Research interests:
Quantifying the Delivery & Dispersal of Landslide-Derived Sediment to the Dart River, New Zealand. Co-I, NERC. http://gotw.nerc.ac.uk/list_full.asp?pcode=NE%2FM005054%2F1&cookieConsent=A
Glacier change and glacial lake outburst flood risk in the Bolivian Andes.
Geomicrobiology of glacier basal ice.
Glacial erosion and sediment transfer.
Career history:
2017 International Visiting Scholar, Massey University, New Zealand
2012-2017 Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, Manchester Metropolitan University
2009-2012 Lecturer in Glaciology, Aberystwyth University
2009 Research & Teaching Fellow in Physical Geography, University of Hertfordshire
2008 Lecturer in Glaciology, Aberystwyth University
2007 Sessional Lecturer in Environmental Science, Nottingham Trent University
2006-2007 Lecturer in Physical Geography, Liverpool John Moores University
Active research projects:
Primary Research Interests
I am a geoscientist with interests in glaciology and the geomorphology of mountain environments. Much of my works focuses on understanding the mechanisms that shape landscapes (including glacial, fluvial and mass movement processes), as well the impacts of geohazards and high magnitude geomorphological events (including landslides and outburst floods). You can follow me on Twitter (@glacio_cook) or Researchgate for updates on my work.
Current Research
Glacial erosion and sediment transfer. This work focuses on understanding how glaciers generate and redistribute sediment, and what this means for the shaping of the landscape beneath glaciers and ice sheets.
Geohazards and high magnitude geomorphological events in Alpine environments. Mountain environments are exceptionally dynamic and are experiencing rapid changes associated with climate warming and deglaciation. I am working on a number of projects (e.g. in New Zealand, Bolivia, Swiss Alps) that explore how these environments are changing. Specifically, I am interested in (1) the development of lakes on or in front of glaciers that have the potential to generate outburst floods; and (2) the delivery of sediment from mass movement events (e.g. debris flows, rock avalanches) to rivers and glaciers, and how these sediments are redistributed through such systems.
Nature and significance of microbial life in glacial systems. Glaciers represent important ecosystems, yet are poorly understood. I have been developing my early work on the debris-rich basal part of glaciers to explore what life exists in this domain, and what the significance of this microbial life might be for geochemical cycling.
Recent publications:
Cook, S.J., Kougkoulos, I., Edwards, L.A., Dortch, J., Hoffmann, D. (2016) Glacier change and glacial lake outburst flood risk in the Bolivian Andes. The Cryosphere, 10, 2399-2413.
Patton, H., Swift, D.A., Clark, C.D., Livingstone, S.J., Cook, S.J. (2016) Distribution and characteristics of overdeepenings beneath the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets: Implications for overdeepening origin and evolution. Quaternary Science Reviews, 148, 128-145.
Tonkin, T., Midgley, N.G., Cook, S.J., Graham, D.J. (2016) Ice-cored moraine degradation mapped and quantified using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle: a case study from a polythermal glacier in Svalbard. Geomorphology, 258, 1-10.
Cook, S.J., Quincey, D. (2015) Estimating the volume of Alpine glacial lakes. Earth Surface Dynamics, 3, 559-575.
Quincey, D.J., Glasser, N.F., Cook, S.J., Luckman, A. (2015) Heterogeneity in Karakoram glacier surges. Journal of Geophysical Research – Earth Surface, 120, 1288-1300.