Will Smith
Will's PhD project title is 'Landslides onto glaciers: detection, magnitude-frequencies, and delivery of limiting nutrients in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska'. Read more about Will's research.
Project description
Rock avalanches are a subset of landslides defined as rapid, large slope failures that exhibit flow-like motion of fragmented rock from a large rockslide or rockfall. In glacial environments these events are believed to be increasing in frequency, as a response to warming temperatures, causing ice-retreat and thinning, and permafrost degradation. If these events are increasing it is important to understand their potential effects on the glacial and extra-glacial environment. This project has three main aims: i) create a standard, reliable detection method for identifying glacially deposited rock avalanches, ii) assess their magnitude-frequency relationship in glacial environments, and, iii) quantify their ability to deliver certain limiting nutrients into glacial and extra-glacial environments.
Publications
Smith, W. D., Dunning, S. A., Brough, S., Ross, N., and Telling, J.: GERALDINE (Google Earth Engine supRaglAciaL Debris INput dEtector): a new tool for identifying and monitoring supraglacial landslide inputs, Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 1053–1065, https://esurf.copernicus.org/articles/8/1053/2020/ 2020.
Teaching
GEO2137 Key Methods for Physical Geographers
GEO3128 Polar Environments
GEO3144 Landslides from Pole to Pole
GEO2226 Glacial Environments