Understanding past climate and landscape evolution through modern glacial processes

本文提出的研究重点是在一系列时间尺度和气候条件下量化气候、冰动力和冰川沉积物产生之间的关系。我们将结合理论模型和实地观察来研究这些课题。具体项目和地点包括：(1)探索区域表面和海洋变暖对格陵兰岛和加拿大北极极地出口冰川冰动力的影响；(2)量化巴塔哥尼亚和不列颠哥伦比亚省温带进退冰川冰通量和沉积物通量的电流变化；(3)探索太平洋西北地区冰川、河流和构造对地形演变的影响特征。这种野外观测和理论建模的新颖结合的预期结果将对探索构造、气候和地形之间联系的研究团体产生相当大的兴趣，同时也对试图解释第四纪气候变化的沉积特征的古气候团体产生极大的兴趣，例如加拿大北极地区，那里几乎没有气候记录。最近极地冰盖的巨大损失和相应的海平面上升是一个具有高度社会和科学重要性的问题，得到了政治家、新闻媒体、教育和外展组织的广泛报道和关注。这项工作将为以下方面提供新的见解：a)冰-海相互作用在出口冰川系统中的作用及其对冰盖物质平衡的影响；b)区域湿度和温度变化对冰川健康的作用，这两个方面都是获得更现实的预测所必需的：全球冰块的演变及其对温暖气候下海平面上升的贡献。申请人将利用其作为TED研究员和国际地球系统科学研究小组成员的科学政策经验和联系，帮助传播这项工作的结果。

The research proposed here focuses on quantifying the relationship between climate, ice dynamics and glacial sediment production across a range of temporal scales and climate regimes. These topics will be investigated using a combination of theoretical models and empirical field observations. Specific projects and locations include (1) exploring the influence of regional surface and ocean warming on the ice dynamics of polar outlet glaciers in Greenland and the Canadian Arctic (2) quantifying current changes in ice fluxes and sediment fluxes from temperate advancing and retreating glaciers in Patagonia and BC, and (3) exploring the signatures of glacial, fluvial and tectonic influences on the evolution of topography in the Pacific Northwest.The expected outcomes of this novel combination of field observations and theoretical modeling will be of considerable interest to the research community exploring the links between tectonics, climate and topography, as well as of great interest to the paleoclimate community attempting to interpret the sedimentary signatures of Quaternary climatic changes in places such as the Canadian Arctic, where few climate records exist. The recent dramatic mass losses from the polar ice sheets and corresponding sea level rise is a problem of high societal and scientific importance that has received large coverage and attention by politicians, news media, and education and outreach organizations. This work will provide new insights into a) the role of ice-ocean interactions in outlet glacial systems and their impact on ice sheet mass balance, and b) the role of regional moisture and temperature variability on glacier health, both of which are needed to obtain more realistic predictions of the evolution of ice masses worldwide and their contribution to sea level rise in a warmer climate. The applicant will use her science policy experience and connections as a TED Fellow and member of international research panels for Earth System Sciences to help disseminate the findings from this work.