Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis Title: Investigating the use of Heard Island as a climatic indicator of the southern Indian Ocean.

Supervisors: Dr Kelvin Michael (IASOS/ACE CRC), Dr Ian Allison (ACE CRC/AGAD), Dr Rob Massom (ACE CRC/AGAD) and Dr Mark Curran (ACE CRC/AGAD).

Shavawn commenced her PhD with ACE CRC, through IASOS in 2002, after completing her Honours with IASOS in 1999.

Project Overview:

Heard Island is located in one of the more isolated regions of the southern Indian Ocean. Changes in the positions of Heard Island's glaciers, and by inference, changes in the region's climate, have been recorded only intermittently since the establishment of the first Australian base in 1947.

A combination of glaciochemical analysis (oxygen isotope and trace chemistry), mass balance surveys and modelling is used to investigate the changes that have occurred on the islands glaciers, in particular, Brown Glacier. These changes are compared to those observed on other subantarctic islands in combination with regional meteorological records to examine the possibility of using Heard Island's glaciers as a climatic indicator for this region of the southern Indian Ocean.

For more information:

Telephone: +61 3 6226 2251
Email: sdonoghu@utas.edu.au

Publications:

Donoghue, S. and T.H. Jacka (in reivew). The stress regime within the Law Dome summit to Cape Floger ice flow line, based on examination of the crystal fabrics, Journal of Glaciology.
Thost, D., Truffer, M. and Donoghue, S. (2004). The Heard Island Glaciology Program 2003-2004: studies on the morphology, dynamics, mass balance and climate settings of Brown Glacier. Data Report, Australian Antarctic Division.
Craven, M., I. Allison, R.Brand, A. Elcheikh, M. Hemer and S. Donoghue (2003). Initial borehole results from the Amery Ice Shelf hot water drilling project. Annals of Glaciology, 39, 531-539.
Jacka, T.H., S. Donoghue, Li Jun, W.F. Budd and R.M. Anderson (2002). Laboratory studies of the flow rates of debris-laden ice. Annals of Glaciology, 37, 108-112.