PAOC Colloquium (PAOCQ) – Winnie Chu (Georgia Tech)

Observing evolving ice sheet condition using multi-temporal radar sounding

The ice sheets covering Greenland and the Antarctic are the largest contributors and uncertainty in projecting future sea level rise. A big challenge in predicting Greenland and Antarctica’s mass losses is the limited understanding of the critical processes that determine the ice sheet’s sensitivity to external forcing. My research focuses on ice sheet subsurface processes and understanding how these englacial and subglacial mechanisms influence ice sheet behaviors. To study this largely inaccessible subsurface environment, my lab develops and applying geophysical techniques, focusing on radar sounding methods, remote sensing, and integrating data with numerical models. In this talk, I will give a few examples of our research efforts on the Greenland Ice Sheet, and the importance of glacial hydrology in understanding ice sheet dynamic processes.

About this series: The PAOC Colloquium is a weekly interdisciplinary seminar series that brings together the whole PAOC community. Seminar topics include all research concerning the physics, chemistry, and biology of the atmospheres, oceans and climate, but also talks about e.g. societal impacts of climatic processes. The seminars take place on Monday from 12-1pm. Contact paoc-colloquium-comm@mit.edu for more information and Zoom password.