Glaciology; tidewater glacier dynamics; ice-ocean interactions; calving dynamics; Greenland Ice Sheet; remote sensing of the Cryosphere.
Current Research.
PhD in Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences (Glaciology), University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
‘Investigating controls on calving front morphology at Kangiata Nunata Sermia, a Greenlandic tidewater glacier’.
Project Supervisors: Prof. Pete Nienow, Dr. Noel Gourmelen (University of Edinburgh), Dr. Andy Sole (University of Sheffield), Dr. Tom Cowton (University of St. Andrews), Dr. Rachel Carr (Newcastle University).
Funded by NERC via the E3 Doctoral Training Partnership.
Feb-Mar 2016: AG-825 Glaciology course at the University of Norway in Svalbard.
2015-2016: Master of Philosophy (Physical Geographical Sciences). School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, Newcastle University, United Kingdom.
‘Contrasting the dynamic response of marine-terminating outlet glaciers in north-west and south-east Greenland to 21st Century climate warming’.
Project Supervisors: Dr. Rachel Carr, Dr. Neil Ross (Newcastle University). Funded by a research scholarship from the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, Newcastle University.
2012-2015: BSc (Hons) Geography (First class), Newcastle University, United Kingdom.
‘Investigating controls on calving front morphology at Kangiata Nunata Sermia, a Greenlandic tidewater glacier’
The successful prediction of the response of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) to climate warming relies in part on the accurate estimation of future mass loss from tidewater glaciers. The main mechanisms of ice loss at these marine margins are increasing ice velocities and enhanced calving activity. Calving is an important component of mass loss and rates can increase considerably in response both to internal dynamics and external controls with subsequent implications for global sea level rise. Despite their importance, the mechanisms controlling calving dynamics are poorly understood, as the complex interactions between the controls are not well constrained. Furthermore, it is difficult to collect the high temporal resolution field data required to better understand calving events because tidewater glacier margins are largely inaccessible. As a result, the complex patterns of calving observed at many tidewater glaciers are not accurately represented or reproduced in models of their dynamics, leaving the impact of calving on modelled ice-sheet mass balance and sea level rise poorly constrained. This work seeks to investigate changes in calving front morphology at Kangiata Nunata Sermia (KNS), a large tidewater glacier in south west Greenland, using time-lapse photogrammetry and remote sensing in order to constrain sub-daily morphometric changes at the calving front. We analyse these data in combination with those in ice velocities, meltwater run-off estimations, plume observations and basal topography in order to improve our understanding of the controls on calving activity at KNS and ultimately, to better constrain mechanisms of ice mass loss at marine margins.
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