Research Themes

Ice sheets and biogeochemical cycles

Once thought to be passive and lifeless Polar deserts, Earth’s sheets are now known to be hot spots for “biogeochemical” activity, uniting vibrant microbial ecosystems (bio), erosion of rock in contact with meltwaters (geo) and chemical reactions (chemical), whose pulse is felt far beyond the ice. This creates connections to our atmosphere and oceans and their cycles of carbon, nutrients and life, with the potential to impact the climate and ecosystems on which we rely.

Extreme subglacial ecosystems

Beneath the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets, entombed beneath 1-4 km of moving ice, lurks a landscape remarkably similar to non-glaciated parts of our planet. For example, beneath Antarctica, there are over 400 lakes, interconnected valleys and rivers, swamps and deep basins of sediment. These are some of the most extreme habitats for life on Earth - but what life can exist, how does it survive and does it have any useful functions? Answering these radical questions demands novel technologies and international collaboration.

In the shadow of mountain glaciers

Glaciers are vital water stores in mountain regions, sustaining the flow of streams and rivers, yet their climates been warming at rates which exceed the global mean, resulting in significant glacier area reductions in recent decades. Some of these regions (e.g. the Andes, Himalaya) are also heavy populated. While the impacts of glacier recession on river flows are becoming better known, the consequences for water quality remain poorly understood, but will have dramatic impacts on people and ecosystems.