Glacier and ice-sheet dynamics, the hydrology of glacierized systems, and the relationship of these systems to climate
Current Research Projects - G. Flowers
include (1) , (2) and (3) .
(1) Fast glacier flow and bedrock geology. We have been working on the longstanding and unsolved question of how the geologic substrate is related to . In an extensive and multidisciplinary field-based study, we examined everything from subglacial chemical weathering to proglacial suspended sediment properties to the . We found a stunning correlation between , prompting a new hypothesis to explain the local distribution of surge-type glaciers.
(2) Unstable ice-dammed lakes. Outburst floods from glacier-dammed lakes pose a threat to downstream ecosystems, infrastructure and communities. To better understand the interaction between glaciers and freshwater reservoirs, we undertook a process-based study of the largest annually recurring ice-dammed lake in our Yukon study area. collected over the course of an annual lake filling and drainage cycle revealed that r (rather than in the visible lake) and that the lake and ice dam interact in ways that are absent in standard models. This project also facilitated the development of a to monitor englacial/subglacial properties.
(3) Measuring and modelling snowfall across glaciers. Glaciers rely on the seasonal accumulation of snow to offset mass lost through summer melt, yet accumulation is notoriously difficult to quantify due to its spatial heterogeneity. Using over , we have investigated key sources of uncertainty in and tested different .
We also work on , , , , , and .