Career: evaluating controls on marine-terminating outlet glacier stability in southwest alaska

The National Science Foundation Division of Polar Programs awarded $846,287 to the Research Foundation of The City University of New York (doing business as RFCUNY - Queens College) on September 1, 2026, under the Polar Programs assistance listing (CFDA 47.078) to investigate controls on marine-terminating outlet glacier stability in Southwest Alaska.

The research will use geologic mapping, cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating, and ice sheet modeling to determine how the Cordilleran Ice Sheet in Southwest Alaska retreated at the end of the last ice age, with particular focus on whether outlet glaciers draining to the North Pacific retreated in different patterns. This historical investigation addresses a gap in understanding marine-terminating outlet glaciers—ice sections that flow into the ocean and contribute significantly to sea-level rise—which can switch unpredictably from gradual retreat to rapid collapse. Results will inform models used to forecast future sea-level change and support coastal infrastructure planning.

The project includes education and outreach components: a course-based undergraduate research experience in glacial geology for Queens College students, a field-based science communication course, a tiered mentoring program, and free public science workshops for youth in grades 4-12 delivered in partnership with the Queens Public Library.

Performance will occur in Flushing, New York, with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2031.

Abstract

Sections of ICE sheets that flow into the ocean are important contributors to global sea-level rise, yet scientists still do not fully understand why some of these glaciers retreat gradually while others retreat quickly. This project will investigate how an ICE sheet that once covered southwest alaska responded to major environmental changes at the end of the last ICE age, providing an opportunity to study fundamental ICE sheet processes that cannot be directly observed in the modern ERA. Results from this research will help evaluate models used to forecast future sea-level change, supporting infrastructure planning for america?S coastal communities, ports, and shipping corridors. The project will also prepare queens college students for stem careers through a course-based undergraduate research experience in glacial geology, a field-based science communication course, and a tiered mentoring program. Public outreach will be conducted in partnership with the queens public library, where the project team will lead free science workshops for youth in grades 4-12. Marine-terminating outlet glaciers transfer large volumes of ICE from ICE sheet interiors to the ocean and are capable of switching from slow retreat to rapid collapse. Understanding what controls these different behaviors is essential for improving projections of ICE sheet and sea-level change, but satellite observations capture only a small fraction of the conditions that outlet glaciers have experienced through time. This project will address that limitation by investigating the retreat of the cordilleran ICE sheet in southwest alaska, which was strikingly similar to parts of greenland and antarctica today. Using geologic mapping, cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating, and ICE sheet modeling, the research will determine whether outlet glaciers draining to the north pacific retreated before those in the north atlantic during the last deglaciation (~22,000-11,000 years ago) and evaluate how ocean and atmosphere conditions, topography, and ICE dynamics interact to influence the transitions between gradual and rapid ICE retreat. Results from this project will provide new insight into the processes that control outlet glacier stability and improve understanding of how the arctic responded to past environmental change. Educational activities will engage queens college students in all aspects of the scientific process, allowing students to emerge from this project well-prepared to join the U.S. Stem workforce. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are planned for this award.