UMaine Professor Killed In Snowmobile Accident In Antarctica

A University of Maine professor was killed in a snowmobile accident in Antarctica on Saturday.

Gordon Hamilton was a UMaine professor in the School of Earth and Climate Sciences and a researcher with the Climate Change Institute.

Hamilton fell 100 feet when the snowmobile he was riding hit a crevasse, according to the National Science Foundation.

He was working on White Island in the Ross Archipelago, an area where he has conducted research for several seasons.

“The University of Maine has lost one of its leading scientists,” UMaine President Susan J. Hunter said. “Gordon’s glaciology research around the world — from Antarctica to Greenland — was second to none. He leaves a legacy as an outstanding scientist, and a caring mentor and well-known teacher to undergraduate and graduate students.

Hamilton was 50 years old.