With deep sadness, we announce that James R. 'Jim' Carter passed away in 2022. His love for geography, geology, and ice segregation leaves a lasting legacy. Explore his work and celebrate his inspiring journey with us.

The author kneeling in front of a patch of Ice Flowers on cutoff stems of White Crownbeard in his yard in central Illinois, 2011. This form of ice is one of four types of ice formed at the Earth’s surface by the process of Ice Segregation. As he pursued these topics he was introduced to many other forms of ice, leading to his page ‘My World of Ice’

James R. Carter, or "Jim"

Born 1936 in Sault St. Marie, Michigan. Lived in the UP for 2 years and in the LP for 12 years, then moved to Carrollton, Kentucky, along the Ohio River for 2 years, then to Bloomington, Indiana, for 8 years, then to Greenbelt, Maryland, for 8 years, then off to Athens, Georgia, for 3 years, and then to Knoxville, Tennessee, for 19 years.  In 1990 my wife and I moved to the Bloomington, Illinois, while I worked in the twin city of Normal, Illinois.  In 2017 we moved to Midlothian, Virginia, to be closer to family.

• Emeritus Professor of Geography-Geology and the Environment, Illinois State University
• long term Member, Senior Professionals, Illinois State University
• former President (1999-2000), ILGISA, the Illinois GIS Association
• former Chair (1995-1999), Map Use Commission of the International Cartographic Association and author of the web site: Map Use: the Many Dimensions
• long term member of Normal Rotary Club and now in Huguenot Trail Rotary Club
• many years a UU and now with First UU of Richmond

former ISU Campus Address:
Geography, Geology and the Environment
Illinois State University
Normal, IL 61790

· jrcarter@ilstu.edu - current email

·

· ====== the professional me ======

• My education and employment until 2005
• My  professional publications up to date
• My  professional organizations and offices held through 2000
• My teaching activities, professional activities at the University of Tennessee and Illinois State University, and other thrilling events, but somewhat dated

For 19 years this was my license tag reflecting my interest in Maps, Cartography and Geographic Information Systems. My content area includes the Atmospheric Sciences so becoming interested in ice is another dimension of my world.

In 2003 I found attractive ice seeming to grow on a plant stem. Explaining that ice and other unique forms of ice has become a driving force in my life. I put together a collection of web pages showing what I have found and what I learned from others. Start at http://www.jrcarter.net/ice

Below is an example of one type of Ice I am talking about. This photo of an ice flower was taken in early morning in mid-November 2005 in northern Kentucky along a 2-lane highway.

This an Ice Flower, being a product of ice segregation on a stem of White Crownbeard, Verbesina virginica. Note the frost on the grass and weeds. I like this image for the combination of colors and the shape of the ice.

When I moved to Virginia in 2017, I had to get a new license tag, and thus:

I retired in summer 2005 but I have chosen to retain some of my academic web pages.   Feel free to use material from any of these pages but please give credit as appropriate.   In many cases the links are no longer valid and the examples from student accounts were removed when the student left campus.  But I think there is still something to be gained from these pages.

In Physical Geography we created elevation maps of the world using the 'Color The World' program from the Lamont Doherty Earth Observation site.  My page is an introduction to this package but the links to my many students were lost when the students left campus.

Geographic Techniques served as the pre-requisite for the technique courses of cartography, GIS and remote sensing.   My pages on Choropleth Maps and Topographic Maps have information beyond the specific course.

====== Position Papers ======

Relative to my teaching and research interests, I have written the following position papers.  As of 2021 some of the data in these papers are dated, but the arguments still reflect my positions.

• World Population and Population Growth
• Global Warming: An Unintended Consequence

====== Personal Pages and My Travels ======

• Travel to Siberia in 1998
• Travel to China in 2001
• Before and After:  photographs of me over the years.  I put these photos out there when I first set up this page.  I have not added to them, nor have I felt compelled to take them off.