Geophysical, Geological, and Environmental Flows

Fluid dynamics profoundly shapes our planet and many others. Researchers across departments at the University of Oxford investigate flows associated with the atmosphere, oceans, and ice sheets, as well as geological flows in the crust, mantle and core of Earth. Fluid processes of other planetary bodies are also studied in Oxford. These efforts aim for fundamental understanding, but also for insights that help forecast or mitigate climate change, explore for green-energy resources, or manage pollution. The following are examples of current research programmes.

Ice sheet dynamics

Understanding the dynamics of ice sheets and shelves is of critical importance in predicting future climate and sea-level change.  At the Mathematical Institute, Prof Ian Hewitt leads a group that studies the viscous flow of ice [1] and its interaction with subglacial hydrology.  The mechanical and thermodynamic coupling between these parts has emerged as a critical control on ice behaviour.  Collaboration with observationalist Prof Laura Stevens in Earth Sciences focuses on supraglacial lakes, their drainage through crevasses, and how this affects the basal hydrology.

Ocean circulation

Physical oceanography is another critical piece of the climate puzzle, and Oxford research addresses a range of problems within this field.  In Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics (AOPP), Prof Andrew Wells leads a group working on the interaction of oceanic flows with freezing of sea ice. The small-scale physics, where reactive chemical convection in a porous medium of ice dendrites leads to intricate patterns of drainage [2], has implications for thermohaline convection at the largest oceanic scale. Groups in AOPP (Prof David Marshall) and Earth Sciences (Prof Helen Johnson) focus on this rotating, turbulent convection and its implications for the climate [3].

Mantle convection

Without mantle convection and the deep cycling of volatile elements, Earth would not have a hydrosphere at all.  In the Department of Earth Sciences, Prof Richard Katz leads a group with research fellow Dr Adina Pusok that investigates the dynamics of partially molten regions of the mantle [4]. These regions are associated with plate-tectonic boundaries, volcanoes, and chemical transport of volatiles and key metals. This group studies diverse geophysical flows including mud volcanoes, magmatic dykes, crustal porous flow, laboratory rock mechanics, and planetary flows. Although these groups are spread across Departments, they collaborate, co-supervise, and share ideas in an ecosystem with many exciting seminars and visitors.

Representative publications:

[1] C. Schoof and I. J. Hewitt, Ice sheet dynamics, Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech. (2013)

[2] D. M. Anderson, P. Guba and A. J. Wells, Mushy-layer convection, Phys. Today (2022)

[3] H. L. Johnson et al., Recent contributions of theory to our understanding of the Atlantic Meridional Circulation, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans (2019)

[4] R. F. Katz et al., Physics of melt extraction from the mantle: Speed and style, Annu. Rev. Earth. Plan. Sci. (2022)