Reconstructing past ice sheet dynamics and decay from glacial geomorphology and sedimentology

该研究项目主要关注于了解在最后一个冰河时期覆盖加拿大和美国北部大部分地区的冰块运动、稳定和衰变的模式、演变和控制。了解古代冰盖的行为是很重要的，因为为它们的生长、衰变、几何形状和稳定性开发的模型可以用来预测当今北极和南极冰盖的行为，从而影响全球海平面和气候。冰的运动在很大程度上是由发生在冰川床上的过程所控制的。现在的冰原床很难接近，所以我们转向古代冰原床（它们留下的地貌和沉积物）来探索在大范围内、在各种尺度上、甚至在整个冰期内调节冰动力学的过程。在冰川床上发生的过程影响冰盖特性（如厚度、几何形状、碎屑含量），并可能对冰盖衰变的速度、形式和几何形状产生持久的影响。在这个应用中，研究探索了古代冰盖的床，以及它们的衰变景观，以增强我们对冰的运动、稳定性和衰变的理解。

This research program is mainly concerned with understanding the pattern, evolution and controls on ice motion, stability and decay within the ice masses that covered much of Canada and the northern United States during the last ice age. It is important to understand the behaviour of ancient ice sheets because the models developed for their growth, decay, geometry and stability can be used to predict the behaviour of present-day Arctic and Antarctic ice masses that in turn influence global sea level and climate. Ice motion is, in large part, governed by processes taking place at the glacier bed. The beds of present-day ice sheets are difficult to access, so we turn to the beds of ancient ice sheets (the landforms and sediments that they left behind) to explore the processes that regulate ice dynamics over broad areas, at a variety of scales and perhaps over whole ice ages. Processes taking place at the glacier bed impact ice sheet properties (e.g., thickness, geometry, debris content) and likely have an enduring effect on the rate, style and geometry of ice sheet decay. Research in this application probes the beds of ancient ice sheets, and their landscapes of decay, in order to enhance our understanding of ice motion, stability and decay.