Research

The inside of a crevasse on the Vaughan Lewis glacier

Fracture Formation and Propagation

The processes that control fracture formation, propagation, and calving events are not well constrained, due largely to a lack of available observations. I use the wealth of data recently collected by satellites to study the stress states present in fractured and unfractured ice to determine its material properties.

A gif of strain rates present on Pine Island Glacier from 2015 to 2020. In particular, the southern shear margin shifts 5km outwards in this time period

Fracture and Stress Evolution

I am interested in how fractures change over time as they advect downstream towards the calving front. I use remote sensing observations to track crevasses from formation all the way through calving, and investigate the changing stress states surrounding their growth. Understanding how fractures evolve over time is essential for predicting future calving events and the stability of Antarctic ice shelves.

Publications

Submitted and In Preparation:

Wells-Moran, S., Ranganathan, M., & Minchew, B., Fracture criteria and tensile strength for natural glacier ice calibrated from remote sensing observations of Antarctic ice shelves, submitted, doi: https://doi.org/10.31223/X5JX2F

Published:

Wells-Moran, S., Castro, A., Ranganathan, M., & Minchew, B. (2023). When PIGs Fly: Investigating Stress States and Rift Propagation on Antarctica’s Fastest-Flowing Glacier. Undergraduate Honors Thesis, Wellesley College https://repository.wellesley.edu/object/ir2033