L. Mac Cathles
Within New Zealand's Fox Glacier
Graduate Student
Advisor: Doug MacAyeal
E-mail: mcathles at uchicago.edu
Office: HGS 485
Research Interest: I am broadly interested in glacier physics and thermodynamics; particularly the intersection between experiments, either numerical or physical, and simple theories.
I have been involved in several research projects. I began research in glaciology studying surface and seasonal snow properties, primarily by conducting in situ measurements of diffusivity, permeability thermal conductivity and density, while testing theories on how these properties are related. This research brought me to both Antarctica and Greenland, working at Megadunes and Summit Camp. After arriving at University of Chicago, I became involved with The Worlds Largest Icebergs Project, analyzing seismic data collected on icebergs and ice shelves. We correlated signals observed in the seismic record to distant storms, finding 86 seismic events generated from ocean wave ice sheet interactions. These waves propagated from storms distributed over the North and South Pacific Oceans.
Dissertation: My dissertation research aims to investigate, through the use of numerical models, the thermodynamics and mechanics of surface water transport to the bed of an ice sheet, and quantify the effects of the water transport. Currently, I am developing a coupled surface energy balance - thermodynamics model of ice melting and freezing. Once developed and tested I will explore the evolution of surface meltponds and other supraglacial meltwater features. For a more detailed description of my current research, please see our melt pond research web page.
Recent publications
- Cathles, L. M., E. A. Okal and D. R. MacAyeal, 2009. Sea-swell arrival at the front of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica, observed in a 2-year seismometer record. Journal of Geophysical Research, 114, F02015, doi:10.1029/2007JF000934. [pdf]
- Cathles, L. Maclagan, IV, L.M. Cathles, III, and M.R. Albert (2007) Instruments and methods - A physically based method for correcting temperature profile measurements made using thermocouples. Journal of Glaciology, 53 (181): 298-304, doi: 10.3189/172756507782202892 [pdf]
