U.S.-U.K. Collaborative Research: Theoretical Physics of Deformable Glacier Beds

该奖项将支持华盛顿大学地质科学系的Joseph Walder博士和英国牛津大学数学研究所的Andrew Fowler博士之间的合作研究。冰川学的最新发展使人们认识到，可变形的冰川床可能在冰川动力学中发挥着重要作用，如果不是主导作用的话。尽管如此，我们对冰川冰、冰川底部或附近的岩石碎片和冰下融水之间的相互作用的理解仍然不完整。拟议的研究项目将侧重于可变形冰川床的物理方面，特别是冰下水文、床变形和冰川运动之间的联系。所提出的理论工作分为三部分：1)对粗糙床上的土体运动进行模拟；2)对冰侵入冰下沉积物对冰下沉积物变形的影响进行模拟；3)对变形沉积物床上冰下融水管道的稳定性进行模拟。福勒博士近年来对理论地质学做出了重大贡献，他的数学专业知识将在指出拟议研究中涉及的近似分析技术方面发挥重要作用。这个项目可能会在理解许多冰川底部的冰、岩石碎片和融水相互作用的复杂区域的物理学方面取得重大进展。由于冰川学家越来越认识到冰川动力学可以由这一复杂的基底带控制，因此对这一主题的研究非常及时和重要。

This award will support collaborative research between Dr. Joseph Walder, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Washington and Dr. Andrew Fowler, Mathematical Institute, Oxford University, U.K. Recent developments in glaciology have led to the recognition that deformable glacier beds may play a significant, if not dominant, role in glacier dynamics. Nonetheless, our understanding of the interactions between glacier ice, rock debris at or near the glacier sole, and subglacial meltwater remains incomplete. The proposed research project will focus on aspects of the physics of deformable glacier beds, particularly the links between subglacial hydrology, bed deformation, and glacier motion. There are three parts to the proposed theoretical work: 1) Modelling of till movement over rough beds 2) Modelling the influence of ice penetration into subglacial sediments on deformation of such sediments and 3) Modelling stability of subglacial meltwater conduits on beds of deformable sediment. Dr. Fowler has made significant contributions to theoretical geology in recent years and his mathematical expertise will be valuable in pointing out approximate analytical techniques involved in the proposed research. This project may lead to significant advances in understanding the physics of the complicated zone of interacting ice, rock debris and meltwater at the soles of many glaciers. Because of the growing recognition by glaciologists that glacier dynamics can be controlled by this complicated basal zone, research on this topic is very timely and important.