I am a glaciologist interested in using satellite observation, fieldwork, and modelling to investigate the links between the hydrology and dynamics of glaciers and ice sheets and their contribution to global sea level rise.

 

Ice discharge into the ocean (i.e. iceberg calving) is a key contributor to sea level rise, making up approximately half of sea level rise contribution from the Greenland Ice Sheet and representing a major future concern in the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Discharge can be accelerated or suppressed by the influence of surface meltwater as it drains through the ice sheet, as well as the thermal forcing from the ocean. However, our observations of - and our ability to model - the interactions between these processes remain limited, leading to significant uncertainty in projections of future ice‑sheet change. Reducing this uncertainty is essential when considering considering the enormous societal investment required to mitigate the effects of sea level rise on communities living in affected low-lying coastal regions, which may affect more than 10% of the global population by the end of the 21st century.

 

Some of my specific research interests include the following:

By monitoring how glacier and ice‑sheet dynamics are evolving - and uncovering the processes driving those changes - I aim to improve our understanding of how these systems will respond to future climate forcing through the 21st century and beyond.