Neil Arnold

Glaciologist with a particular interest in the interactions between ice dynamics, water and climate.

Research Area

I have a wide-ranging interest in glaciology and glacial processes. These interests include glacier surface energy balance and the production and routing of glacial meltwater over glacier surfaces and into subglacial drainage systems, at scales from valley glaciers to ice sheets. I’m interested in how glacial melt in particular can affect ice dynamics and the responses of glaciers and ice sheets to climate change.

I use a combination of numerical modelling linked with data, often derived from satellite imagery but also fieldwork. Such data can be used to drive the models, to provide boundary conditions for the models, and for model calibration, development and evaluation. Most recently, this work has involved a particular focus on the occurrence and behaviour of supraglacial lakes on Greenland and on Antarctic Ice Shelves, and on the flow of water beneath the Antarctic ice sheet during the last glacial period. I have also started collaborative work on new methods involving machine learning to aid analysis of satellite images. I am also interested in glacial processes on Mars. Although this research is not within the NERC remit, terrestrial glaciology is increasingly helping our understanding of Martian glacial processes.

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Project Interests

I would be happy to develop projects in the fields of glacier hydrology, climate change and ice dynamics. More specific ideas could relate to using remote sensing and other climate data to help understand possible relationships between ice sheet and shelf surface melt and sea ice distributions, and using remote sensing and machine learning to identify structures visible on and within cold-based glaciers and how these may reflect ice dynamic processes.

I work closely with two colleagues in the Scott Polar Research Institute, Prof. Ian Willis, and Dr Becky Dell, as well as colleagues at BAS and elsewhere in the UK and internationally.