DoctorDaniel Price

Ice Shelf Melt and Dynamics
Ice Shelves are where the Antarctic Ice Sheet gives away its ice back to the ocean. Via basal melting or iceberg calving this region is critical to  stability and the difference between positive and negative mass balance. Getting accurate numbers on basal melt is a significant challenge. Satellites can provide estaimtes over Antarctic-wide scales, but are riddled with uncertainties from models. Using surface-based phase sensitive radar stations delivers data precisesly on melt rate patterns as point measurements in key regions. Our work on this has involved point measurements across the entire Ross Ice Shelf (over 1,000 km of transect) and comparison to satellite estimates. Future work will target key regions ideally across decadal timeframes. My other work has involved the use of satellite-based synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to detect hazardous crevasses for the safe navigation of ice shelves for heavy vehcile traverses. 

Sea Ice
Antarctic sea ice is a powerful climate regulator. At maximum seasonal growth, it forms a frozen solar reflector that covers 90% of the Southern Ocean. This seasonal growth also drives the global ocean conveyor belts through thermohaline circulation, Antarctic bottom-water formed in the region constituting between 30 and 40 % of the entire global ocean mass. These two colossal processes are foundations of the entire climate system and regulate the surface energy balance of the planet. Consequently, understanding change within this system is of critical importance given the far reaching effects of the poles on the global climate system. Sea ice extent, area and drift are routinely monitored by satellite in the Southern Ocean but very little is known about its thickness. My work has focused on constraining uncertainty in satellite altimetry measurements of sea ice freeboard with the support of detailed surface validation campaigns. This work has involved assessment of NASA's ICESat-1, ICESat-2 and ESA's CryoSat-2 satellite altimeter systems. Another key tool to bridge the gap between surface measurements and satellite acquisitions are airborne surveys. Using an electromagnetic induction device flown at very low altitude we can precisely measure sea ice thickness across extensive areas.