Assessing the impacts of climate change on glaciers, landscapes, and freshwater resources

评估冰川和景观如何应对人为影响和气候变化一直是过去十年地球系统科学的一个重要目标，特别是在对冰川和冰盖缩小造成的水资源和自然灾害的预测方面。我的研究计划的目标是继续研究气候变化对冰川和冰盖动态及其产生的景观的影响。理论和观察表明，融水在加速冰团流动方面发挥着至关重要的作用，这反过来又推动了侵蚀和陡峭山地景观的形成。随着温度升高，会产生更多的水并输送到冰川床，从而增加滑动速度。这种增加的滑动会产生更多的冰和融水侵蚀，形成山谷并向冰川前缘输送更多沉积物和水。冰川床融水的产生受到两个因素的调节：表面融化和基础热条件。地表融化是气候和碎片覆盖量的函数，如果碎片足够厚，就可以隔离冰。基础热条件同样受气候驱动。 此外，侵蚀速率是基质类型以及融水冲洗冰床界面产生的任何碎片的能力的函数。 从我的研究团队和其他人的这些观察中汲取灵感，我正在进行的研究计划将重点关注： 评估冰-海洋-沉积物相互作用的经验模型 观察碎片覆盖对冰川融化和质量平衡的作用 探索冰川侵蚀的时空变化 量化近期冰川萎缩对景观动态和自然灾害的影响 我的目标是继续应用跨学科研究和思维来评估气候变化对冰川和景观的影响。我将整合实地观测、经验数据收集的新技术、空间分析、年代测定工具和数值模型开发，以研究气候变化、冰动态、融水产生和景观侵蚀之间的关系。我的研究将有助于改进对气候变暖时景观、冰块、自然灾害和水资源变化的预测。它将为即将于 2019 年发布的政府间气候变化专门委员会 (IPPC) 《气候变化中的海洋和冰冻圈特别报告》提供信息。

Assessing how glaciers and landscapes are responding to anthropogenic impacts and climate change has been an important goal in Earth system science over the past decade, especially with respect to projections of water resources and natural hazards due to shrinking glaciers and ice caps. The objective of my research program is to continue to investigate the effects of climate change on the dynamics of glaciers and ice sheets, and on the landscapes they produce. Theory and observations have shown that meltwater plays a crucial role in accelerating the flow of ice masses, which in turn drives erosion and the creation of steep mountain landscapes. As temperatures rise, more water is being generated and delivered to the glacier bed, increasing the rate of sliding. This increased sliding generates more erosion by ice and meltwater, carving out valleys and delivering more sediment and water to the glacier front. The production of meltwater at the glacier bed is modulated by two factors: surface melting and basal thermal conditions. Surface melting is a function of climate and the amount of debris cover, which if thick enough can insulate the ice. Basal thermal conditions are similarly driven by climate. Moreover, erosion rates are a function of type of substrate, and the capacity of meltwater to flush any debris generated from the ice-bed interface. Drawing inspiration from these observations, made by my research team and others, my ongoing research program will focus on: Evaluating empirical models of ice-ocean-sediment interactions Observing the role of debris cover on glacier melt and mass balance Exploring the temporal and spatial variability of glacial erosion Quantifying the effects of recent glacier shrinkage on landscape dynamics and natural hazards My aim is to continue to apply interdisciplinary research and thinking to assess the impacts of climate change on glaciers and landscapes. I will integrate field observations, novel techniques for empirical data collection, spatial analysis, geochronological dating tools, and numerical model development to examine the relationships between climate change, ice dynamics, meltwater production, and the erosion of landscapes. My research will help improve predictions of changes in landscapes, ice masses, natural hazards and water resources in a warming climate. It will inform the upcoming Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) Special Report on Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, due in 2019.