Start Date

11-4-2022 3:45 PM

End Date

11-4-2022 5:00 PM

Access Type

Open Access

Abstract

The geological record of deglaciated landscapes extends spatial and temporal perspectives on ice-sheet processes and behavior that transcend the timeframe of modern instrumental observations. Based on geophysical, remote sensing, and sedimentological data from Antarctica and North America, I will discuss my group’s work on reconstructions of past ice-sheet changes and understanding processes and conditions that contribute to those changes, including subglacial meltwater drainage, grounding line retreat, and influence of topography on ice flow. The work that I will present highlights the importance of understanding past ice-sheet changes in assessing the stability of contemporary glacial systems – and what the multi-faceted term of stability means in this context.

Biography

Dr. Simkins uses sediments and landforms from glacial landscapes to address elusive questions about glacier retreat, ice-bed interactions, subglacial hydrology, and processes that contribute to glacier change. She has a B.S. in Geology from Oklahoma State University, a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from the University of California Santa Barbara, and completed postdoctoral research at Rice University prior to arriving at the University of Virginia as an Assistant Professor in 2018.

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Apr 11th, 3:45 PM Apr 11th, 5:00 PM

Paleo-perspectives on marine and terrestrial ice sheets

The geological record of deglaciated landscapes extends spatial and temporal perspectives on ice-sheet processes and behavior that transcend the timeframe of modern instrumental observations. Based on geophysical, remote sensing, and sedimentological data from Antarctica and North America, I will discuss my group’s work on reconstructions of past ice-sheet changes and understanding processes and conditions that contribute to those changes, including subglacial meltwater drainage, grounding line retreat, and influence of topography on ice flow. The work that I will present highlights the importance of understanding past ice-sheet changes in assessing the stability of contemporary glacial systems – and what the multi-faceted term of stability means in this context.