Description

This course explores the physics and dynamics of glaciers and ice sheets. Course content includes glacier mass balance, the material properties and rheology of ice, the basic equations of ice-sheet and -shelf flow, basal processes, calving processes, the stability and history of ice sheets. These topics will be approached using mathematical physics, geophysical data, simple computer simulations, and large-scale ice sheet models. We also introduce the students to numerical methods for modeling glaciers, including the finite-element method and provide some elements of inverse problem theory. 

Prerequisites

ENGS 23 or MATH 23; and ENGS 33