Research

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Glaciology and Geology

Supervisor: Dr. Mike Loso

Annual glacier monitoring, Malaspina Glacier research, and surficial geology mapping

I began a year-long Scientist in Parks position working with Mike Loso at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in May 2021. I work at the park headquarters in Copper Center, but I have spent significant time in Kennicott and Malaspina Glacier as well.

Glacier sliding, Iowa State University

Advisor: Dr. Neal Iverson

Ring-shear glacier sliding experiments

Using a ring-shear device at Iowa State University, I studied the mechanics of subglacial debris-bed friction. My experiments tested and expanded upon Bernard Hallet's theory (1979, 1981), which states that debris-bed friction is a product of bed-normal ice velocity and is independent of total normal stress applied by the ice. These experiments are the foundation of my master's thesis.

Surveys of glacier forefields in the Canadian Rockies and Swiss Alps

I spent two field seasons in 2017 and 2018 on a team creating DEMs of glacier forefields using LiDAR and structure-from-motion. I also measured characteristics of the rock surface like rock step geometry and striation orientation to analyze the geometry of subglacial cavities.

Glaciovolcanics in Iceland, Carleton College and Keck Geology Consortium

Advisors: Meagen Pollock, Ben Edwards, Cam Davidson

Vesicle Distribution in Glaciovolcanic Pillow Lava from Undirhlíðar, Southwest Iceland

During my senior year at Carleton College, I had the great opportunity to participate in a Keck Geology Consortium project, which is designed to provide research experiences to undergraduate students from the 18 participating colleges and universities. I joined a project lead by Megan Pollock and Ben Edwards that involved two weeks of fieldwork in Iceland, two weeks of labwork at Wooster College, presenting posters at the GSA national fall meeting, completing a thesis in the following year, and finally presenting our final work at the Keck Symposium at Wesleyan University.