Details of Award

NERC Reference : NE/K011197/1

Grounding line retreat in the Amundsen Sea

Lead Supervisor:: Professor A Shepherd, University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment
Grant held at:: University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment

Abstract:: Changes in the mass of the polar ice sheets are of considerable societal importance, because they reflect changes in climatic conditions and because they affect global sea level rise. The largest contemporary signal of ice sheet imbalance is occurring in the Amundsen Sea (AS) sector of West Antarctica, where glacier retreat, acceleration, and thinning are widespread as a consequence of oceanic forcing. The NERC iSTAR research programme focusses on changes at the Pine Island Glacier (PIG). However, the neighbouring Thwaites, and Smith glaciers (TG, SG) are also unstable and are, in fact, responsible for the majority of ice loss from the AS sector as a whole. Moreover, the future sea level contribution of the AS sector will be determined by the response of all three principle glacier systems, which are geometrically distinct. This PhD proposal aims to extend the suite of Earth Observation measurements developed at PIG within the iSTAR-C and iSTAR-D research programmes to encompass the TG and SG systems. This dataset will allow the iSTAR research programme to characterise the imbalance of the wider AS sector. The project is also aligned to a studentship proposal led by Professor Payne that aims to assess the contrasting dynamical sensitivity of the AS sector glaciers.

Authorised funds only

This training grant award has a total value of £72,211

Total - Fees	Total - Student Stipend	Total - RTSG
£13,978	£49,194	£9,040

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