Staff profile

PhD Research

Remote sensing of supraglacial lakes in East Antarctica

Ice sheet surface hydrology is an active area of research and has recently gained prominence regarding its role in ice sheet dynamics. Understanding surface hydrological interactions and how these may influence changes in ice sheet dynamics is crucial for accurately projecting future ice sheet mass balance and sea level rise contributions.

Supraglacial lakes form annually during the summer melt season on the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, forming extensive networks on grounded ice and floating ice shelves that are capable of storing and transporting meltwater. Meltwater transport from the drainage of these lakes can have a critical impact on ice sheet dynamics and mass balance, including meltwater-induced ice shelf collapse.

Even though these features are widespread, they remain relatively under-researched in East Antarctica, and in particular their behaviour during melt seasons and their relationship with ice sheet dynamics is unknown.

I am therefore using remote sensing data to gain insight into the potential influence of these surface lakes on glacier and ice shelf dynamics. I am particularly interested in how they evolve over seasonal and inter-annual timescales and how this may impact glacier and ice shelf flow on the East Antarctic ice sheet.

Funded by the Iapetus Doctoral Training Partnership (Natural Environmental Research Council)

Academic background

2018 Iapetus PhD - Durham University

• Remote Sensing of supraglacial lakes in East Antarctica

2012 - 2016 MSci (Hons) Geography (1st class) - Durham University

• Masters' research project: Recent outlet glacier terminus behaviour in Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica
• Supervisors: Professor Chris Stokes, Dr Stewart Jamieson

• Dissertation: A combined geomorphological and numerical modelling assessment of the Loch Lomond Stadial in the Borrowdale Fells, Central Lake District: implications for paleo-ice dynamic reconstruction
• Supervisors: Professor Chris Stokes, Dr Stewart Jamieson
• Nominated for QRA dissertation award

Employment

2016 - 2018 Intertek Energy and Water Consultancy 

• GIS Scientist in the GIS, Modelling and Metocean team

Memberships

International Glaciological Society

International Association of Cryopsheric Sciences

Royal Geographical Society

Research Groups

Ice Sheets and Sea Level

• Antarctic surface hydrology
• Remote Sensing of ice sheets

Journal Article

• Messerli, A., Arthur, J., Langley, K., How, P., & Abermann, J. (2022). Snow cover evolution at Qasigiannguit Glacier, southwest Greenland: A comparison of time-lapse imagery and mass balance data. Frontiers in Earth Science, 10, https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.970026
• Arthur, J. F., Stokes, C. R., Jamieson, S. S., Rachel Carr, J., Leeson, A. A., & Verjans, V. (2022). Large interannual variability in supraglacial lakes around East Antarctica. Nature Communications, 13(1), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29385-3
• Arthur, J. F., Stokes, C. R., Jamieson, S. S., Miles, B. W., Carr, J. R., & Leeson, A. A. (2021). The triggers of the disaggregation of Voyeykov Ice Shelf (2007), Wilkes Land, East Antarctica, and its subsequent evolution. Journal of Glaciology, 67(265), 933-951. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.45
• Arthur, J., Stokes, C., Jamieson, S., Carr, J., & Leeson, A. (2020). Recent understanding of Antarctic supraglacial lakes using satellite remote sensing. Progress in Physical Geography, 44(6), 837-869. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309133320916114
• Arthur, J., Stokes, C., Jamieson, S., Carr, J., & Leeson, A. (2020). Distribution and seasonal evolution of supraglacial lakes on Shackleton Ice Shelf, East Antarctica. The Cryosphere, 14(11), 4103-4120. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4103-2020

Other (Print)

• Lorenz, K., Harris, C., & Arthur, J. (2017). 1:50,000 Southwest Anvers Island and Palmer Basin: ASMA No. 7 (Map)