Glacial landforms and sediments provide abundant empirical evidence of ice-sheet dynamics, enabling a better understanding of the long-term (centennial to millennial-scale) behaviour of ice sheets. In Sweden, the dynamics of the former Scandinavian Ice Sheet are recorded by numerous well-preserved glacial landforms but, until recently, efforts to map these landforms were hampered by dense tree cover. The recent availability of a national, high-resolution LiDAR model for Sweden now provides the opportunity to map the planform shape and arrangement of individual glacial landforms for the first time.
In this PhD project, you will exploit the high-resolution LiDAR data and systematically map ‘hummocky moraine’ and associated glacial landforms in southern Sweden. Assemblages of hummocky moraine are abundant in southern Sweden (and more widely) and determining how these glacial sediment-landform assemblages formed will provide important insights into the deglacial history and dynamics of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet.
The overall aim of this PhD project is to advance our understanding of former ice-sheet deglaciation dynamics in southern Sweden by establishing the mechanisms of hummocky moraine formation and their glaciological significance. To achieve this, you will combine detailed geomorphological mapping with a novel, multi-scale methodology to characterise the internal composition, structure, and architecture of the moraines.
As part of this project, you will receive bespoke, specialist training in glacial geological methods, groundpenetrating radar surveying, and micromorphology. This training will be facilitated by a multi-institutional and international supervisory team from the University of Nottingham, British Geological Survey and Lund University, with opportunities for you to undertake research visits to the national and international partners during the project.
Eligibility
This project would suit a student with a strong interest in combining remote sensing and field-based research. A background or experience in glacial geomorphology, Quaternary sedimentology and/or glaciology would be advantageous.
Enquiries
For further information or enquiries, please contact Dr Benjamin Chandler
To apply for this project follow this link
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