Benjamin Chandler
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences
Contact
Biography
I am an Assistant Professor in the School of Geography with research expertise and interests focused on glaciers and climate change. I teach a range of physical geography topics including geomorphology, glaciers and environmental change, atmospheric processes and climate change, as well as geospatial and geophysical methods.
I studied for an undergraduate degree in Geography at Queen Mary University of London (2010-2013), before completing an MSc (by Research) at Durham University. My MSc research examined the formation and glaciological significance of ice-marginal moraines in Iceland. I then went on to undertake a PhD at Queen Mary University of London (2014-2018), which examined the glacial history of the Gaick in the Central Grampians, Scotland.
Following my PhD, I joined the University of Portsmouth as a Visiting Researcher, before being awarded a Leverhulme Trust grant to undertake overseas postdoctoral research at Stockholm University (2019-2021). During my postdoc, my research focused on the application of near-surface geophysics to glacial environments.
In 2022, I was awarded the Lewis Penny Medal by the Quaternary Research Association (QRA). The medal is awarded in recognition of significant contributions to the understanding of the Quaternary stratigraphy of the British Isles and its maritime environment.
Teaching Summary
I deliver teaching on a range of physical geography topics including geomorphology, glaciers and environmental change, atmospheric processes and climate change, as well as remote sensing and… read more
Research Summary
My research interests and expertise are at the interface of glacial geology, glaciology, and Quaternary Science. The central theme and goal of my research is to increase understanding of past and… read more
Recent Publications
MALIN E. KYLANDER, ANTONIO MARTÍNEZ-CORTIZAS, JENNY K. SJÖSTRÖM, JENNY GÅLING, RICHARD GYLLENCREUTZ, RICHARD BINDLER, HELENA ALEXANDERSON, FREDERIK SCHENK, BENEDICT T.I. REINARDY, BENJAMIN M.P. CHANDLER and KERRY GALLAGHER, 2023. Storm chasing: Tracking Holocene storminess in southern Sweden using mineral proxies from inland and coastal peat bogs Quaternary Science Reviews. 299, 107854 DAVID J. A. EVANS, MAREK W. EWERTOWSKI, ALEKSANDRA TOMCZYK and BENJAMIN M. P. CHANDLER, 2023. Active temperate glacial landsystem evolution in association with outwash head/depositional overdeepenings Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. CLARE M. BOSTON, BENJAMIN M. P. CHANDLER, HAROLD LOVELL, PAUL WEBER and BETHAN J. DAVIES, 2023. The role of topography in landform development at an
active temperate glacier in Arctic Norway Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. HANNAH WATTS, ADAM D. BOOTH, BENEDICT T. I. REINARDY, SIOBHAN F. KILLINGBECK, PETER JANSSON, ROGER A. CLARK, BENJAMIN M. P. CHANDLER and ATLE NESJE, 2022. An assessment of geophysical survey techniques for characterising the subsurface around glacier margins, and recommendations for future applications Frontiers in Earth Science: Cryospheric Sciences. 10, 734682
I currently supervise the following postgraduate research students:
- Libby Pattison (2022-2025). Ice-marginal dynamics of plateau icefields in response to climate change. School of Geography studentship.
I welcome expressions of interest in undertaking MSc and PhD research with me. If you are motivated and enthusiastic about research areas that align with my areas of expertise, you are welcome to get in touch with me at any time to discuss ideas.
I deliver teaching on a range of physical geography topics including geomorphology, glaciers and environmental change, atmospheric processes and climate change, as well as remote sensing and geophysical methods. I am module convenor for two modules: GEOG1037 Planet Earth: Exploring the Physical Environment and GEOG3063 Unearthing the Past. During the 2023-24 academic year, I will contribute teaching to the following modules in the School of Geography.
GEOG1036 Physical Landscapes of Britain: in this optional first-year module, I deliver a block of lectures key geomorphological agents and processes that have shaped the British landscape. The lectures cover the impacts of ice sheets, mountain glaciers, frost and wind action, and wave action on the landscapes of Britain.
GEOG1037 Planet Earth: Exploring the Physical Environment (module convenor): in this compulsory first-year module, I deliver blocks of lectures focused on the 'Atmosphere and climate' and 'The Cryosphere'. In the autumn semester, I give lectures on atmospheric processes, human-atmosphere interactions, and climate change. In the spring semester, I deliver lectures on the cryosphere and climate change, glaciers and ice sheets, glacial geomorphology, permafrost, and periglacial processes.
GEOG2003 Techniques in Physical Geography: in this compulsory second-year module, I am responsible for teaching a project on geomorphological mapping methods. I deliver this through a combination of lecture- and practical-based teaching.
GEOG3055 Advances in Remote Sensing: in this optional third-year module, I deliver teaching on geospatial and geophysical methods. I give a lecture and practical focused on geomorphological change detection using repeat drone-based photogrammetry, and a lecture and practical focused on ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveying.
GEOG3062 Global Climate Change: in this optional third-year module, I deliver lecture-based teaching on the impacts of climate change on glaciers and ice sheets, covering observed changes to glaciers and ice sheets and predicted changes during the 21st Century.
GEOG3063 Unearthing the Past (module convenor): in this optional third-year module, I deliver a block of teaching focused on reconstructing past glaciations using the glacial geological record. This block consists of a combination of lectures and computer practicals.
Current Research
My research interests and expertise are at the interface of glacial geology, glaciology, and Quaternary Science. The central theme and goal of my research is to increase understanding of past and present glacier response to rapid climate change. To address this research issue, much of my research involves using glacial landforms and sediments as "proxies" for glacier dynamics and glacier-climate interactions. My research primarily focuses on the following three areas.
1. Ice-marginal and submarginal process-form relationships
A key focus of my research is investigating ice-marginal and submarginal process-form relationships and their links to specific glaciological and climatic conditions. I undertake glacial sedimentological (process) studies to understand processes of moraine formation that are operating at modern glacier margins (e.g. in Iceland). These studies aim to improve our understanding of the links between moraine-forming processes, glacier dynamics, and climate. I also conduct research to elucidate the depositional and deformation histories of ancient glacial landforms (e.g. in Scotland), with a focus on ice-marginal moraines. I use the geomorphological and sedimentary signatures in ancient glacial environments to reconstruct past glacier dynamics. My current research on this theme focuses on the formation and glaciological significance of moraine complexes in Sarek, Arctic Sweden.
2. Reconstructing Quaternary glaciations and palaeoclimate
My second area of research interest focuses on using ancient glacial landforms and sediments to produce empirical reconstructions of the extent, morphology, and thickness of Pleistocene glaciers. These empirical reconstructions are used to calculate palaeoclimatic variables for formerly glacier-covered regions, which provides insights into former atmospheric circulation patterns. One of my main areas of interest is reconstructing the extent and dynamics of mountain glaciers in Scotland during the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition (~16-8 ka).
3. Plateau icefield dynamics and thermal regimes
My third area of research interest is the dynamics and thermal regimes of plateau icefields, and the response of these glacier types to climate change. Model simulations show that plateau icefields are highly sensitive to climate change due to their "top-heavy" morphologies, but there remain significant uncertainties related to the influence of glacier thermal regime and topography on plateau icefield dynamics. I am currently undertaking research on the dynamics of Hardangerjøkulen icefield, Norway.
Other research interests
In addition to my three main areas of interest, I have broader interests in applications of drones (or UAVs) and near-surface geophysics across the geosciences. My main focus is on using these methods to better understand glaciers and glacial processes, but I am also involved in collaborative research that is applying ground-penetrating radar to examine peatlands and aeolian dunes.
MALIN E. KYLANDER, ANTONIO MARTÍNEZ-CORTIZAS, JENNY K. SJÖSTRÖM, JENNY GÅLING, RICHARD GYLLENCREUTZ, RICHARD BINDLER, HELENA ALEXANDERSON, FREDERIK SCHENK, BENEDICT T.I. REINARDY, BENJAMIN M.P. CHANDLER and KERRY GALLAGHER, 2023. Storm chasing: Tracking Holocene storminess in southern Sweden using mineral proxies from inland and coastal peat bogs Quaternary Science Reviews. 299, 107854 DAVID J. A. EVANS, MAREK W. EWERTOWSKI, ALEKSANDRA TOMCZYK and BENJAMIN M. P. CHANDLER, 2023. Active temperate glacial landsystem evolution in association with outwash head/depositional overdeepenings Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. CLARE M. BOSTON, BENJAMIN M. P. CHANDLER, HAROLD LOVELL, PAUL WEBER and BETHAN J. DAVIES, 2023. The role of topography in landform development at an
active temperate glacier in Arctic Norway Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. HANNAH WATTS, ADAM D. BOOTH, BENEDICT T. I. REINARDY, SIOBHAN F. KILLINGBECK, PETER JANSSON, ROGER A. CLARK, BENJAMIN M. P. CHANDLER and ATLE NESJE, 2022. An assessment of geophysical survey techniques for characterising the subsurface around glacier margins, and recommendations for future applications Frontiers in Earth Science: Cryospheric Sciences. 10, 734682 CHANDLER, BENJAMIN M.P., BOSTON, CLARE M., LUKAS, SVEN and LOVELL, HAROLD, 2021. Re-interpretation of ‘hummocky moraine’ in the Gaick, Scotland, as erosional remnants: Implications for palaeoglacier dynamics Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. 132(4), 506-524 CHANDLER, BENJAMIN M. P. and EVANS, DAVID J. A., 2021. Glacial Processes and Sediments. In: ALDERTON, DAVID and ELIAS, SCOTT A., eds., Encyclopedia of Geology Second Edition. Elsevier. 830-856 CHANDLER, BENJAMIN M. P., CHANDLER, SAMUEL J. P., EVANS, DAVID J. A., EWERTOWSKI, MAREK W., LOVELL, HAROLD, ROBERTS, DAVID H., SCHAEFER, MARTIN and TOMCZYK, ALEKSANDRA M., 2020. Sub-annual moraine formation at an active temperate Icelandic glacier Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. 45(7), 1622-1643 CHANDLER, BENJAMIN M.P., EVANS, DAVID J.A., CHANDLER, SAMUEL J.P., EWERTOWSKI, MAREK W., LOVELL, HAROLD, ROBERTS, DAVID H., SCHAEFER, MARTIN and TOMCZYK, ALEKSANDRA M., 2020. The glacial landsystem of Fjallsjökull, Iceland: Spatial and temporal evolution of process-form regimes at an active temperate glacier Geomorphology. 361, 107192 CHANDLER, BENJAMIN M.P., LUKAS, SVEN, BOSTON, CLARE M. and MERRITT, JON W., 2019. Glacial geomorphology of the Gaick, Central Grampians, Scotland Journal of Maps. 15(2), 60-78 CHANDLER, BENJAMIN M.P., LOVELL, HAROLD, BOSTON, CLARE M., LUKAS, SVEN, BARR, IESTYN D., BENEDIKTSSON, ÍVAR ÖRN, BENN, DOUGLAS I., CLARK, CHRIS D., DARVILL, CHRISTOPHER M., EVANS, DAVID J.A., EWERTOWSKI, MAREK W., LOIBL, DAVID, MARGOLD, MARTIN, OTTO, JAN-CHRISTOPH, ROBERTS, DAVID H., STOKES, CHRIS R., STORRAR, ROBERT D. and STROEVEN, ARJEN P., 2018. Glacial geomorphological mapping: A review of approaches and frameworks for best practice Earth-Science Reviews. 185, 806-846 EVANS, DAVID J. A. and CHANDLER, BENJAMIN M. P., 2018. Geology, physiography and glaciology of SE Iceland. In: EVANS, DAVID J. A., ed., Glacial Landsystems of Southeast Iceland – Quaternary Applications: Field Guide Quaternary Research Association. 1-19
CHANDLER, BENJAMIN M. P., EVANS, DAVID J. A. and ROBERTS, DAVID H., 2018. Glacial landsystem development at Skálafellsjökull and moraine-climate change linkages. In: EVANS, DAVID J. A., ed., Glacial Landsystems of Southeast Iceland – Quaternary Applications: Field Guide Quaternary Research Association. 243-258
CHANDLER, BENJAMIN M. P., EVANS, DAVID J. A., ROBERTS, DAVID H., EWERTOWSKI, MAREK and CLAYTON, ALEXANDER I., 2016. Glacial geomorphology of the Skálafellsjökull foreland, Iceland: A case study of ‘annual’ moraines Journal of Maps. 12(5), 904-916