Research

Glacier and ice-sheet dynamics in a changing climate

Numerical modelling, field observations, and remote sensing across Patagonia, Greenland, and Antarctica.

Research interests

Ice-flow modelling

Numerical modelling of glacier and ice-sheet dynamics over different temporal and spatial scales.

Ice-climate interactions

Ice-ocean, ice-atmosphere, and ice-solid Earth interactions, paleoclimatology, and climate change.

Glacier hydrology and hazards

Glacier hydrology, Patagonian ice fields, Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, GLOFs, and glacier-related hazards.

Academic positions

2024–ongoing

Assistant Professor, Department of Geophysics, University of Concepción, Chile.

2022–2024

Post-doctoral researcher, Institute of Geography, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany, funded by a DFG Individual Research Grant.

2020–2022

Post-doctoral researcher and Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, Institute of Geography, FAU, Germany.

2019–2020

Post-doctoral researcher, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Spain.

Education

2016–2019

Doctorate in Physics, Complutense University of Madrid. Thesis: The role of ice-ocean interactions in the past evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

2011–2015

Master in Physics of Environment and Advanced Technologies, University of Torino, Italy. Grade: 110/110 cum Laude.

2007–2011

Bachelor in Physics, University of Torino, Italy. Grade: 108/110.

Projects, grants, and awards

2025–2028

PROPAGEMOS — Projecting the Patagonian Icefields mass loss in the future. FONDECYT Iniciación, ANID Chile. Principal Investigator.

2022–2025

RESPONSE — Regional-scale ice-flow modelling in Patagonia since the Little Ice Age. DFG Individual Research Grant. Principal Investigator.

2020–2022

SURFYNG — Improving surface mass balance and hydrology representation at Northeast Greenland. Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship.

2019 / 2016

Post-doctoral and pre-doctoral fellowships from the Spanish National Programme for the Promotion of Talent and Its Employability.

2017 / 2015

EGU Early Career Scientist Travel Grant and ERASMUS+ Traineeship grant.

Teaching

  • Métodos Numéricos con Python, Bachelor in Geophysics/Meteorology and Master in Geophysics, University of Concepción.
  • Global Physical Climatology, Bachelor in Geophysics/Meteorology, University of Concepción.
  • Seminars on glacier physics, ice dynamics, ice-sheet evolution, and climate change at UdeC, UACh, UCM, and FAU.
  • Teaching assistant experience in geophysical modelling, applied physics, and Physics II at FAU and UCM.

Supervision

Current and past supervision includes PhD, MSc, and Bachelor theses at Universidad de Concepción, FAU, and UCM.

Supervision

Ongoing

Paul Sandoval — PhD in Environmental Engineering.

Ongoing

Raul Correa — MSc in Geophysics, Universidad de Concepción.

Ongoing

Mañio Zúñiga — MSc in Geophysics, Universidad de Concepción.

Ongoing

Bastian Espinoza — MSc in Geophysics, Universidad de Concepción.

Ongoing

Maria Schliermann — MSc thesis in Oceanography, Universidad de Concepción: Impacto del océano en el derretimiento submarino de glaciares en sistemas de fiordos de Patagonia y Tierra del Fuego.

2024

Maria Schliermann — Bachelor thesis in Physical Geography, FAU: Water-Glacier Interaction in Cordillera Darwin — Water mass characterisation and GLOFs.

2022

Jacob Alberto García Suárez — Master thesis in Meteorology and Geophysics, UCM: The Evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet under Global Warming.

Selected stays and workshops

2026

Visiting scientist at UCM, Spain, and FAU, Germany; participant in Taller Lidera Mujeres en la Academia.

2025

Visiting scientist at FAU, Germany.

2023

Visiting scientist at Universidad Austral de Chile and Universidad de Concepción; Greenland Ice Sheet Stability Workshop, Bergen; Northeast Greenland Workshop, Aarhus.

2016–2020

Training in Elmer/Ice, CESM, paleoclimate, glacier surface mass balance, coupled climate-ice-sheet models, glacial dynamics, and Karthaus Ice and Climate summer school.

Selected conference contributions

2025

VII SOCHICRI Congress, poster on GLOF detection and analysis at Almena Glacier, Cordillera Darwin.

2024

SCAR XI Open Science Conference, oral presentation on modelling the Southern Patagonia Icefield at the end of the Little Ice Age; EGU poster on GLOF events at Alemania Glacier.

2022–2023

AGU invited talk and EGU presentations on Northeast Greenland stability, surface processes, basal hydrology, and ice dynamics.

2017–2021

EGU and PAGES contributions on Greenland Ice Sheet-ocean interactions, Holocene thinning, and continental-scale ice-sheet model optimisation.

Fieldwork

2026

HPN4 Glacier fieldwork; North Patagonia oceanographic campaign with bathymetry measurements and CTD casts.

2025–2026

Monitoring of the Chillán volcanic complex glacier, including annual mass-balance work.

2025

Rock glacier campaign in Nevado Valley, Chile, with geophysical measurements.

2024

Pío XI Glacier campaign, Southern Patagonian Icefield: exploration, ablation stakes, and air-temperature sensor installation.

2023

Mocho-Choshuenco Glacier, Kanderfirn Glacier in the Swiss Alps, and exploration in Cordillera Darwin.

Service, reviewing, and outreach

I review for journals including Nature Geoscience, The Cryosphere, Journal of Glaciology, Climate of the Past, Geophysics, Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, and PLOS One.

Outreach activities include glacier conservation webinars, public talks, media participation, the event “Sin hielo no hay frappé”, the podcast EpiSTEMas, the EGU Cryosphere Blog, and fact-checking contributions.

Commissions

Member of faculty and scientific commissions including work on coexistence, gender and inclusion, and IGS retention and new members.