Understanding past climate and landscape evolution through modern glacial processes

这里提出的研究重点是在一系列时间尺度和气候制度下量化气候、冰动力学和冰川沉积物产生之间的关系。这些主题将使用理论模型和经验现场观测相结合的方法进行研究。具体的项目和地点包括(1)探索区域地表和海洋变暖对格陵兰和加拿大北极极地出口冰川冰川动力学的影响(2)量化巴塔哥尼亚和不列颠哥伦比亚省温带进退冰川的冰流和沉积物通量的变化，以及(3)探索冰川、河流和构造对太平洋西北部地形演变的影响特征。这种野外观测和理论模拟的新组合的预期结果将对探索构造、气候和地形之间的联系的研究界非常感兴趣，以及试图解释加拿大北极等气候记录很少的地方第四纪气候变化的沉积特征的古气候界非常感兴趣。最近极地冰盖造成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意义的问题，得到了政界人士、新闻媒体以及教育和外联组织的广泛报道和关注。这项工作将对a)冰-海洋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，以及b)区域水分和温度变化对冰川健康的作用提供新的见解，这两项都是获得对全球冰团演变及其对气候变暖时海平面上升的贡献的更现实的预测所必需的。申请者将利用她作为TED研究员和地球系统科学国际研究小组成员的科学政策经验和关系来帮助传播这项工作的发现。

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.