Carl Benson, a longtime ice physicist known for his work in Alaska and Greenland, died on January 17, 2026, at the age of 98. He spent his final days at the Fairbanks Pioneer Home after enduring a stretch of 32 days where temperatures did not rise above zero Fahrenheit.
Benson arrived in Fairbanks in 1950 with the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct reconnaissance geology in Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4. From 1951 to 1956, he worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Snow, Ice and Permafrost Research establishment, primarily in Greenland. During this period, he traversed the ice cap using tracked vehicles called Weasels and dug hundreds of snow pits to study snow layers.
In 1960, Benson joined the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), where he recognized Alaska as an unparalleled natural laboratory for his research. He conducted experiments around Fairbanks during winter cold snaps—collecting samples of ice fog residue from plastic sheets near intersections and studying its sources. In one paper, he calculated that dogs in Fairbanks contributed about 1,000 pounds of vapor daily through exhalation.
Benson also collaborated with Sue Ann Bowling to map temperature differences between urban Fairbanks and surrounding areas by driving through town with a thermometer attached to their car bumper.
His fascination extended to Mount Wrangell’s volcanic activity and its effect on summit glaciers. According to pilot Jack Wilson’s account: “(Benson) came back any time he could scrape up enough funding for some work on Wrangell,” Wilson wrote in his book “Glacier Wings and Tales.” “He was a real brute for punishment. A couple of times he stayed so long he lost weight and became a bit sick from constantly breathing sulfur fumes, as well as from the general hardship of remaining so long at high altitude.”
Beyond research, Benson was known for his opinions on public policy issues such as daylight savings time in Alaska and income taxes. He wrote columns highlighting these topics through anecdotes involving friends from Minnesota.
Up until his final week, Benson remained engaged with scientific work alongside former graduate student Matthew Sturm on a paper about atmospheric rivers affecting Greenland’s ice sheet—a phenomenon they had experienced decades earlier.
He is survived by his son Carl and daughters Sonja and Erika; his wife Ruth passed away in 2024.
Colleagues shared memories reflecting both Benson’s scientific rigor and sense of humor:
Matthew Sturm recalled: “(Across Greenland from 1952 to 1955) Carl dug hundreds of individual snow pits… From these pits and data, Carl began to put together in his mind a picture — a map really — of how snowfall in Greenland turned into a vast ice sheet… That satellite image was matched in uncanny detail by Carl’s 30-year-old hand-drawn map.”
Carla Helfferich remembered: “For me, there’s a feeling of a little less mischief in the world; good mischief… My memory locks onto the image of Carl at institute Christmas parties… leading renditions of the ‘Glaciologists’ Anthem,’ which he had composed: ‘Ice is Nice . . . and good for you.’”
Roman Motyka described working with him: “His fascination with Mount Wrangell Volcano bordered on an obsession… Carl taught me a lot about field work… especially about keeping accurate notes.”
Martin Truffer recounted Benson’s humor: “My favorite thing about Carl was probably his great sense of humor… When he got on an elevator and somebody was already in there, he would always say ‘Thanks for stopping.’”
The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute has provided this column free since the late 1970s through cooperation with UAF researchers.
