Dr Tristram Irvine-Fynn
PhD in Geography – Glaciology (University of Sheffield, UK, 2008) MSc in Geography – Glaciology (University of Calgary, Canada, 2004) BA in Geography (University of Cambridge, UK, 2001)

Senior Lecturer
Department of Geography and Earth Sciences
Contact Details
- Email: tdi@aber.ac.uk
- ORCID: 0000-0003-3157-6646
- Office: J12, Llandinam Building
- Phone: +44 (0) 1970 622784
- Research Portal Profile
Profile
Tris initially joined DGES in Feb 2011 as a process glaciologist Research Fellow employed through the C3W initiative. With earlier experience on temperate alpine glaciers, Tris started researching High-Arctic glaciology on Svalbard in 2000. Supported by a Canadian Memorial Foundation Scholarship, he worked on utilising ground penetrating radar (GPR) to delineate hydrological connections and changes within Stagnation Glacier, Bylot Island, Canadian Arctic; this project yielded an MSc from University of Calgary which was awarded the Chancellors Medal. Subsequently, he returned to the University of Sheffield for his PhD research: a detailed hydrological study of Midtre Lov?nbreen, Svalbard. Tris was then employed at Sheffield - funded by The Leverhulme Trust as a PDRA and NERC as a Research Co-Investigator - focusing on projects exploring the "greening of retreating arctic glaciers" in collaboration with the University of Bristol. This area of research has continued in Tris' tenure of the C3W Fellowship, with focus on novel techniques to monitor supraglacial characteristics and processes and close collaboration with colleagues in IBERS. In particular, his interests include the hydraulics of near-surface ice, the seasonal development of ice surface roughness and albedo, and feedbacks linked to the important ecological niche that glacier surfaces represent. Throughout his research career Tris has contributed to teaching across a wide range of physical geography courses, including ones based at UNIS (Svalbard).
Teaching
Module Coordinator
- GS32230 - Arctic Hydrology and Climate Change (UNIS)
- GS23510 - The Frozen Planet
- GS31030 - Pollution in the Arctic (UNIS)
- GS32330 - The Quaternary History of Svalbard (UNIS)
- GS32430 - Arctic Marine Geology (UNIS)
- GS33420 - Glaciers and Ice Sheets
Lecturer
- DA34040 - Traethawd Estynedig Daearyddiaeth
- GSS0260 - Work Placement
- GS11520 - How to Build a Planet
- GSS0360 - Work Placement
- GS34220 - Geography Joint Honours/Major Project
- DA34220 - Prosiect Daearyddiaeth Anrhydedd Cyfun/Prif Bwnc
- GS17120 - Researching the Social World
- GS34040 - Geography Dissertation
- GS20020 - Geography Research Design and Fieldwork Skills
- DA25420 - Dylunio Ymchwil a Sgiliau Gwaith Maes
- GS21120 - Physical Geography and Environmental Science Research Design and Fieldwork Skills
- GS21420 - Environmental Earth Science Research Design and Fieldwork Skills
Tutor
- GS17120 - Researching the Social World
- DA34040 - Traethawd Estynedig Daearyddiaeth
- GS33420 - Glaciers and Ice Sheets
- GS35140 - Environmental Earth Science Dissertation
- GS11520 - How to Build a Planet
- DA34220 - Prosiect Daearyddiaeth Anrhydedd Cyfun/Prif Bwnc
- GS23510 - The Frozen Planet
- GS13020 - Researching the World: data collection and analysis
- GS34040 - Geography Dissertation
- GS34220 - Geography Joint Honours/Major Project
- GS35240 - Environmental Science Dissertation
- GS22810 - Geohazards
Coordinator
- GS33420 - Glaciers and Ice Sheets
- GS23510 - The Frozen Planet
- GS31030 - Pollution in the Arctic (UNIS)
- GS32430 - Arctic Marine Geology (UNIS)
- GS32330 - The Quaternary History of Svalbard (UNIS)
- GS32230 - Arctic Hydrology and Climate Change (UNIS)
Grader
Research
Group Affiliation
- Centre for Glaciology (CfG)
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM)
- Climate Change Consortium of Wales (C3W)
Research Interests
Tris' research interests are focussed on process glaciology and hydrology, particularly in the High-Arctic:
- Glacier thermal regime and hydrology
- Supraglacial processes and ecology
- Method development for process glaciology
- Paraglacial dynamics in arctic catchments