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Ute Herzfeld
Ph.D., University of Mainz
SPONSORS: Koni Steffen and Roger Barry
TITLE: Study of Ice-Surface Features as Indicators of Glaciologic and Climatic Processes, Based on Analysis of Ground and Satellite Data
THEMES: Dr. Herzfeld's cross-thematic research is categorized in Advanced
Observing and Modeling Systems as well as Climate System Variability. Her research into gravity and topography also touches on the theme of Geodynamics.
The ongoing research addresses the following questions:
- How do the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets react to climate change?
- What is the role of outlet glaciers and ice shelves, in particular of fast-moving outlet glaciers?
- How do we discriminate dynamic and climatic signals in observations, and what can we learn about the physical processes that cause them?
- Since measuring, mapping and monitoring of ice surfaces in remote areas is best achieved from satellite, essential prerequisites in answering the above questions concern the accuracy of observations (new sensors, ground truthing, data quality) and development of advanced data analysis methods
Research objectives are:
- Comparison and integration of data from new satellite sensors and field observations on surface roughness
- Characterization of dynamically and climatically induced features and their changes using geostatistical classification of satellite data
- Understanding and monitoring ablation processes in the Greenland ice sheet
- Combination of satellite data from various sensors for the production of thematic maps
- Relationship of gravity and topography for Greenland and Antarctic
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