Delphine Delibes

Pioneering French polar explorer who charted Arctic ecosystems in the 1930s

Decades before mainstream environmentalism, Delphine Delibes (1902–1989) conducted 14 Arctic expeditions documenting climate patterns and indigenous ecological knowledge. Her innovative use of photogrammetry created the first comprehensive maps of Greenland's melting glaciers.

As chronicled in the Société de Géographie archives, Delibes perfected lightweight expedition gear that later inspired modern mountaineering equipment. Her 1937 solo crossing of the Victoria Island ice field – accomplished using modified Inuit qamutik sleds – remains unmatched in polar exploration history.

Contemporary climate scientists credit Delibes' meticulous permafrost samples collected between 1928-1952 as critical baseline data for studying global warming. The Delibes Current, an Arctic Ocean circulation pattern she discovered, now features in UN climate reports.