d like to talk about JIRP and it’s unique sleeping arrangements! Over the course of 6 weeks, we slept on rocks, on snow, on bunk beds, on desks, and on a ferry. In June, the sun wouldn’t set until very late in the e
“My JIRP experience strengthened in me a love of exploration that ultimately led to my participation in the space program, including the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity. JIRP was fundamental to my growth as a scientist and as a person.”
— Dr. Steven Squyres, Professor Astronomy, Cornell University; Principal Investigator of Mars Exploration Rover Project