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UCCRI is an Interdisciplinary Research Centre, with a network of over 150 researchers from all 6 Schools of the University of Cambridge. The Institute supports multidisciplinary research on biodiversity conservation and the social context within which humans engage with nature. It works from a base in the David Attenborough Building, which is designed to enhance collaboration and the sharing of perspectives across organisational and disciplinary boundaries.
URL: http://talks.cam.ac.uk/show/index/59874
Updated: 22 min 18 sec ago

Wed 09 Apr 15:00: Exploring the Spatial and Temporal Variability in Water Column Properties in Tidewater Glacier-Ocean Systems in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago

Wed, 02/04/2025 - 08:53
Exploring the Spatial and Temporal Variability in Water Column Properties in Tidewater Glacier-Ocean Systems in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago

The Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) is home to over 300 marine-terminating glaciers facing retreat with ongoing Arctic change, increasing glacial meltwater delivery to the ocean. Subglacial discharge can produce meltwater plumes that promote upwelling and enhance mixing near glacier termini, impacting water column structure, turbidity, and other biogeochemical properties in the proximate ocean. Despite their abundance, knowledge is lacking on glacier-ocean systems across the CAA , specifically how glacial meltwater is influencing and modifying the marine environment in the coastal ocean. This talk explores the 4 years of late summer in-situ observations of marine-terminating glacier-ocean systems and non-glacierized systems in Jones Sound, a glacier rich region of the CAA . Specifically, we examine the systematic influence of marine-terminating glacier presence on the chemical and physical marine environment and contrast marine-terminating glacier systems with riverine systems in the same region. We find marine-terminating glaciers host late-summer nutrient enhancement above the region’s characteristic nutricline year over year. This contrasts riverine systems that show rare nutrient enhancement above the characteristic nutricline. Ongoing retreat may shift these systems towards riverine-like systems, reducing this above-nutricline nutrient enhancement that may impact phytoplankton community composition, which may have subsequent impacts on carbon sequestration and food web function. This work also informs the Inuit community of Ausuittuq (Grise Fiord, NU), who live in Jones Sound and use the neighbouring ocean for traditional hunting, culture, and economic benefit, about the ongoing change in their local environment.

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Wed 24 Jun 14:00: External Seminar - Sabine Zachgo TBC

Mon, 31/03/2025 - 11:27
External Seminar - Sabine Zachgo TBC

Abstract not available

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Wed 29 Apr 14:00: External Seminar - Michael Rassig TBC

Mon, 31/03/2025 - 11:27
External Seminar - Michael Rassig TBC

Abstract not available

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Wed 25 Mar 14:00: External Seminar - Bénédicte Charrier TBC

Mon, 31/03/2025 - 11:27
External Seminar - Bénédicte Charrier TBC

Abstract not available

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Wed 25 Feb 14:00: External Seminar - Magdalena Bezanilla TBC

Mon, 31/03/2025 - 11:26
External Seminar - Magdalena Bezanilla TBC

Abstract not available

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Wed 29 Oct 14:00: External Seminar - Christian Fankhauser TBC

Mon, 31/03/2025 - 11:26
External Seminar - Christian Fankhauser TBC

Abstract not available

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Wed 28 Jan 14:00: External Seminar - Christine Faulkner TBC

Mon, 31/03/2025 - 11:25
External Seminar - Christine Faulkner TBC

Abstract not available

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Wed 23 Jul 14:00: External Seminar - Dr Oswaldo Valdes-Lopez TBC

Mon, 31/03/2025 - 11:24
External Seminar - Dr Oswaldo Valdes-Lopez TBC

Abstract not available

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Wed 30 Apr 14:00: Unravelling the complexity of root stem cell niche regulation through multi-scale models

Mon, 31/03/2025 - 11:24
Unravelling the complexity of root stem cell niche regulation through multi-scale models

Abstract not available

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Fri 04 Apr 13:00: Deep convection and ocean overturning

Mon, 31/03/2025 - 09:56
Deep convection and ocean overturning

The ocean’s circulation plays a pivotal role in Earth’s climate system, with its changes during climate transitions being of critical importance. This study, grounded in the principle of dynamical similarity, employs Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) in an idealized setup to dissect the complexities of ocean circulation, with a particular focus on the North Atlantic and the role of buoyancy and wind in shaping the hydrological cycle.

We begin with a simple system—a non-rotating ocean forced by a single scalar—then gradually introduce complexity by adding constant/variable rotation, wind forcing, and a second scalar. Surprisingly, our results show the spontaneous formation of gyres and a western boundary current, along with full-depth overturning, even without the introduction of wind. Wind forcing further localizes upwelling near the western boundary current and primarily strengthens the gyres while having less influence on overturning circulation. With the introduction of a second scalar (salinity), our results become more representative of the real ocean, reproducing key features such as mode water formation, mid-latitude deeper thermocline structures, and polar haloclines, both with and without wind forcing. Our DNS framework is well-suited for resolving convection processes, including diffusive convection near the poles and salt fingering in mid-latitudes, both of which are crucial for establishing mixed layers and pycnoclines in these regions.

A key highlight of our study is capturing ocean circulation across multiple scales—from basin-scale overturning and gyres to mesoscale eddies, submesoscale dynamics, and millimeter-scale convection. These multiscale interactions regulate heat, salt, and tracer transport. Our highresolution approach explicitly resolves the interplay between large-scale circulation and small-scale turbulent mixing, offering deeper insights into ocean stratification, ventilation, and buoyancy-driven flows, providing critical insights for forecasting the evolving dynamics of the North Atlantic.

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Wed 18 Jun 14:00: Title to be confirmed

Fri, 28/03/2025 - 09:39
Title to be confirmed

Abstract not available

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Wed 07 May 14:00: Title to be confirmed

Fri, 28/03/2025 - 09:38
Title to be confirmed

Abstract not available

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Wed 04 Jun 14:00: Title to be confirmed

Fri, 28/03/2025 - 09:38
Title to be confirmed

Abstract not available

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Wed 23 Apr 14:00: Ocean dynamics in the Ross Ice Shelf cavity from in situ observations

Thu, 27/03/2025 - 09:29
Ocean dynamics in the Ross Ice Shelf cavity from in situ observations

The future response of ice shelves to climate through ocean warming is a key unknown for climate projections, especially global sea level rise. The Ross Ice Shelf ocean cavity is one of the least observed regions in the ocean, with its broad circulation patterns primarily inferred from remotely sensed estimates of tides, bathymetry, and melt rates. I aim to advance our understanding of the ocean cavity under the Ross Ice Shelf – the southern-most and largest-by area of all Earth’s ice shelves. To achieve this, I analyzed a multi-year hydrographic moored timeseries from the central Ross Ice Shelf cavity (80◦39.497′S, 174◦27.678′E). These data help address three key processes: (i) the general circulation; (ii) the appearance and impact of baroclinic eddy events; and (iii) tidal modulation of the ice-ocean boundary layer structure and the implications for ice melting. In terms of circulation and the inter-annual changes, stronger melting/refreezing occurred between late September 2019 to late December 2019, which is linked to the inter-annual sea ice production in the Ross Ice Shelf Polynya. Notably, cold-water interleaving in the mid-water column exhibits distinct seasonality. An analysis of baroclinic eddies identifies coherent structures that are around 22 km in diameter with a velocity scale of between 0.8 and 1.8 cm/s. The thermohaline structure of the eddies suggests that they have the potential to entrain High Salinity Shelf Water from the benthic water column to the mid-water column. On the question of tidal modulation of the ice shelf-ocean interaction, the results suggest that tides modulate the melt rate by altering the boundary layer structure over a spring-neap cycle. These new findings demonstrate the rich variability within the Ross Ice Shelf ocean cavity, ranging from large interannual-seasonal scales, through to multi-week eddy scales and then down to tidal and mixing timescales.

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Mon 12 May 13:00: CCfCS Polar Symposium

Sat, 22/03/2025 - 18:34
CCfCS Polar Symposium

The Cambridge Centre for Climate Science (in collaboration with the Institute of Computing for Climate Sciences, the British Antarctic Survey and the UK Polar Network) is inviting you to join the CCfCS Polar Symposium 2025. The aim of this event is to connect polar and climate researchers in Cambridge (in both science and humanities) and provide an overview of the work at Cambridge which contributes to understanding and mitigating climate change.

This will be an afternoon of talks from a variety of research institutions and departments in Cambridge, followed by a poster session and workshop aimed at early-career researchers. The event will be a great opportunity to find new collaborators and meet like-minded people interested in polar science and climate change across Cambridge. Early career researchers are particularly encouraged to participate.

Event details:

  • When: Monday 12th May 2025 13:00-18:00
  • Where: British Antarctic Survey, Conference Theatre
  • Registration fee: Free!
  • If you wish to attend (presenting or not) please register here: https://forms.gle/kCLv1QWixdfmKb4ZA

If you are interested in presenting a talk or poster, please provide a title and brief abstract in the registration form. The talks should be short (10-15 mins) and accessible to an interdisciplinary audience. In-person attendance is recommended, as the poster session and catering will only be available in-person, however the talks will be also streamed online for anyone unable to attend in-person. We will provide a more detailed schedule once we have collected all the abstracts. The day will include free hot drinks, cake and snacks, and the event will be followed by a social (TBC).

Abstract deadline: Monday 21st April 2025, 17:00

We look forward to seeing you soon! The Organising Committee Polina, Tarkan, Birgit and Sophie

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Wed 26 Mar 15:30: A Bayesian Neural Network approach to study dissolved oxygen in Southern Ocean water masses

Wed, 19/03/2025 - 15:58
A Bayesian Neural Network approach to study dissolved oxygen in Southern Ocean water masses

Oxygen plays a critical role in the health of marine ecosystems. As oceanic O2 concentration decreases to hypoxic levels, marine organisms’ habitability decreases rapidly. However, identifying the physical patterns driving this reduction in dissolved oxygen remains challenging. This study employs a Bayesian Neural Network (BNN) to analyze the uncertainty in dissolved oxygen forecasts. The method’s significance lies in its ability to assess oxygen forecasts’ uncertainty with evolving physical dynamics. The BNN model outperforms traditional linear regression and persistence methods, particularly under changing climate conditions. Our approach leverages three Explainable AI (XAI) techniques—Integrated Gradients, Gradient SHAP , and DeepLIFT—to provide meaningful interpretations of 2- and 8-year forecasts. The XAI analysis reveals that buoyancy frequency and eddy kinetic energy is a critical predictor for short-term forecasts across the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW), Upper Circumpolar Deep Water (UCDW), masses. While the LCDW variability emphasizes also a role played by advection processes, such as salinity, over short and long timescales.

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Sat 19 Apr 11:00: NatHistFest: 106th Conversazione Free Exhibition on the Wonders of the Natural World

Fri, 14/03/2025 - 11:45
NatHistFest: 106th Conversazione

Cambridge’s oldest celebration of citizen science.

The event, showcasing the environment and wildlife of Cambridgeshire and further afield, will be hosted in the David Attenborough Building, adjacent to the Zoology Museum.

We invite anyone (CNHS member or not) to consider exhibiting. Exhibits might include specimens (living or dead) – things people can handle always seem to be popular – or displays about any aspect of local natural history. Or perhaps you are member of a local group which might like to have an exhibit about its activities? Past programmes, available on our website, give an idea of the wide variety of exhibits, and there is also a history of the Conversazione, written in 1989 or the 70th event. For information or to book exhibition space please email exhibition@cnhs.org.uk, or contact the Conversazione organisers via https://www.cnhs.org.uk/

Free Exhibition on the Wonders of the Natural World

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Mon 17 Mar 13:00: Volcanic fissure localisation and lava delta formation: Modelling of volcanic flows undergoing rheological evolution

Thu, 13/03/2025 - 16:02
Volcanic fissure localisation and lava delta formation: Modelling of volcanic flows undergoing rheological evolution

In this talk, I will present two volcanologically motivated modelling problems. In the first, I will detail how thermoviscous localisation of volcanic eruptions is influenced by the irregular geometry of natural volcanic fissures. Fissure eruptions typically start with the opening of a linear fissure that erupts along its entire length, following which activity localises to one or more isolated vents within a few hours or days. Previous work has proposed that localisation can arise through a thermoviscous fingering instability driven by the strongly temperature dependent viscosity of the rising magma. I will show that, even for relatively modest variations of the fissure width, a non-planar geometry supports strongly localised steady states, in which the wider parts of the fissure host faster, hotter flow, and the narrower parts of the fissure host slower, cooler flow. This geometrically-driven localisation differs from the spontaneous thermoviscous fingering localisation observed in planar geometries, and is potentially more potent for parameter values relevant to volcanic fissures.

The second problem concerns lava delta formation. A lava delta arises when a volcanic lava flow enters a body of water, extending the pre-eruption shoreline via the creation of new, relatively flat land. A combination of cooling induced rheological changes and the reduction in gravitational driving forces controls the morphology and evolution of the delta. I will present shallow-layer continuum models for this process, highlighting how different modes of delta formation manifest in different late-time behaviours. In particular, I will derive a steady state shoreline extent when the delta formation is driven only by buoyancy forces, and late time similarity solutions for the evolution of the shoreline when the viscous lava fragments and forms `hyaloclastic’ debris on contact with the water.

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Thu 20 Mar 18:45: Natural Materials for Musical Instruments Please note the start time, being after the AGM, is approximate.

Thu, 13/03/2025 - 14:56
Natural Materials for Musical Instruments

Immediately following the CNHS AGM , Jim Woodhouse will give a Presidential Address on the various uses of natural materials in the making of traditional musical instruments.

The talk will focus mostly on wood: why instrument makers prefer certain particular types of wood, what it is in the cellular structure that makes these timbers special, and what scope there may be to use alternative materials in the light of climate pressure and CITES restrictions.

Please note the start time, being after the AGM, is approximate.

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Fri 04 Apr 13:00: Title to be confirmed

Wed, 12/03/2025 - 15:22
Title to be confirmed

Abstract not available

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