Sarah Child, PhD

What’s the work that you do?

I use historical datasets to better understand changes in glacier dynamics through expanded temporal scales. I primarily use analog aerial photography to generate historical glacier surface elevations using structure-from-motion photogrammetry. My results are used with numerical models to assess the evolution of stress regimes acting on outlet glaciers for the past 50-80 years.

What keeps you going?

I find glacier dynamics fascinating and using remote sensing techniques to assess those dynamics feels like solving a puzzle. I spend hours analyzing imagery of glaciers; staring at beautiful imagery for as long as I do is a close second to fieldwork.

What’s your message to the world?

Research into climate-related studies is more important than ever and it’s a really exciting time to see all of the work being done in Antarctica and Greenland showcasing new glaciological findings and techniques for studying glaciers.