Thwaites Interdisciplinary Margin Evolution (TIME)

Lead Research Organisation: University of St Andrews
Department Name: Geography and Sustainable Development

Abstract

The global scientific community considers the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to be the most significant risk for coastal environments and cities, given its potentially large contribution to future sea-level rise. The risk posed by the WAIS is exacerbated because it is in direct contact with the warming ocean and because its reverse bed slope makes the ice vulnerable to a prolonged unstable retreat.
Although scientists have been aware of the precarious setting of the WAIS since the early 1970s, it is only now becoming apparent that the flow of ice in several large drainage basins is undergoing dynamic change, which is consistent with - although not certain to be - the beginning of a sustained and potentially unstoppable disintegration. Two of the fundamental global challenges facing the scientific community today include understanding the controls on the stability of the WAIS, and enabling a more accurate prediction of sea-level rise through improved computer simulations of ice flow. In the TIME project, we directly address both challenges by:
a) using frontier technologies to observe rapidly deforming shear margins hypothesized to exert strong control on the future evolution of ice flow in the Thwaites Glacier drainage basin, and
b) using observational records to develop parameterisations for important processes which are yet to be implemented in the ice sheet models used to predict the Antarctic contribution to sea level rise.
TIME will test the key hypothesis that the future evolution of ice flow through the Thwaites Glacier drainage basin is governed by the dynamics of the shear margins that separate the fast flowing glacier from the slow-moving ice that surrounds it. To test the hypothesis the team will set up an ice observatory at two sites on the eastern shear margin of Thwaites Glacier. The team argues that weak topographic control makes this shear margin susceptible to outward migration and, possibly, sudden jumps in response to the drawdown of inland ice when the grounding line of Thwaites Glacier retreats. The ice observatory is designed to produce new and comprehensive constraints on important englacial properties, which include ice deformation rates, ice crystal fabric, ice viscosity, ice temperature, ice liquid-water content and basal melt rates. The ice observatory will also establish basal conditions, including thickness and porosity of any subglacial sediment layer and the deeper marine sediments.
Furthermore, the team will develop new knowledge with an unparalleled emphasis on the consequences of variations in these properties for ice flow, including a direct assessment of the spatial and temporal scales on which they vary. These knowledge will be obtained from interdisciplinary field-based geophysical platforms, including 3D active-source seismic surveys, 2D active-source seismic transects, networks of GPS and complementary passive broadband seismometers, and autonomous radar systems deployed with phased arrays to detect rapidly deforming internal layers and liquid water in the ice and at the bed.
Datasets will be incorporated into numerical models developed on different spatial scales. One will focus specifically on shear margin dynamics, the other on how shear margin dynamics can influence ice flow in the whole drainage basin. Upon completion, the project will have confirmed whether the eastern shear margin of Thwaites Glacier can migrate rapidly, as hypothesised, and if so what the impacts will be in terms of sea level rise in this century and beyond.

Planned Impact

The TIME project benefits any academic research programme aiming to understand the dynamic controls on the Thwaites Glacier Drainage Basin and, therefore, the wider stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. To date, the characterisation of the Thwaites margins has been largely ignored in numerical ice sheet models; this is despite the fact that the global scientific community considers the collapse of WAIS to be among the most significant risks for coastal environments and cities given the potential consequence for future sea-level rise. Our research therefore addresses a fundamental socio-economic question, and could ultimately influence government policy via contributions to future forecasts of sea-level rise in the coming decades. To facilitate the broadest reach into the wider community, we will continue our collective record of dissemination into the highest-profile open-access scientific literature.
Our programme of public engagement will raise awareness of the role of glaciers in the climate change debate, ensuring that environmental considerations remain on government agendas. This programme involves a continuing commitment to public dissemination, including a 'Polar Science Day' of outreach at each of our five annual science meetings (held successively in Santa Cruz, Cambridge, El Paso, Leeds and Oklahoma). It is the experience of USA partners in the TIME project that more than 1000 community members participate in such educational activities, and we expect to be able to replicate this in each regional event. We will also produce an exhibition based on discovery science in the TIME project, using the Polar Museum in Cambridge as a venue for public outreach. The museum is visited by 40,000 or more members of the public and >100 schools groups each year. Public engagement will also be facilitated by maintaining a project website, featuring "explained" science, field photos, tweets and blogs.
The education and outreach theme will revolve around the central question: Is the WAIS in a state of collapse? This highly relevant question offers rich possibilities for education and outreach for K-12 audiences in the USA and school groups from both primary and secondary education in the UK.

Publications

10 25 50

Related Projects

Project Reference Relationship Related To Start End Award Value
NE/S006788/1 01/11/2018 30/03/2023 £577,640
NE/S006788/2 Transfer NE/S006788/1 29/06/2023 31/12/2026 £200,361
 
Title SAGES Climate Science Podcast: Ep. 3 - Snow and Ice 
Description Emma Cameron and TJ Young featured in the Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Environment and Society (SAGES)' 11-part Climate Science podcast, funded by the Scottish Government's Climate Engagement Fund. Over the course of an hour, TJ and Emma, along with Ailsa Guild (University of Dundee) and Laura Young (SAGES Digital Science Communications Intern) covered topics ranging from why the cryosphere matters for climate change, how cryospheric research investigates the past/present/future of glaciers and ice sheets, and how this impacts Scotland as well as the rest of the world. A section of the podcast is dedicated to discussing the importance of studying Thwaites Glacier in the context of the marine ice sheet instability as well as potential global sea level rise. The podcast episodes were recorded in Glasgow at the Podcast Studio in October 2024, and was released on 21 January 2025 as part of a public launch event involving fellow podcast contributors, members of government, climate activists, and other influential members of the public. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2025 
Impact This SAGES Climate Science Podcast series presents the latest climate science, gain a better understanding of global challenges, and explore how they can contribute to shaping a more sustainable future. Supported by the Scottish Government's Climate Engagement Fund 2024/2025, the series presents engaging discussions on climate science, covering a broad range of topics including blue carbon, peatlands, flooding, technology, and environmental justice. All episodes are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube, and are presented in an accessible format that is understandable to interested members of the general public. The podcast has reached over a million views and listens across the various distribution channels, and reaches a wide audience that covers all interested members of the general public. 
URL https://sages.ac.uk/podcast/
 
Description The Thwaites Interdisciplinary Margin Evolution (TIME) project investigates the potential impact of shear-margin dynamics on the future evolution of ice discharge from the Thwaites Drainage Basin. Although parts of the project were not achieved or delayed due to limited logistical field support, key active seismics experiments, including a large 3-D active source survey, were completed in the final and most recent 2023-24 Antarctic field season. In this same season, the field team also achieved radar and fibre-optic experiments complementary to the active source survey. Experiments and surveys having a smaller footprint, including radar, GNSS, and passive seismic experiments at Thwaites Glacier, were achieved in previous (2019-2023) field seasons in response to these delays. Surveys that complemented the project scope were also conducted at WAIS Divide, McMurdo Ice Shelf, and Eastwind Glacier in response to logistical delays, and to date have produced key significant findings that establish methodological procedures to eventually be applied to Thwaites datasets, whilst revealing scientific insights in glaciological processes.

The Eastern Shear Margin of Thwaites Glacier

To date, investigations at the eastern shear margin (ESM) of Thwaites Glacier have revealed important processes that govern margin stability as well as past and future migration. Using airborne radar data to map the ice fabric anisotropy across the ESM, Young et al. (2021a,b) discover the presence of a relic shear margin supporting the hypothesis of a potential past inward migration of this shear margin. This same research paper highlights the need to constrain regional flow enhancement for accurate ice discharge prediction. In response, Hehlen et al. (in prep) show that widely-used isotropic flow models are unable to reproduce the local position of the ESM, and that only anisotropic flow modelling, parameterised by empirical radar-derived enhancement factors, can realistically produce a flow-defined ESM. Modelling investigations into processes governing margin stability have also suggested potential future outward margin migration, which promotes increased ice discharge, to be more likely than inward migration, which limits ice loss from the glacier (Summers et al. 2023). The propensity for this migration was found to be primarily driven by the strength of basal substrate with increased thinning, as well as basal lubrication from subglacial hydrology. Future work by Ryan Strickland and TJ Young will examine the role of anisotropic flow across larger catchment areas surrounding the margins and main trunk of Thwaites Glacier.

Comparative analysis of airborne geophysical datasets with thermomechanical modelling also reveal shear margins in the Amundsen Sea Embayment, including Thwaites Glacier, to be colder than expected, perhaps driven by lateral advection of cold ice that limits the development of temperate ice (Summers et al. 2024). Independent modelling results that investigate whether the ESM is constrained by subglacial hydrology similarly suggest limited presence of temperate ice that defines the ESM (Hehlen et al. in prep).

A wealth of seismic (active and passive source), radio-wave, and GNSS datasets were successfully collected over 5 seasons at Thwaites Glacier (2019-2024) and ongoing empirical and modelling research investigating and assimilating the collected datasets will shed further light into the flow dynamics, englacial and subglacial controls, and tectonic activity underlying the eastern shear margin of Thwaites Glacier. Through leveraging machine learning techniques, Gonzalez et al. (submitted) and Smith et al. (in prep) extracted libraries of microseismic events that point towards tectonic and icequake activity in the TIME1 (T1) region of the ESM, respectively. Progress is also underway in processing the waveforms comprising the 2023-24 active source survey conducted at T1, with Zhendong Zhang and Nori Nakata making headway with the 5.5 x 8 km "3D" grid (Zhang et al. submitted), and Daniel May, Marianne Karplus, and Biondo Biondi similarly analysing the 27-km-long "2D" transect.

The Stanford TIME radar group developed and deployed the first Radio Frequency over Fiber (RFoF) variable offset ice-penetrating radar sounding system. They also published a paper on airborne radar sounding constraints on temperate ice in shear margins across Antarctica (Summers et al. 2024). By linking ice-penetrating radar data and a simple thermal model, we found that existing models significantly overestimate the temperature anomaly in shear margins in the Amundson Sea Sector. We are evaluating whether the field data acquired during the TIME campaign can be used to assess our previously published model predictions that Thwaite shear margins are prone to movement.

WAIS Divide

At the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide, the TIME team have made significant methodological and scientific advancements that informed the experimental design and methodology for larger-scale geophysical surveys at the ESM. Initial controlled-source tests conducted in the 2018-19 field season by Marianne Karplus and Galen Kaip, established key parameters in the application of two different active sources-Poulter shots and det-cord-towards future 2- and 3-D surveys on ice sheets (Karplus et al. 2024). Application of wavefield imaging to this dataset also reveal englacial properties-perhaps caused by fluid substitution in porous ice and/or a rapid enlargement of ice crystals-as well as the presence of multiple layers near the subglacial interface (Zhang et al. 2022, 2024). Methodological advancement in high-resolution imaging of the near-surface firn structure were also achieved (Qin et al. 2024). Application of ambient seismic noise interferometry further constrain these shallow lateral structural variations in the firn layer at WAIS Divide (Chaput et al. 2022a) and reveal wave anisotropy driven by ice flow processes (Chaput et al. 2022b). Future work leveraging the seismic datasets at WAIS Divide by Marianne Karplus and Galen Kaip will evaluate the performance of Poulter shots to vertical DAS profiling.

Separately, a series of polarimetric radar experiments at WAIS Divide by Young et al. (2021b) conducted in the 2019-20 field season applying remote sensing polarimetric SAR methods to ground-based surveys confirmed its potential of radar surveys to measure ice fabric anisotropy in dynamic flow regions inaccessible by ice coring. Extension of this method into the 3-dimensional space can potentially be applied to bistatic measurements collected by Daniel May in January 2024 to reconstruct the full three-dimensional fabric of WAIS Divide.

Eastwind Glacier

As a result of significant cuts to the 2022-23 field season, a portion of the TIME field team redirected the initial active-source experimental plan, and successfully conducted 2- and 3-dimensional surveys at the grounding zone of Eastwind Glacier, comprising the Eastwind Glacier Geophysical Survey on Top of an Antarctic ice Sheet Transition (EGGS on TOAST) project. As well as being a "sub-project" within TIME, it also represents a successful example of an accessible field site to McMurdo station that not only enables in-depth study of glaciological processes, but also presents opportunities for building the educational capacity for future generations of glaciological scientists (Hoffman et al. in prep). Ambient noise tomography that leverages the 330 seismic node array is underway and establishes this seismic dataset as an ideal methodological sandbox, as well as capturing high-resolution data on internal ice deformation through ambient noise correlation and stress release via icequake detection as a result of grounding line processes (Pearce et al. in prep). The richness of the EGGS on TOAST dataset enables a multitude of active- and passive-source projects to be investigated, and various funding sources are being pursued to realise this goal.

Separately, experimental radar instruments were tested at Eastwind Glacier. A multi-frequency radar designed by Anna Broome successfully imaged the grounding zone transition, as well as the ice-ocean interface and basal interface in the 2022-23 season. In the following season, a wide-angle bistatic setup was tested by Daniel May at the Eastwind Glacier Grounding Zone; however the efficacy of the collected data is limited due to the unconstrained radiation pattern of the bow tie antennas used.

McMurdo Ice Shelf

In addition to Eastwind Glacier, additional methodological and instrumental tests were also conducted at McMurdo ice shelf. The hot water drill, intended to be used for the 2023-24 active source survey, was tested at Windless Bight in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, but unfortunately was removed from the experiment plan due to logistical constraints. Separately, local wide-angle radar and active-source surveys were conducted near Williams Airfield at the original WISSARD site. Analysis of the radar datasets by Daniel May imaged the underlying brine layer at 43 m depth, and analysis of the active source dataset by Yeshey Seldon defined the deeper ice-bed interface at ~100 m depth as well as the sea bed at ~900 m depth.
Exploitation Route The team investigates two sites on the Thwaites Glacier using GPS, ApRES and seismics. One site will test if hydrology influences the behaviour and movement of the shear margin. The other will examine if the bed conditions influence the behaviour of these rapidly deforming regions. This project includes the first 3D active source seismic survey of the Antarctic ice sheet.

If the Thwaites Glacier Eastern Shear Margin migrates outwards it could join the neighbouring Pine Island Glacier, connecting the two glaciers which are already making large contributions to sea-level rise. The observations from TIME will be fed into computer models to improve predictions of future sea level contribution from the region, and influencing governmental and environmental policy related to sea level rise and coastal flooding mitigation.

It is the latest in-person gathering of the ITGC science community who are studying Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica and trying to answer the questions of 'how much and how fast?' the glacier will contribute to global sea-level rise in the future.

As part the larger International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration, which has been active since 2018, wider results that reveal insights into the glacier's interactions with the ocean, ice bed character and responses to changing conditions are different to what they had first assumed. The latest model predictions, including those run by TIME show that the melting of Thwaites will accelerate through the 21st and 22nd centuries, leading to the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in the 23rd century. Crucially, they also shared that emissions levels make an actual difference to the timeline of melting.
Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy

Education

Environment

Government

Democracy and Justice

URL https://thwaitesglacier.org/projects/time
 
Description An important motivation for the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration is to reduce the uncertainty inherent in current sea-level-rise projections, assuming that this uncertainty is the main barrier to swift climate adaptation planning. PI Suckale has founded the Stanford Future Bay Initiative to make our insights from the Thwaites project actionable for local San Francisco Bay Area communities. The considerable uncertainty in the sea-level rise assessment is not necessarily the main barrier to action. Changing urban systems to improve communities' equity, resilience, and sustainability will require new collaborative assessment methods, goal setting, and problem-solving across governments, markets, and communities. We have created a Research-Education-Practice Partnership to co-produce knowledge across research, education, and practice. A core component of the effort is an ongoing, year-long service-learning course entitled "Shaping the Future of the Bay". In the United Kingdom, our results have been incorporated into UK Parliament Calls for Evidence that show that Thwaites Glacier over the coming decades and centuries will have profound implications for global sea-level rise and coastal communities around the world. Over the past six years, our research on the glacier has unveiled a complex and rapidly changing environment. Our recommendations to the UK Parliament are immediate and sustained climate change mitigation (decarbonisation) to offer the best hope of delaying this ice loss and avoiding initiation of similar unstable retreat in marine-based sectors of East Antarctica. Results of the TIME project also feature in biannual Polar Science Workshops that engage with underresourced students across Scotland, in collaboration with the Polar Academy, a charity that supports the longitudinal growth and educational enrichment of schoolchildren facing barriers in access to education.
First Year Of Impact 2018
Sector Education,Environment
Impact Types Societal

Policy & public services

 
Description Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier and sea-level rise - Results from the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC)
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
Impact Our recommendations in the briefing note suggest to the UK Parliament that immediate and sustained climate change mitigation (decarbonisation) offers the best hope of delaying this ice loss and avoiding initiation of similar unstable retreat in marine-based sectors of East Antarctica.
URL https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/133161/html/
 
Description Thwaites Interdisciplinary Margin Evolution (TIME)
Amount £550,503 (GBP)
Funding ID NE/S00677X/1 
Organisation Natural Environment Research Council 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 07/2018 
End 03/2025
 
Title Eastwind Glacier Geophysical Surveys ON Top Of Antarctic iceShelf Transition 
Description We propose to conduct geophysical surveys at the grounding zone of Eastwind Glacier using seismic (active and passive) and radar methods. We propose to implement this project from January 5th -January 28th 2023. The project will employ and test techniques used to study Thwaites Glacier. Our main project goal achieves novel, high-resolution imagery of a glacier grounding zone, a critical region for evaluating glacier stability. Results of the proposed work will enable a 3D image, with ~10 meter horizontal resolution, of the transition between grounded and floating ice. Passive source seismic surveys will enable imagery of the englacial velocity structure and how crystalline fabric varies in an area of deformation. Active source seismic will enable crucial in-situ measurements for precise modelling of bed topography and sea bed bathymetry. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact The EGGS on TOAST datasets comprise: (i) GPR survey of the study grid for crevasse safety; (ii) deployment of 330 seismic nodes recording for 9-12 days; (iii) two seismic refraction surveys; (iv) one seismic reflection survey; and (v) a tomography experiment. This project represents the largest and most comprehensive seismic experiment and nodal array over an ice sheet grounding line to date. To date, two manuscripts have been submitted to Tier-1 academic journals, and results from the dataset have been presented at national and international workshops and conferences, notably the International Glaciological Society, American Geophysical Union, and European Geosciences Union. 
URL https://www.fdsn.org/networks/detail/XS_2023/
 
Title Eastwind Glacier Geophysical Surveys ON Top of Antarctic Ice Shelf Transition, Phase II 
Description We propose to conduct geophysical surveys at the grounding zone of Eastwind Glacier using seismic (active and passive) and radar methods. We propose to implement this project during Nov. 2023 or early Feb. 2024. The project will employ and test techniques used to study Thwaites Glacier. Our main project goal achieves novel, high-resolution imagery of a glacier grounding zone, a critical region for evaluating glacier stability. This project is a small supplementary project to the Thwaites Interdisciplinary Margin Evolution (TIME) project. We will use some of the nodes allocated to TIME before/ after the TIME field work during 2023-24 (estimated 50-100 nodes). The EGGS ON TOAST II work will serve partially to train the TIME team before their deployment to the deep field (Nov. 2023) and to acquire additional data for improved imaging of Eastwind Glacier (Nov. 2023 or Feb. 2024). 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact The EGGS on TOAST II datasets comprise: (i) deployment of 30 seismic nodes recording for ~10 days; (ii) one seismic reflection survey; and (v) a digital acoustic sensing (DAS) profile. This dataset is an extension of the previous EGGS on TOAST dataset (10.7914/jah0-9856). To date, two manuscripts have been submitted to Tier-1 academic journals, and results from the dataset have been presented at national and international workshops and conferences, notably the International Glaciological Society, American Geophysical Union, and European Geosciences Union. 
URL https://www.fdsn.org/networks/detail/7N_2023/
 
Title TIME_NODES Phase II (formerly Thwaites Margins) 
Description Requesting three-channel nodes for active seismics on Thwaites Glacier during upcoming field seasons. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact A passive nodal array of 670 nodes were deployed for ~3 weeks at the Thwaites Eastern Shear Margin, TIME1 site, representing at this time the largest nodal deployment on the Antarctic continent. Across this dense nodal array, we find significant velocity changes in the north-south direction, which can be related to the presence of the eastern shear margin of Thwaites. Results from this dataset have been presented at national and international workshops and conferences, notably the Seismological Society of America, Western Antarctic Ice Sheet Workshop, American Geophysical Union, and European Geosciences Union. 
URL https://www.fdsn.org/networks/detail/6L_2022/
 
Title TIME_NODES Phase III (formerly Thwaites Margins) 
Description Requesting three-channel nodes for active seismics on Thwaites Glacier during upcoming field seasons. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact The TIME team completed an active source survey at the TIME2 site on the Thwaites Eastern Shear Margin. The survey comprised of 671 active sources (surface Poulter shots) totaling 2880 kg of boosters that imaged the shear margin subsurface, and was imaged using 1000 seismic nodes. Combined, the study area comprised a 27 km-long transect (the 2D transect), and a 3 x 5.5 km-sized grid (the 3D grid). This involved surveying over 1700 point locations to precisely determine source and receiver locations. First results are being compiled in a manuscript nearing submission that finds notable differences in the physical properties of the ice and underlying substrate crossing the shear margin. These results are cutting edge and will be presented at the upcoming European Geosciences Union. 
URL https://www.fdsn.org/networks/detail/7P_2023/
 
Description Antarctica Live Lessons: Ice ice baby - All about Antarctica 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Antarctica Live Lessons, a new and exciting learning resource, was launched 13 November 2023, and is aimed at engaging and inspiring the imaginations of young learners, via live, interactive lessons about Antarctica, offering a unique opportunity for students to hear from leading ice experts. The platform was developed by the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC) team in collaboration with educational specialists, bringing the wonders of Antarctic science directly into classrooms. The platform will feature a series of live daily Q&A sessions, from Monday 27 November until Friday 1 December in 2023 and 2024, coinciding with Antarctica Day (01 December). The live sessions will delve into various aspects of Antarctic science, with a focus on the specialists working on the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica. Ten fun and educational sessions will cover a range of topics, providing valuable insights into life and work on the ice. Experts will share their experiences, whether they are physically stationed in Antarctica or working remotely through cutting-edge technology.

The session "Ice ice baby - All about Antarctica" features TIME scientists Emma Smith and Lucia Gonzalez, who discuss the practicalities of living and working in Antarctica as part of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023,2024,2025
URL https://youtu.be/ovbrDXu_VG4
 
Description Community Presentation - Cafe Scientifique, Pitlochry, Perthshire 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact TJ Young presented his research investigating the instability of Thwaites Glacier (Western Antarctica) at this month's Cafe Scientifique meeting in Pitlochry on Tuesday. He shared insights into how the glacier's potential to destabilise the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet is of particular significance not only to the glaciological community but to the general public due to its inherent contribution to significant global sea level rise.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Exploring Polar Environments Day 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Emma Cameron and TJ Young (TIME members) were panelists via videolink from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, in the 'Exploring Polar Environments' Day outreach event hosted by Newcastle University, that showcases to young people to help understand what polar science is and the career opportunities that exist. More than 300 students in years 9-11 from 11 schools across the North East took part in the workshop, including those with a high number of students who receive free school meals or are from diverse ethnicities. It is hoped that by engaging with young people from a wide range of backgrounds before they begin to think about university, a more diverse group will consider moving into polar science and ensure the field becomes more representative.

In November 2023, TJ and Emma shared their own personal experiences of conducting fieldwork in the polar regions. Due to the 13-hour time zone difference, we engaged with both a live session and a recorded short video for other sessions held after hours. TJ also participated in the 2022 event held at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022,2023
URL https://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/latest/2023/11/polarday/
 
Description Polar Science Outreach Workshop, with the Polar Academy 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact The St Andrews Glaciology Group work in collaboration with the Polar Academy to develop and deliver a Polar Science Outreach Workshop, hosted twice a year at the University of St Andrews, for current participants of the Polar Academy Programme, involving 25 students and their teachers from Dalkeith High School (Edinburgh) and Park Mains High School (Glasgow). The workshop was designed to introduce secondary school pupils to physical geography and STEM subjects through hands-on team activities. In the morning, the students participated in "Polar Fieldwork Training" at East Sands beach, deploying scientific equipment (CTD, AWS) at the harbour. In addition to the science, students also practiced putting up their tents and lighting their stoves in preparation for their upcoming expedition to Greenland. The afternoon session featured a series of workshops about the global energy budget, ocean and atmospheric circulation and how to track weather fronts and predict stormy weather in the field. The team as well as members from the University Admissions team concluded the Workshop by talking the students through various university access schemes across Scotland.

The workshop is run biannually every year.

Emma Cameron organised and developed materials for a Polar Science outreach workshop, in liaison with the Polar Academy and teachers from Braeview Academy in Dundee. The workshop was delivered by members of the St Andrews Glaciology Group, and was designed to introduce secondary school pupils to physical geography and STEM subjects through hands-on team activities. Students braved the cold temperatures outside and successfully worked together to pitch tents for a "Polar Survival Scenario" with TJ Young. They also learned about polar clothing and layering systems with Ryan Strickland, and got to try on Polar Extreme Weather Clothing sent from the British Antarctic Survey. They measured glacial retreat in Alaska over the past 40 years using Google Earth with Emma Cameron, and conducted practical experiments using torches and beach balls to learn why the polar regions are so cold with Tom Cowton. The workshop concluded with a "Big Polar Quiz" to test the students' understanding, and prizes were provided by the outreach team at British Antarctic Survey. Thanks to all who helped out on what turned out to be a great afternoon, and we look forward to re-running the workshop in January for the Polar Academy.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023,2024,2025
URL https://www.thepolaracademy.org/impact/
 
Description School visit - Braeview Academy (Dundee) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Delivered class on glaciers and climate change to Higher Geography students (16-18 years) as well as S3 (12-14 years) students at Braeview Academy, Dundee.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description School visit - Muirfield Primary School (Arbroath, Angus) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact TJ Young was invited over to Muirfield Primary School in Arbroath, Angus County, to answer questions about why we study and research the poles, and why we travel and work in Antarctica, from Primary 3 and 4 students, and to let them try on some polar clothing. TJ visits Muirfield Primary School annually to engage with students.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024,2025
 
Description Workshop: From Ice Sheets to the Coast: Sea-Level Rise Impacts 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The Workshop (From Ice Sheets to the Coast: Sea-Level Rise Impacts) was held on 09-12 April 2024, at the University of Houston, Texas, USA. The Workshop provided a space for scientists to network and engage with other scientists and industry professionals and synthesise multiple efforts to bring awareness about sea level rise in the community and globally. Discussions occurring during the Workshop between panelists, attendees, and presenters, proactively engaged in discussion across multiple areas for improvement for science, the government, and the industry. As the Workshop was held in Houston--a city directly impacted by regional sea level rise--the location was able to contextualise the immediate and near-future coastal risks in Houston and other coast cities. The Workshop was attended by a mixture of glacial scientists, sea-level experts, coastal scientists, coastal protection specialists, policy and resiliency experts.

Workshop Goals:
- Understand the timescales and rates of sea level change at the populated coastline to:
- Allow those interested in relative sea-level rise impacting Upper Texas coastal systems (coastal scientists, infrastructure managers, information distributors, and more) to hear from those studying the ice sheets and their impact on sea level.
- Allow polar scientists to learn how sea-level projection information is used by coastal residents and managers; learn what decision makers want to know about projections.
- Welcome a diverse audience to engage with polar and coastal scientists.
- Build interdisciplinary collaborations.
- Create opportunities for early career researchers (students and postdocs) to develop networks and discuss career paths.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
URL https://www.jsg.utexas.edu/events/from-ice-sheets-to-the-coast-sea-level-rise-impacts/