NERC GW4+ DTP PhD Studentship: Antarctic ice shelf stability & collapse from modelling & observation

Most of Antarctica’s glaciers and ice streams end in large floating ice shelves. These ice shelves buttress the grounded land ice, helping to stabilise ice flow and limit ice loss and associated sea level rise. However, loss of large ice shelves – as observed with the 2002 Larsen B Ice Shelf collapse – removes this buttressing effect, causing glaciers to speedup and increasing ice loss (1, 2). Over the last couple of decades, the changing climate has contributed to substantial thinning on Antarctic ice shelves, including the Larsen C Ice Shelf along the Antarctic Peninsula (3). Some research predicts Larsen C Ice Shelf collapse within the next century (4). This project will use models, remote sensing, and existing field data to investigate ice shelf stability in Antarctica, with a particular focus on Larsen C.

Project objectives include assessing the current stability of the Larsen C Ice Shelf, investigating the possibility and timeline for ice shelf collapse, and considering the influence of these changes on grounded ice dynamics and sea level rise. The PhD student will use state of the art modelling tools, remotely sensed data from both radar (interferometric synthetic aperture radar – InSAR – analysis) and optical (feature tracking analysis) satellites, and in situ measurements from field campaigns to pursue these objectives. This project provides an excellent opportunity to develop a range of valuable skills while simultaneously contributing to our understanding ice sheet mass loss and sea level rise, one of the greatest global issues associated with climate change.
The project is a Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering (CASE) thematic studentship within the research theme Changing Planet: Atmospheres, Oceans, and Ice. The student will work in an energetic, collaborative environment with top experts in remote sensing, modelling, and the cryosphere. Dr. Twila Moon at the University of Bristol will be the primary supervisor, Dr. Hilmar Gudmundsson at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) will be the CASE partner supervisor, and Dr. Steven Palmer at the University of Exeter will co-supervise. The University of Bristol Glaciology Centre is the largest university-based glaciology group in the UK and partners with the University of Exeter through the GW4+ Doctoral Training Program. BAS is a world-class research organisation and the central UK organisation for Antarctic science. The successful candidate will receive training on all aspects, including modelling, remote sensing, and glaciology. This includes opportunities for glaciology training schools abroad, residence time to work at BAS (in Cambridge) and meet with collaborators at Exeter, and travel for conference participation and presentation. There is also the potential for Antarctic ice shelf fieldwork associated with the project. The ideal candidate will have good computing skills and a quantitative background, but enthusiasm and self-motivation are the most important attributes.