Instructor: Brent Minchew Institution: Caltech, Spring 2026 Schedule: T/Th 9-10 am, SM 256 (Gutenberg Library)
This course covers the fundamentals of glacier dynamics and their applications to predictions of ice-sheet loss and sea-level rise. Topics include a brief review of stress tensors, constitutive relations, and conservation equations. The bulk of the course focuses on the flow, deformation, and fracture of glaciers and ice sheets in Earth's climate. The course is a mix of lectures, reading group discussions, and practical exercises.
None. Most lectures involve mathematical derivations that help illustrate the physical principles. Comfort with calculus is sufficient to follow along. Basic knowledge of classical mechanics is assumed; continuum mechanical principles are discussed as needed.
Cuffey and Paterson, Physics of Glaciers, 4th Ed. (2010). .
Open to change according to student interest and progress.
| Date | Topic | Instructor |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 31 | Course overview and introduction to glacier dynamics | Brent |
| Apr 2 | Glacier mass balance processes | Brent |
| Apr 7 | Fundamentals of glacier dynamics, part 1: simplest ice sheet models | Brent |
| Apr 9 | Fundamentals of glacier dynamics, part 2: simplest ice stream models | Brent |
| Apr 14 | Observations of glacier dynamics, part 1 | TBD |
| Apr 16 | Observations of glacier dynamics, part 2 | Ala Khazendar (JPL) |
| Apr 21 | Ice rheology: viscous deformation | Brent |
| Apr 23 | Ice rheology: (visco)elasticity | Brent |
| Apr 28 | Glacier sliding, part 1 | Brent |
| Apr 30 | Glacier sliding, part 2 | Brent |
| May 5 | Glacier hydrology, part 1 | Brent |
| May 7 | Glacier hydrology, part 2 | Brent |
| May 12 | Observations of glacier beds | TBD |
| May 14 | Oceanography of ice-shelf cavities | TBD |
| May 19 | Fundamentals of marine ice sheet dynamics, part 1 | Brent |
| May 21 | Fundamentals of marine ice sheet dynamics, part 2 | Brent |
| May 26 | Ice shelves and calving | Brent |
| May 28 | Calving from grounded ice | Brent |