Predicting and reacting to changes in the cryosphere as Earth’s climate warms requires a robust understanding of Antarctic ice dynamics, yet the fracture processes that influence mass loss and ice shelf stability are poorly understood. Ice fracture not only controls iceberg calving on Earth, but also shapes the surfaces of icy satellites like Saturn’s moon Enceladus, one of the most likely hosts of extraterrestrial life in the the solar system. In my work, I use seismological data and mechanical modeling to study coupled systems of ice fracture and ocean flow on Earth and beyond.

Highlights of my research include:

• Characterizing seismic recordings of kilometer-scale rift extension.
• Modeling interactions between fluid processes and ice shelf fracture.
• Modeling the bending of floating ice shelves in response to fracture.