Staff Profile
Dr Christine Batchelor
Senior Lecturer
- Address: School of Geography, Politics and Sociology,
Henry Daysh Building,
缅北禁地,
缅北禁地 upon Tyne,
NE1 7RU, UK
Room 3.57
I am a physical geographer with a broad research interest in reconstructing the past extent and behaviour of ice sheets. I am interested in all temporal scales of ice-sheet and climatic change, ranging from annual ice-margin fluctuations, to large-scale advances and retreats of ice sheets during the last ~3 million years. I mainly use marine geophysical techniques to analyse the glacial landforms and sediments that are preserved on and beneath the seafloor.
Interests: ice sheets past and present; marine geology and geophysics; glacial geomorphology; Quaternary environmental change
Employment:
2024 - Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, 缅北禁地, UK
2021-2024 Lecturer in Physical Geography, 缅北禁地, UK
2018-2021 Vista Postdoctoral Scholar, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
2015-2018 Junior Research Fellow, Newnham College, University of Cambridge, UK
2014-2015 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, UK
Education:
2010-2014 PhD Polar Studies, Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, UK
2009-2010 MPhil Polar Studies (Distinction), Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, UK
2006-2009 BA Geography (First Class), University of Cambridge, UK
In my research I aim to reconstruct the former configuration and dynamics of ice sheets. This work is motivated by the need to provide a context for modern observations, to constrain numerical models, and to predict the likely future ice-sheet response to climatic change.
I have investigated past ice-sheet behaviour in many glaciated and formerly glaciated areas of the world, including Antarctica, Greenland, Canada, Svalbard, Norway and the North Sea. I use a variety of geophysical and geological research techniques, including: multibeam echo-sounder data; sub-bottom profiles; seismic data; sediment cores; and aerial and satellite images.
Ice-sheet behaviour since the Last Glacial Maximum
At the Last Glacial Maximum, around 20,000 years ago, ice sheets extended across relatively shallow areas of the seafloor on mid- and high-latitude continental margins.
In my research I use geophysical and geological data acquired from deglaciated continental shelves and fjords to interpret the glacial landforms and sediments that are preserved on the seafloor. These landforms and sediments provide information about the past form and flow of ice sheets, including the speed and style of ice-sheet retreat that occurred prior to the widespread application of remote sensing techniques.
My past research includes examining the past behaviour of the outlet glaciers of the Greenland Ice Sheet and investigating the former extent and dynamics of the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet. In support of this research I have acquired new data about the seafloor and subsurface during three research cruises to Antarctica, including onboard the SA Agulhas II during the 2019 .
Check out my ! Here, we used an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle to image some spectacular submarine glacial landforms that have worrying implications for potential rates of ice-sheet retreat.
Ice-sheet behaviour during the Quaternary Period
The Quaternary, which spans the last 2.6 million years, has been characterised by a distinctive pattern of alternating glacial and interglacial periods. My research is concerned with examining the changing extent and dynamics of ice sheets during this time, which is important to understand how global climatic changes are translated into ice-sheet fluctuations.
My summarises what we currently know about the configuration of ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere during the Quaternary.
My PhD research was focused on reconstructing the glacial history of the Canadian Beaufort Sea margin. More recently, I have used seismic-reflection data to examine how the landscape of the North Sea changed in response to glaciation during the last few million years.
The distribution, characteristics and formation of glacial landforms
It can be difficult and dangerous to access the beds and margins of contemporary glaciers and ice sheets. However, information about these areas in needed to understand the ways in which sediment and meltwater are transported and released by ice.
In my research I analyse the former beds and margins of ice sheets in terrestrial and marine environments. I have examined the distribution and characteristics of a diverse array of glacial landforms, including grounding-zone wedges, lateral moraines, and tunnel valleys, with the aim of providing new insights into how they are formed.
More recently, I have used high-resolution marine geophysical data to investigate the subdued features that are produced by the .
Undergraduate Teaching
Stage 1:
GEO1020: Introduction to Physical Geography (Module Leader)
Stage 2:
GEO2037: Ireland Fieldtrip
GEO2136: Global Environmental Change
Stage 3:
GEO3147: Past and Present Climates
Current PhD students
Bridget Tiller (缅北禁地). Early to mid Quaternary ice sheet and climate change on the Northeast Atlantic margin. Funding: Natural Environment Research Council.
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Articles
- Batchelor CL, Krawczyk DW, O'Brien E, Mulder J. . Marine Geology 2024, 476, 107375.
- Newton,AMW,Montelli,A,Batchelor,CL,Bellwald,B,Harding,R,Huuse,M,Dowdeswell,JA,Ottesen,D,Johansen,S,Planke,S. . Geological Society, London, Special Publications 2024. In Press.
- Ottesen D, Batchelor CL, Løseth H, Brunstad H. . Science Advances 2024, 10(50).
- Batchelor CL, Christie FDW, Ottesen D, Montelli A, Evans J, Dowdeswell EK, Bjarnadóttir LR, Dowdeswell JA. . Nature 2023, 617, 105–110.
- Batchelor CL, Christie FDWC. . Nature 2023, 1-2.
- Batchelor CL, Frinault BAV, Christie FDW, Montelli A, Dowdeswell JA. . Antarctic Science 2022, 34(4), 313-324.
- Ottesen A, Batchelor CL, Bjarnadottir LR, Wiberg DH, Dowdeswell JA. . Quaternary Science Reviews 2022, 285(1), 107462.
- Dalton AS, Stokes CR, Batchelor CL. . Earth-Science Reviews 2022, 224, 103875.
- Christie FWD, Benham TJ, Batchelor CL, Rack W, Montelli A, Dowdeswell JA. . Nature Geoscience 2022, 15, 356–362.
- Løseth H, Nygård A, Batchelor CL, Fayzullaev T. . Marine and Petroleum Geology 2022, 142, 105766.
- Harishidayat D, Johansen SE, Batchelor C, Omosanya KO, Ottaviani L. . Basin Research 2021, 33(2), 1315-1336.
- Batchelor CL, Bellwald B, Planke S, Ottesen D, Henriksen S, Myklebust R, Johansen SE, Dowdeswell JA. . Earth and Planetary Science Letters 2021, 566, 116966.
- Ottesen D, Stewart M, Brönner M, Batchelor CL. . Marine Geology 2020, 425, 106199.
- Dowdeswell JA, Batchelor CL, Dorschel B, Benham TJ, Christie FDW, Dowdeswell EK, Montelli A, Arndt JE, Gebhardt C. . Antarctic Science 2020, 32(4), 301-313.
- Batchelor CL, Montelli A, Ottesen D, Evans J, Dowdeswell EK, Christie FDW, Dowdeswell JA. . Geomorphology 2020, 370, 107396.
- Dowdeswell JA, Batchelor CL, Montelli A, Ottesen D, Christie FDW, Dowdeswell EK, Evans J. . Science 2020, 368(6494), 1020-1024.
- Løseth H, Dowdeswell JA, Batchelor CL, Ottesen D. . Nature Communications 2020, 11, 2975.
- Batchelor CL, Margold M, Krapp M, Murton DK, Dalton AS, Gibbard PL, Stokes CR, Murton JB, Manica A. . Nature Communications 2019, 10, 3713.
- Batchelor CL, Dowdeswell JA, Rignot E, Millan R. . Geophysical Research Letters 2019, 46, 3279-3286.
- Larter RD, Hogan KA, Hillenbrand CD, Smith JA, Batchelor CL, Cartigny M, Tate AJ, Kirkham JD, Roseby ZA, Kuhn G, Graham AGC, Dowdeswell JA. . The Cryosphere 2019, 13(6), 1583–1596.
- Batchelor CL, Dowdeswell JA, Hogan KA, Larter RD, Parsons E, West O. . Antarctic Science 2019, 31(4), 218-227.
- Batchelor CL, Dowdeswell JA, Rignot E. . Marine Geology 2018, 402, 60-80.
- Ottesen D, Batchelor CL, Dowdeswell JA, Løseth H. . Marine and Petroleum Geology 2018, 98, 836-859.
- Batchelor CL, Ottesen D, Dowdeswell JA. . Journal of Quaternary Science 2017, 32(3), 416-426.
- Batchelor CL, Dowdeswell JA. . Quaternary Science Reviews 2016, 151, 1-26.
- Batchelor CL, Dowdeswell JA. . Marine Geology 2015, 363, 65-92.
- Batchelor CL, Dowdeswell JA. . Quaternary Science Reviews 2014, 92, 68-96.
- Batchelor CL, Dowdeswell JA, Pietras JT. . Marine and Petroleum Geology 2014, 52, 125-143.
- Batchelor CL, Dowdeswell JA, Pietras JT. Variable history of Quaternary ice-sheet advance across the Beaufort Sea Margin, Arctic Ocean. Geology 2013, 41, 131–134.
- Batchelor CL, Dowdeswell JA, Pietras JT. Seismic stratigraphy, sedimentary architecture and palaeo-glaciology of the Mackenzie Trough: Evidence for two Quaternary ice advances and limited fan development on the western Canadian Beaufort Sea margin. Quaternary Science Reviews 2013, 65, 73-87.
- Batchelor CL, Dowdeswell JA, Hogan KA. Late Quaternary ice flow and sediment delivery through Hinlopen Trough, Northern Svalbard margin: Submarine landforms and depositional fan. Marine Geology 2011, 284, 13-27.
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Book Chapters
- Batchelor CL. . In: Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science. Elsevier, 2024, pp.711-722.
- Batchelor CL, Dowdeswell JA, Ottesen D. . In: Micallef,A;Krastel,S;Savini,A, ed. Submarine Geomorphology. Springer, 2018, pp.207-234.
- O'Brien PE, Beaman R, De Santis L, Domack EW, Escutia C, Harris PT, Leventer A, McMullen K, Post A, Quilty PG, Shevenell AE, Batchelor CL. . In: Dowdeswell, JA; Canals, M; Jakobsson, M; Todd, BJ; Dowdeswell, EK; Hogan, KA, ed. Atlas of Submarine Glacial Landforms: Modern, Quaternary and Ancient. London: Geological Society, 2016, pp.501-508.
- Dowdeswell JA, Batchelor CL, Hogan KA, Schenke HW. . In: Dowdeswell, JA; Canals, M; Jakobsson, M; Todd, BJ; Dowdeswell, EK; Hogan, KA, ed. Atlas of Submarine Glacial Landforms: Modern, Quaternary and Ancient. London: Geological Society, 2016, pp.43-44.
- Batchelor CL, Dowdeswell JA, Jakobsson M, Hogan KA, Gebhardt CA. . In: Dowdeswell, JA; Canals, M; Jakobsson, M; Todd, BJ; Dowdeswell, EK; Hogan, KA, ed. Atlas of Submarine Glacial Landforms: Modern, Quaternary and Ancient. London: Geological Society, 2016, pp.329-332.
- Dowdeswell JA, Todd BJ, Dowdeswell EK, Batchelor CL. . In: Dowdeswell, JA; Canals, M; Jakobsson, M; Todd, BJ; Dowdeswell, EK; Hogan, KA, ed. Atlas of Submarine Glacial Landforms: Modern, Quaternary and Ancient. London: Geological Society, 2016, pp.59-60.
- Dowdeswell JA, Fugelli EMG, Batchelor CL. . In: Dowdeswell, JA; Canals, M; Jakobsson, M; Todd, BJ; Dowdeswell, EK; Hogan, KA, ed. Atlas of Submarine Glacial Landforms: Modern, Quaternary and Ancient. London: Geological Society, 2016, pp.235-236.
- Batchelor CL, Dowdeswell JA, Dowdeswell EK, Todd BJ, Sharp MJ. . In: Dowdeswell, JA; Canals, M; Jakobsson, M; Todd, BJ; Dowdeswell, EK; Hogan, KA, ed. Atlas of Submarine Glacial Landforms: Modern, Quaternary and Ancient. London: Geological Society, 2016, pp.155-158.
- Batchelor CL, Dowdeswell JA, Dowdeswell EK, Todd BJ. . In: Dowdeswell, JA; Canals, M; Jakobsson, M; Todd, BJ; Dowdeswell, EK; Hogan, KA, ed. Atlas of Submarine Glacial Landforms: Modern, Quaternary and Ancient. London: Geological Society, 2016, pp.337-340.
- Garcia M, Batchelor CL, Dowdeswell JA, Hogan KA, Ó Cofaigh C. . In: Dowdeswell, JA; Canals, M; Jakobsson, M; Todd, BJ; Dowdeswell, EK; Hogan, KA, ed. Atlas of Submarine Glacial Landforms: Modern, Quaternary and Ancient. London: Geological Society, 2016, pp.461-468.