The glacimarine environment is that part of the world's seas that is affected by glaciers and ice sheets, which influence the ocean system through the delivery of sediments, meltwater and icebergs. Glacier-marine interactions are especially important in the Arctic and Antarctic today but, during colder, full-glacial conditions glaciers also affected the mid-latitude seas significantly. The glacier-derived sediments in ocean basins also provide a long-term record of the past growth and decay of large ice sheets.

A particular focus of our work is the linkage between ice-sheet dynamics and sediment delivery to the marine environment, and the patterns and processes of glacimarine sedimentation. This often involves the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of geophysical and geological evidence acquired from ice-breaking research vessels operating in the Polar seas. Numerical models are also used to predict rates of sediment delivery from ice sheets to the ocean. In addition, we have also carried out work on land, studying raised Quaternary glacimarine sediments and also those from older Ice Ages, such as the Late Ordovician and Precambrian.

Research seminars

Please see our listing ofresearch seminars in Polar Physical Science.

Research projects

Details of current and recent research projects can be found inPolar Physical Science section of the latest edition of SPRI Review.

People

The following scientists at the Scott Polar Research Institute are involved in this area of research:

Research grants

Research on Glacimarine Environments is currently supported by a series ofresearch grants.

Selected research projects

• Atlas of Submarine Glacial Landforms
• Ice-Rafted Debris on the Antarctic Continental Margin and the Dynamics of the Antarctic Ice Sheet
• Geophysical and Geological Investigations of Sedimentation and Ice-Ocean Variability on Arctic Continental Margins
• Marine geological processes and sediments beneath floating ice shelves in Greenland and Antarctica: investigations using the Autosub AUV

Sediment corer used to sample the seafloor, deployed in a Greenland fjord

Publications

Recent publications are listed.

Seminars

• 19th February 2026:
  Arctic Subsurface Ocean Change under the Climate Crisis: Long-Term CPIES Observations in the Chukchi Sea.Details…
• 5th March 2026:
  Lakes on the ice - modelling Antarctica's surface hydrology.Details…
• 12th March 2026:
  Against the rising tide: polar climate change and comms in the misinformation era.Details…