Overview
Icequakes have the potential to provide information about deforming glaciers, much like earthquakes provide information about deforming tectonic plates. By recording seismic activity in dynamic glacier environments, we can investigate active processes within and beneath Antarctica’s outlet glaciers.
Our Research
Compute Antarctic investigates the processes that control how Antarctica’s outlet glaciers move, deform and change over time. Understanding these dynamic glacier systems helps us explore how ice responds to changing environmental conditions.
Our research spans outlet glaciers across East Antarctica, including Denman, Vanderford–Totten and Sørsdal glacier systems.
- Glacier movement and deformation
- Crevassing and ice fracture
- Changes in glacier behaviour over time
- Surface and sub-surface glacier processes
- Responses to changing environmental conditions
People
Anya Reading
Ian Kelly
Jared Magyer
Ross Turner
Methods
Seismology
Glaciers are naturally noisy environments, with processes such as crevassing, ice movement and water flow generating seismic signals. By recording and analysing these “icequakes”, we can identify when and where different glacier processes are occurring and investigate how they change over daily and seasonal timescales.
Projects & Field Sites
[Place-holder for map of field sites]
Our outlet glacier research includes deployments across East Antarctica, including the Denman and Vanderford–Totten and Sørsdal glacier systems.