The Cook Glacier region as a window into Earth to ice interactions in East Antarctica
About the research project
Geothermal heat flow plays a key role in how ice sheets behave, yet it is poorly understood beneath East Antarctica. This project will determine new heat-flow estimates for the Cook Glacier region and use these, along with plate tectonic and mantle dynamic models, to understand how deep-Earth processes shape the cryosphere.
The candidate will work with sediment temperature, thermal conductivity, and magnetic susceptibility measurements, combined with bathymetry, backscatter, and sub-bottom profiler data, to map heat flow across the region and identify what geological features control its variability. These results will be corroborated with plate tectonic reconstructions and mantle flow models, helping to reconstruct the tectonic and geodynamic history of the East Antarctic margin.
The project will incorporate new data from the IN2026_V01 voyage on the RV Investigator, with the opportunity for the candidate to join upcoming voyage IN2027_V02 and take part in marine geology fieldwork.
This position will suit a candidate interested in combining geological and geophysical data analysis with geodynamic modelling, and who is keen to contribute to grow understanding of how Earth’s deep interior influences ice-sheet stability, a question of direct relevance to sea-level rise.
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