Climate and Cryospheric Sciences
This cross-departmental research theme focuses on the study of past and modern climate change from a regional and global perspective, the impacts of climate on glacier extent and mass balance, and ultimately the combined impacts on society through mechanisms including sea-level rise and water supplies.
Prof Bob Hawley on the Athabasca Glacier, Alberta Canada. Photo by Laura Hutchenson '19
Department and Affiliated Faculty
Research areas currently include past and modern climate change (Feng, Hawley, Kelly, Mankin, Morlighem, Osterberg, Winter), glaciology and glacial geomorphology (Hawley, Kelly, Osterberg, Morlighem), Arctic hydrology (Feng and Osterberg), and subglacial hydrology and ice mechanics (Hawley, Meyer, Morlighem, Renshaw with colleagues in Thayer School of Engineering). Yet another exciting research area includes carbon sequestration (Sharma) with collaborations at the Irving Institute for Energy and Society.
DEPARTMENT FACULTY
Xiahong Feng (Emerita)
- Climate Change Impact on Hydrological Cycles
- Glaciology, Geophysics, and Remote sensing
- Glacial and Quaternary Geology, Paleoclimatology
- Paleoclimatology, Climate Dynamics, Snow and Ice Geochemistry
- Ice Mechanics
- Ice sheet contribution to sea level rise, Ice flow numerical modeling, Polar climate change
- Carbon Sequestration
AFFILIATED FACULTY
- Climate Modeling
- Mechanics and Ice Modeling
- Climate Prediction and Impacts
Groups and Facilities
The Department has excellent facilities and instrumentation in this area. Please see detailed information in the links below or in the Labs and Facilities tab.
A facility led by Dr. Hawley to study the physical properties of snow and ice.
A facility led by Dr. Osterberg for ice core processing, sampling, and analysis.
A facility led by Dr. Sharma for radiogenic isotopes.
A facility led by Dr. Feng for stable isotope geochemistry.
A facility led by Dr. Kelly for cosmogenic nuclide dating and sediment core analysis.