INferring Glacier mEteorology through phySical modeling and remoTe sensing

ongoing

Glaciers are vital for ecosystem stability, water availability, and food security for downstream communities, but are rapidly shrinking due to global warming. Accurate meteorological data are crucial for understanding glacier response to climate change, but remain sparse due to limited in-situ observations. This project aims to develop a unified method to determine long-term glacier meteorology and assess its impact on glacier change. Using the Tethys-Chloris physical model combined with remote sensing data (glacier albedo and surface temperature), I will develop a model inversion approach to determine air temperature, precipitation and incoming shortwave radiation, and test its feasibility on 16 benchmark glaciers covering the main global climatic settings. The project will explore meteorological changes over the past 30 years and project glacier evolution in the 21st century, providing a global perspective on glacier responses to climate warming. My background in remote sensing and large-scale spatiotemporal analysis, combined with this project, will enhance my skills in glacier modeling and deepen my knowledge in glacier processes. Dr. Francesca Pellicciotti, a world-leading expert in glacier processes and their hydrological significance through numerical modeling, will provide invaluable support throughout this project. This project will offer unique insights into both historical and future glacier responses to climate warming and pave a way for regional or global glacier meteorology research. It will also serve as an excellent opportunity for me to become an independent interdisciplinary researcher in glaciology, remote sensing, and atmospheric science.