Scott Polar Research Institute Review 2018 92nd Annual Report of the Scott Polar Research Institute University of Cambridge, UK 1 Melwater-sculpted iceberg in the waters off Greenland Cover photograph: Tabular iceberg in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica Contents Director’s Introduction 2 Institute Staff 4 Polar Research 6 Research Structure Polar Natural Sciences Research Polar Social Sciences and Humanities Research Current Research Grants Publications by Institute Staff 14 Books Papers Book Chapters and Other Contributions Doctoral and Masters Theses Seminars in the Institute Polar Information and Historic Archives 18 Library and Information Service The Picture Library The Thomas H Manning Polar Archives SPRI Website Polar Record Teaching, Learning and Understanding 20 University Teaching The Polar Museum Projecting the Significance of the Polar Regions Expedition Support: Gino Watkins Fund External Contributions to Polar Activities 23 National and International Roles of Staff Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Friends of SPRI and the SPRI Centenary Campaign 24 Friends of the Scott Polar Research Institute SPRI 2020 Centenary Campaign Cover photograph: Tabular iceberg in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica Director’s Introduction An important aspect of the work of the Scott Polar glacier-influenced Arctic margins. Alison has received Research Institute since its foundation almost a century a two-year Visiting Fellowship at the University of ago has been field research in both polar regions. We Colorado, Boulder, to study the stability of Antarctic continued to send Institute staff and students into the ice shelves. Sasha will take up a three-year Junior field with parties investigating both natural-science Research Fellowship at Peterhouse, Cambridge, and social-science issues in the Arctic and Antarctic after completing his PhD, working on ice-sheet during 2018. Observations of fast-flowing Greenland reconstruction using the geological record. These outlet glaciers, and the basal and surface processes awards are a clear demonstration of the high regard in that contribute to their rapid motion, were supported which our early-career researchers are held. by funding from Dr Poul Christoffersen’s major European Science Foundation project. Dr Ian Willis and Outreach activities continue to thrive, with the Polar Dr Alison Banwell continued their fruitful collaboration Museum being visited by about 50,000 people with American scientists, monitoring the behaviour during 2018. A similar number accessed SPRI’s online of the McMurdo Ice Shelf in Antarctica. Julian and outreach resources including short videos, teacher Evelyn Dowdeswell sampled driftwood on Greenland resource packs and a teaching module for the Open and Baffin Island beaches to reconstruct past sea-ice University’s undergraduate geography course. In cover in Arctic waters. In the polar social sciences and addition, over 6,500 school children visited the humanities, too, the large European Research Council museum for workshops or self-guided visits and grant awarded to Dr Richard Powell has allowed him handling collections loaned to schools were accessed to build a strong team of post-doctoral researchers, by nearly 3,000 children. Visitor feedback relating to with archival as well as field research being important these activities is very positive indeed. In July 2018, components of their investigations. Reflecting this Polar Encounters: 200 years of contemporary and international activity, SPRI became a member of the historical polar art opened at Bonhams in London, University of the Arctic in September 2018, with before a smaller version was transferred to the Polar Gareth Rees and Richard Powell appointed as our Museum. The exhibition featured a wide range of representatives. artworks from the Institute’s extensive collections. At Bonhams, the exhibition also included work Publications based on polar field research, satellite from recent Friends of SPRI Artists in Residence. The remote-sensing and numerical modelling have scheme, sponsored by Bonhams, allows artists to appeared in agenda-setting international journals such visit the Arctic and Antarctic, supported logistically as Science Advances, Nature Communications, Nature by One Ocean Expeditions and the Royal Navy, Climate Change and the Proceedings of the National respectively. The understanding of Antarctica has also Academy of Sciences. The topics of these papers been projected to the wider public in a new book, reflect ongoing research into important environmental- The Continent of Antarctica, by Julian Dowdeswell change questions relating, for example, to the role of and Michael Hambrey (a past Associate of SPRI). The surface meltwater in the stability or otherwise of ice book aims to provide a well-illustrated, accessible, yet sheets and ice shelves, and the effects of basal water authoritative treatment of the physical environment on fast ice-sheet flow. Investigations of these problems of the Antarctic, together with the history of its are very timely given the rapid changes that are taking exploration and its modern governance under the place in the global cryosphere or icy world. In the Antarctic Treaty System. polar social sciences, Dr Michael Bravo’s new book, North Pole: Nature and Culture, is likely to become a Our staff continue to play major roles in polar benchmark publication in the history of science. It has organisations at a national and international level and featured in literary and science festivals and has been to be recognised for their academic achievements. well received in the national press. It asks important During the year Dr Bryan Lintott was appointed questions about why poles and polarity continue to Secretary General of the International Polar Heritage play a critical role for understanding our planet. Committee, which is part of the International Council on Monuments and Sites. Dr Richard Powell appeared Recognition of the academic standing of the Institute’s as an expert witness before the House of Commons post-doctoral research community has come in several Environmental Audit Committee on ‘The Changing forms. Dr Marion Bougamont was promoted to Senior Arctic’. Dr Piers Vitebsky was elected an Honorary Research Associate for her sustained high-quality work Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the on the numerical modelling of ice sheets and their Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia, and Professor Julian basal boundary condition. Highly competitive research Dowdeswell was elected a Fellow of the Learned fellowships have also been awarded to Dr Christine Society of Wales. Julian was also awarded the Lyell Batchelor, Dr Alison Banwell and Sasha Montelli. Medal of the Geological Society of London for his Christine’s three-year Vista Fellowship was awarded contributions to the study of soft-rock geology. recently by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Research student Ragnhild Dale received a prestigious Letters and concerns the sedimentary architecture of Vice-Chancellor’s Public Engagement with Research 2 The Director on glacial geology fieldwork in southern Baffin Island, Canada Award for her project on environmental issues generation about the polar regions, are underpinned by concerning oil exploration in the Barents Sea. new funds in support of academic posts, field research, The Friends of SPRI have also had a very active year, research studentships and the endowment of the vital linked to fundraising for a Centenary Studentship heritage and outreach roles of Museum Curator and to support participation in the Institute’s Masters Archivist. As Director, I shall be working towards these Programme in Polar Studies. A Friends Tribute Lecture goals over the centenary period, culminating in the for the life and achievements of the glaciologist hundredth anniversary of the Institute’s foundation in Charles Swithinbank (a long-time Associate of, and November 2020. generous benefactor to SPRI) was given by Sir Ranulph Fiennes at the Royal Geographical Society in London It is once again a pleasure to thank the very dedicated and, later in the year, Michael Palin gave a talk on his staff of the Institute for their work over the year, and recent book about HMS Erebus to a packed house in to acknowledge the commitment of our Friends’ Cambridge. A voyage to West Greenland and Baffin organisation together with material and in-kind Island with One Ocean Expeditions also attracted support from many generous benefactors to the SPRI. almost 40 Friends of SPRI. In a time when funding-support from UK and European governmental sources is in decline, yet the polar regions are clearly central to climate-change issues, the SPRI Centenary Campaign assumes particular significance. Our aspiration is that the Institute’s research and heritage activities, and its role in educating the next Professor Julian Dowdeswell 3 Institute Staff Senior Academic Staff Professor Julian Dowdeswell Director and Professor of Physical Geography Dr Neil Arnold University Senior Lecturer Dr Michael Bravo University Senior Lecturer Dr Poul Christoffersen University Reader Dr Richard Powell University Lecturer Dr Gareth Rees University Senior Lecturer Dr Ian Willis University Senior Lecturer Researchers Dr Antonio Abellan Marie Curie Fellow (until January) Dr David Amblas Marie Curie Fellow (until March) Dr Alison Banwell Leverhulme Research Fellow (until April) Dr Christine Batchelor Research Associate Mr Toby Benham Research Associate Dr Marion Bougamont Senior Research Associate Dr Johanne Bruun Research