The Great Thaw
A Homage in Art to the Vanishing Cryosphere
About the Book
The Great Thaw: A Homage in Art to Vanishing Glaciers brings science and art together to inspire knowledge sharing and promote practical strategies for glacier preservation and adaptation. Featuring over 140 artworks paired with scientifically grounded explanations, The Great Thaw takes readers on a powerful journey to explore the impacts of climate change on glaciers and the broader cryosphere — snow and ice that sustain life in mountain, forest, and downstream regions.
Publishers: UNESCO and University of Saskatchewan
Story Behind the Book
The melting of glaciers and snowpacks, and the thawing of permafrost, affects us all. People living in coastal areas face rising sea levels. Those in high mountain regions are increasingly vulnerable to floods, landslides, and avalanches. And communities downstream depend on water supplies fed by snow and glaciers, now at risk.
The Great Thaw grew out of the Transitions project, an interdisciplinary collaboration sponsored by the Global Water Futures programme. The goal: to bring art and science together as powerfully as possible to highlight the impacts of climate change and inspire action on the immense challenges a warming world brings to human societies. Artist Gennadiy Ivanov joined forces with scientists Trevor Davies (University of East Anglia) and John Pomeroy (University of Saskatchewan), sharing knowledge through visits to research sites in some of the coldest and most remote places in Canada and around the world. Ivanov’s paintings evolved through multiple iterations to strike a careful balance between representation and interpretation — capturing both the emotional power of art and the scientific coherence needed to communicate urgent messages about our changing world.
The Great Thaw Book
Last Updated: March 20, 2025
Meet the Authors
Artist: Gennadiy Ivanov
Gennadiy Ivanov is a UK-based artist. He uses synthetic thinking and a wide range of techniques (paintings, installations, drawings, photography), allowing him to work simultaneously in several directions and styles. His paintings demand intellectual, as well as visual and emotional, effort from the viewer.
Scientist: Trevor Davies
Trevor Davies’s research interests include climate, snowmelt processes, air pollution, and chemical hydrology. He has been Director of the Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (UEA), UK and a founding member of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, which is headquartered at the same university. He established the Fudan Tyndall Centre at Fudan University in Shanghai, where he was a Distinguished Professor. He headed the School of Environmental Sciences at UEA, where he also took the position of Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Enterprise and Engagement.
Scientist: John Pomeroy
John Pomeroy’s research interests include snow and ice hydrology, cold regions climate change, water quality, water predictions and observation. He is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Saskatchewan, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, UNESCO Chair in Mountain Water Sustainability, Canada Research Chair in Water Resources and Climate Change, Director of the Centre for Hydrology, Director of the Global Water Futures Programme, and Co-Chair of the UN Advisory Board for the International Year for Glaciers’ Preservation 2025.
Publishers
