Interview: "Retreating ice sheets will expose or release subglacial carbon stores that are important to quantify"

In this interview, iC3 researcher Henry Patton discusses the role of subglacial carbon stores and sediments in ice sheet dynamics, their significance in the global carbon cycle, and how they will influence future climate change impacts.

Could you describe yourself briefly and the focus of your research, and how it relates to iC3?

My name is Henry Patton, I’m an iC3 researcher in the Department of Geosciences at the UiT Arctic University of Norway. My work focuses on subglacial carbon stores. I aim to quantify how much carbon-rich sediment exists beneath ice sheets, where it’s located, and how these stores might be released in the future.

My research also connects to palaeo time scales, as subglacial sediments can date back hundreds of thousands of years.

Credit: Henry Patton

Why is it important to do this research?

Ice sheets, like in Greenland and West Antarctica, are dynamic environments susceptible to retreat under climate change. When ice sheets retreat, they will expose or release subglacial carbon stores, the volume of which remains a significant knowledge gap.

It is therefore very important to constrain the distribution of subglacial sediment and the potential carbon reservoir within it.

Could you give an example of concrete application of what you are doing?

I’m currently focusing on Greenland, using machine learning to fill gaps in our knowledge. We have data from radio-echo sounder surveys imaging the ice sheet bed, but it’s far from complete coverage. By combining this with ice thickness, geology, and geothermal datasets, for example, I can interpret what might exist at the subglacial interface, such as sediments and carbon stores or just bedrock.

Have you conducted fieldwork in Greenland?

Yes, I’ve participated in two field campaigns in collaboration with the CryoEco group at Charles University in Prague on their March4G project. Our goal was to drill through the ice sheet and retrieve subglacial sediments to study biological processes and methane production in this environment. 

It was a significant logistical and physical effort, but we did successfully recover some sediments, which are now in the lab.

Before iC3, you were part of the previous Norwegian Centre of Excellence CAGE. Now you are also part of the iC3 affiliated project i2B – Into the Blue. What did you do at CAGE and what do you do at Into the Blue?

At CAGE, I modelled Eurasian ice sheet evolution and its impact on the environment, such as methane hydrate fluxes and landscape changes over millions of years.

Within the Into the Blue project, my focus is now more on Greenland and the High Arctic, using palaeo analogs to better understand extreme states in the Arctic and their drivers, including glacial evolution and sediment transport.

What technologies or methodologies excite you most in your field?

I’m particularly excited about applying machine learning to geosciences. It's relatively new in this field. It allows us to use existing datasets more creatively when resources for extensive surveys are limited.

Additionally, advancements in Earth System Models, which integrate increasingly sophisticated ice sheet dynamics, are promising for understanding complex interactions over time.

Credit: Mauro Pau

What big question would you like to answer in the future?

I’d like to develop high-resolution models constrained by robust data to reconstruct glacial histories and project future ice sheet behavior. Understanding processes at the ice sheet bed and their responses to boundary conditions is critical. Advances in computing and AI could significantly enhance this work.

What qualities and skills are you looking for in a postdoc or collaborator?

Technical skills are important, but curiosity, ambition, and creativity are also vital. I value collaborators who think laterally or can approach problems from new perspectives. Being open to collaboration and working well within a team is essential too, especially in large research groups like iC3.

Can you describe a memorable moment or breakthrough in your research?

One memorable moment was during the Into the Blue cruise to the North Pole last year. We reached the North Pole with relative ease due to thinning ice conditions.

It was bittersweet though - exciting to reach such a remote location to collect unique data, but sobering to witness the effects of climate change firsthand. It was a unique and impactful experience.

Credit: Henry Patton

If you could change one thing in science, what would it be?

I’d reform the funding model. Writing and reviewing proposals consumes significant time and resources.

Providing researchers with stable funding directly may help to keep talent in academia and allow more focus on actual research.

What does an ideal day off look like for you?

It would most certainly start with pancakes for breakfast, followed by outdoor activities like skiing or hiking on a new mountain. Spending time in nature with my wife or friends is when I feel most relaxed and happy.

Can you share a book or movie that has significantly influenced you?

A recent movie I watched, Zemlya Sannikova (from the 1970s), left an impression. It’s a Russian cult classic about the discovery of a phantom Arctic land, and explores themes of ‘First contact’ and exploitation. It’s visually stunning, and resonates with the challenges we face in preserving the Arctic.

What is one thing you're looking forward to in the next year, either personally or professionally?

I’m looking forward to another Arctic Ocean cruise with the Into the Blue project, exploring even more remote areas. I’m also excited to publish the sediment maps I’ve been working on and apply these datasets to answer new questions. 

Do you have any final thoughts or a personal motto you'd like to share?

I believe in the power of collaboration and openness in science. Sharing data and working together fosters innovation and progress. 

If you are interested in applying for an MSCA postdoctoral fellowship with Henry, please read this first and then send him an email briefly outlining your proposed research project and enclose your CV.

Henry Patton is a researcher in the Department of Geosciences at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. His research focuses on subglacial carbon stores. He is particularly interested in machine learning applied to geosciences and in developing high-resolution models constrained by robust data to reconstruct glacial histories and project future ice sheet behaviour.