I am investigating ocean mixing by capsizing (rotating) icebergs.
I am particularly interested in the enormous iceberg capsize events that occur in fjords at the peripheries of the Greenland Ice Sheet following full-thickness failure of marine-terminating glacier fronts. These full-thickness calving events produce kilometre-scale icebergs that may rotate, or "capsize", after detaching from the glacier front. In doing so, the capsizing icebergs are thought to vigorously stir the stratified ocean water in the fjord, like giant wooden spoons stirring an enormous pot of soup. The modification of fjord water characteristics by this localised mixing may impact the flow of the currents that exchange water masses and heat between the glacier and the open ocean, so may influence glacier melt rates. Improving the representation of processes occurring at ice-ocean boundaries in Earth System Models is critical for narrowing down uncertainties in predictions of future sea level rise.
I am working on incorporating capsizing icebergs into ocean models at the iceberg-scale and at the fjord-scale to understand (i) the amount of mixing generated by capsizing icebergs of different shapes and sizes, (ii) the impact of these events on fjord-scale circulation, and (iii) the rate and pattern of glacier melt thus induced.