RESPONDER
Resolving subglacial properties, hydrological networks and dynamic evolution of ice flow on the Greenland Ice Sheet
About
The background of the RESPONDER project.
Science
The science behind the project.
People
The people involved in RESPONDER.
Outreach
Events the team has contributed to.
RESPONDER is an ERC-funded research project based at the University of Cambridge. It aims to develop an intergrated understanding of the evolution of ice flow on the Greenland ice sheet and the co-evolution of hydrological networks operating at its base. By employing multiple, complementary approaches, ranging from geophysical imaging techniques to direct exploration in kilometer-deep boreholes, the project is collecting an unparalleled stream of observational data from the basal environment which is rarely studied, yet responsible for making Greenland glaciers flow faster than glaciers anywhere else on Earth. Header photo by Timo Lieber (timolieber.com).
News and Blogs
Strong katabatics on the ice sheet
Weather conditions remain testy, but Coen, Rickard, Adrian and TJ are back on the job! Their biggest challenge is a strong, persistent flow of air from the interior of the ice sheet. These winds occur when air comes in contact with a cold surface cooled by radiation. The team is reporting especially strong winds early in[…]
Testy conditions on Store Glacier
The weather on Store Glacier has so far not been great. Gale force winds and exposure make progress slow, and sometimes the team just has to ride it out. Today’s update by satellite phone is: “Hello – we are riding out another storm, but mood is good. Plenty of food. Catch’g up on sleep” As[…]
RESPONDER team is back on Store Glacier
A new season of fieldwork is underway. A team of four has set out to survey the two selected areas for subglacial access drilling on Store Glacier. The team consists of Coen Hofstede, Rickard Pettersson, Adrian McCallum, Tun Jan “TJ” Young. The team is working in groups of two, with Coen and Adrian responsible for collecting[…]
Uummannaq exhibition comes to an and
Our exhibition at the Polar Museum: Uummannaq: 100 years of exploration in Greenland has come to an end. But that’s OK! We had 100 school groups and 24,260 members of the public dropping by while it was on display. The feedback has been really positive. Thank you to everyone involved, and those who visited. We hope[…]
Chain reaction of fast-draining lakes poses new risk for Greenland ice sheet
The RESPONDER team has published new findings in the journal Nature Communications. We used a combination of 3D computer modelling and real-world observations to show the previously unknown, yet profound dynamic consequences tied to a growing number of lakes forming on the Greenland ice sheet. Every summer, lakes form on the surface of the Greenland[…]
Flying Drones
Flying drones was one of the main scientific activities we undertook in the field season last summer. We were using them to gather data on the calving front and on the ice surface farther inland, with the objective of tracking small changes in surface elevation caused by hydrological variations at the base of the glacier.[…]
Setting Up Camp
Hello! To give you an insight into the fieldwork process, I’ll be publishing a few extracts on here from the diary I wrote whilst on the Summer 2017 fieldwork season. Here’s the first one about our first day at the tundra site and the travails of setting up camp. Samuel Setting Up Camp Today was[…]
Opportunities to join the RESPONDER team
We are looking for multiple new team members to join the RESPONDER team in 2018. The first is a research associate in glacier geophysics, who will be responsible for designing and executing experiments with networks of broadband seismometers placed around, and potentially within, boreholes drilled to the base of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The position[…]
Interview with BlueSci
RESPONDER PhD student Tom Chudley recently spoke to the Cambridge University science magazine, BlueSci, about the 2017 fieldwork season, drones, and the Uummannaq expedition currently showing at the Polar Museum, Cambridge. You can find the article at the end of the link!
RESPONDER on show at the Polar Museum
Our research is currently on display at the Polar Museum, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, in the new temporary exhibit: Uummannaq: A Century of Exploration Wednesday 27 September – Friday 22 December 2017 | Monday – Saturday 10 am – 4 pm This exhibition shows photographs taken on an expedition of Swiss explorer and meteorologist Alfred de Quervain[…]