Short biography:
Ian is a Professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at UEA, where he has been working since 2004. Before that he worked for the British Antarctic Survey for 6 years and at the University of Toronto for 3 years. His research is on dynamical and physical processes that are important for weather and climate prediction; in particular mesoscale dynamical meteorology, air-sea interaction, atmospheric forcing of the ocean and North Atlantic climate.
Abstract:
The ice shelves surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula are vulnerable to climate change. On the eastern side of the Peninsula, the Larsen C ice shelf is the most northerly remaining, following the recent collapses of Larsen A and Larsen B primarily driven by surface melting and hydrofracturing. One cause of surface melting is the relatively warm air flowing over the Antarctic Peninsula and flooding the ice shelves during foehn flows. Here I will review recent research on foehn flows: their characteristics and dynamics, and their impact on the surface energy balance of the Larsen C ice shelf.
Arranged date for the seminar talk: May 22, 2017