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Dr Mark Smith
Prof Duncan Quincey
No more applications being accepted
Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Recent climate change has impacted glacier volumes worldwide through alteration of glacier mass balance (among other things). Many adjustments are well understood; yet our knowledge of changing surface energy balances remains limited. Glacier surface roughness is an important control on turbulent heat exchange at the ice-atmosphere interface, affecting the surface energy balance and melt rates. The relative contribution of turbulent fluxes is predicted to become more significant in a warming climate. Through shading, ice roughness also determines surface shortwave radiation receipt. Yet, ice roughness is afforded little attention in surface energy balance models and is represented as spatially uniform and static.
Recent advances in geomatics have changed this offering unprecedented resolution topographic data. Consequently, there is increasing attention on characterizing and parameterizing ice surface roughness. This project utilizes recent developments in high-resolution surveying to obtain spatially-distributed and dynamic ice surface roughness maps and relate these to field measurements of aerodynamic roughness heights. Spatial and temporal roughness variations will be incorporated into existing surface melt models and their performance will be validated against observed melt data.
For global impact, we also seek methods of upscaling our ability to map ice surface roughness using more readily available data. Upscaling requires interrogation of space-borne (or air-borne) remote sensing data products and the development of surrogate measurements of surface roughness, using radar backscattering, for example. Previous attempts to make such links were hindered by inadequate field and remote sensing data. However, the launch of TerraSAR-X coupled with advances in ground-based survey techniques means that we are now well-placed to develop surface melt models incorporating spatially-variable roughness from remote sensing data.
Fieldwork for this project will be undertaken on glaciers already being studied by the supervisors, which includes undertaking field work in the Himalayas, Austrian Alps, Greenland, Iceland or Arctic Sweden, or potentially a combination of sites.
In this project you will incorporate spatially variable and dynamic roughness into existing surface melt models and establish the subsequent effect on predicted glacier melting rates. The project can evolve according to your research preferences but key research questions could include:
(1) To what extent does surface roughness vary across and between mountain glaciers? How does this impact glacier melting both in the present day and in a warming climate?
(2) Is surface roughness dynamic? Can the temporal change of roughness through the melt season be predicted? Are their feedbacks between ice surface roughness, albedo and melting?
(3) Does incorporating spatially and temporally variable ice roughness in surface energy balance models improve predictions of melt?
(4) Can relationships between radar backscatter and surface roughness be used to upscale this approach to a regional or global scale?
The successful candidate will benefit from inter-disciplinary training in project specific research methods including GIS-based analysis and topographic surveying using cutting edge technologies (e.g. TLS, SfM), and numerical modelling, both internally and at external workshops. An additional important part of the training will be to attend national and international conferences to present results and gain feedback. The student will be encouraged to submit high quality papers for publication during the project.
Recent advances in geomatics have changed this offering unprecedented resolution topographic data. Consequently, there is increasing attention on characterizing and parameterizing ice surface roughness. This project utilizes recent developments in high-resolution surveying to obtain spatially-distributed and dynamic ice surface roughness maps and relate these to field measurements of aerodynamic roughness heights. Spatial and temporal roughness variations will be incorporated into existing surface melt models and their performance will be validated against observed melt data.
For global impact, we also seek methods of upscaling our ability to map ice surface roughness using more readily available data. Upscaling requires interrogation of space-borne (or air-borne) remote sensing data products and the development of surrogate measurements of surface roughness, using radar backscattering, for example. Previous attempts to make such links were hindered by inadequate field and remote sensing data. However, the launch of TerraSAR-X coupled with advances in ground-based survey techniques means that we are now well-placed to develop surface melt models incorporating spatially-variable roughness from remote sensing data.
Fieldwork for this project will be undertaken on glaciers already being studied by the supervisors, which includes undertaking field work in the Himalayas, Austrian Alps, Greenland, Iceland or Arctic Sweden, or potentially a combination of sites.
In this project you will incorporate spatially variable and dynamic roughness into existing surface melt models and establish the subsequent effect on predicted glacier melting rates. The project can evolve according to your research preferences but key research questions could include:
(1) To what extent does surface roughness vary across and between mountain glaciers? How does this impact glacier melting both in the present day and in a warming climate?
(2) Is surface roughness dynamic? Can the temporal change of roughness through the melt season be predicted? Are their feedbacks between ice surface roughness, albedo and melting?
(3) Does incorporating spatially and temporally variable ice roughness in surface energy balance models improve predictions of melt?
(4) Can relationships between radar backscatter and surface roughness be used to upscale this approach to a regional or global scale?
The successful candidate will benefit from inter-disciplinary training in project specific research methods including GIS-based analysis and topographic surveying using cutting edge technologies (e.g. TLS, SfM), and numerical modelling, both internally and at external workshops. An additional important part of the training will be to attend national and international conferences to present results and gain feedback. The student will be encouraged to submit high quality papers for publication during the project.
Funding Notes
This project is in competition for funding as part of the Leeds-York NERC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), for more details see http://www.nercdtp.leeds.ac.uk
Project supervisors
Career overview
Professor Mark Smith is a Professor of Water Science and Health at the University of Leeds. He holds a PhD in Overland Flow Resistance and Flood Generation in Semi-Arid Environments from the University of Durham, which he completed in 2009. He also earned an MSc in Geography from the University of Durham in 2005 and a BSc in Geography from the same institution in 2004. His academic career is marked by a strong focus on the interface between hydrology, geomorphology, and human health and well-being. Professor Smith''s research primarily investigates the impact of water flows and earth surface processes on malaria transmission, healthcare access, and flood risk. He conducts research in various environmental settings, both in the UK and internationally, with a particular emphasis on major African river systems. His current projects include the NERC FLOODMAL project, which explores hydrological and geomorphological drivers of malaria transmission in the Barotse wetlands of the Zambezi River in Zambia, and a CIHR project examining environmental and social drivers of healthcare access on the same floodplain. In the UK, he is engaged in understanding the operation and benefits of Natural Flood Management techniques, including the effects of large woody dams, beaver releases, and peatland restoration on flooding and sediment transport. His research also encompasses the effects of gravel mining and peatland wildfires on hydrology. Professor Smith has extensive experience in managing and conducting fieldwork in remote and challenging environments, and he applies advanced surveying and modelling methods to address various management issues related to river systems and flood management. He has supervised numerous postgraduate students and welcomes applications for research in areas related to river hydraulics, Natural Flood Management, glacier surveys, and erosion processes.
Research interests
Professor Smith''s research focuses on the interface between hydrology, geomorphology, and human health and well-being. He is particularly interested in the impact of water flows and earth surface processes on malaria transmission, healthcare access, and flood risk. His current work examines the effects of hydrological processes and flooding in major African river systems on malaria transmission at both the catchment and continental scale, including projects like the NERC FLOODMAL project, which investigates the hydrological and geomorphological drivers of malaria transmission in the Barotse wetlands of the Zambezi River in Zambia. In the UK, Professor Smith is dedicated to understanding the operation and benefits of Natural Flood Management techniques, such as Large Woody Dams and peatland restoration, and the consequences of events like gravel mining and peatland wildfires on flooding, water, and sediment transport. As a geomorphologist and hydrologist, he explores earth surface forms and processes across various environments. His research includes surveying and parameterising numerically complex topographies for hydraulic modelling and geomorphology, with a focus on spatially-distributed morphometric sediment budgets. He has extensive experience in managing and conducting fieldwork in remote and challenging environments. His UK-based research addresses management issues related to upland peat erosion due to wildfires, the effectiveness of Natural Flood Management interventions in reducing downstream flood peaks, roughness-resistance relationships in gravel bed rivers, and the hydraulic and geomorphological effects of beavers. Additionally, he investigates topographic survey methods and surface roughness parameterisation to study surface melt processes on glaciers and ice caps, including examining melt rates and parameterising aerodynamic roughness height for distributed melt modelling. Professor Smith supervises Masters by Research and PhD students in areas such as river hydraulics, evaluating Natural Flood Management techniques, glacier surveys, and quantifying erosion and deposition processes using high-resolution surveys.
Water Science
Health
Hydrology
Geomorphology
Malaria Transmission
Flood Risk
Natural Flood Management
Earth Surface Processes
River Basin Management
Glaciers
Peat Erosion
Sediment Transport
Hydraulic Modelling
Remote Fieldwork
Environmental Settings
Healthcare Access
Floodplain Inundation
Morphometric Sediment Budgets
Aerodynamic Roughness
Ice Melt Processes
Tropical Glaciers
Alpine Glaciers
Arctic Glaciers
Field Techniques
Spatially Distributed Modelling.
Career overview
Professor Duncan Quincey is a Professor of Glaciology at the University of Leeds, specialising in mountain glaciology and remote sensing. He focuses on contemporary glaciology, particularly the behaviour and form of debris-covered glaciers in response to climate change. His research investigates the impacts of these changes on communities in mountain regions, addressing glacial hazards and water resource management. Professor Quincey has led significant projects, including the PEGASUS project on glacial lake evolution in the Peruvian Andes and the EverDrill project, which characterises the thermal and flow properties of the Khumbu Glacier in Nepal. He also directed the HARVEST project, integrating isotopic methods to quantify glacier meltwater contributions with household survey data on water usage in Nepal. Currently, he contributes to the IMAGINE project, focusing on water resource management in the Canadian Arctic. Professor Quincey holds a PhD from Aberystwyth University, an MSc in Environmental Remote Sensing from the University of Aberdeen, and a BSc in Geography from the University of Durham. He teaches modules on geomorphology and remote sensing at various academic levels.
Research interests
Professor Quincey''s research focuses on the dynamics of mountain glaciers and the evolution of glacial and alpine environments, with particular emphasis on glacier flow and the processes controlling glacier mass loss. They utilise remote sensing to quantify changes in glacier velocity and surface elevation, and are particularly interested in the development of glacier hazards and their impact on local populations. Their work primarily involves regions in the Himalaya and the Andes, but they also supervise projects in Patagonia and Antarctica. Professor Quincey has led various projects, including those on glacial lake evolution in the Peruvian Andes, characterising the englacial thermal and flow properties of the Khumbu Glacier in Nepal, and integrating isotopic methods to quantify glacier meltwater contributions to water flow in Nepal. Currently, they contribute to the IMAGINE project, which focuses on water resource supply and management in the Canadian Arctic.
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