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

评估冰川和景观对人为影响和气候变化的响应是过去十年来地球系统科学的一个重要目标，特别是在对水资源和冰川和冰盖萎缩造成的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的影响，以及它们产生的景观。理论和观察表明，融水在加速冰块流动方面起着至关重要的作用，而冰块流动反过来又推动了侵蚀和陡峭山脉景观的形成。随着气温的升高，更多的水被产生并输送到冰川床上，从而增加了滑动的速度。这种增加的滑动产生了更多的冰和融水的侵蚀，雕刻出山谷，并向冰川前沿输送更多的沉积物和水。冰川床融水的产生受两个因素的调节：地表融化和基础热条件。表面融化是气候和碎片覆盖量的函数，如果足够厚的话，碎片覆盖可以隔离冰。基底热条件同样受气候的驱动。此外，侵蚀速率是基底类型和融水冲刷从冰床界面产生的任何碎屑的能力的函数。

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.