Matteo Spagnolo

I am a glacial geomorphologist, with an interest in landscape evolution in response to climate change. I studied Natural Sciences (with a particular emphasis on glacial geomorphology) at the University of Pisa (Italy), obtained a MSc in GIS and Remote Sensing (with a thesis on satellite-based land cover analyses) at the IAO (Italy) and a PhD in Geology (studying the interaction between tectonics and rivers) at the University of Genoa (Italy). I then moved to the UK, first as a post-doc at the University of Shefflield, where I dedicated my research to subglacial landforms, and eventually to the University of Aberdeen, where I progressed my career to my current professor position.

My research is based on both remote sensing and direct, on-the-ground observations. I employ GIS, satellite imagery analysis, geophysics and UAV to quantitatively analyse glacial landscapes. I then use my results, in collaboration with ice-sheet/glacier modelers and climatologists, to improve our understanding of the cryosphere and its response to climate change. I love the field and have undertaken many trips in various mountain regions worldwide (the Alps, Apennines, Balkans, Andes, Greenland) for ground truthing, mapping and sampling (e.g. for cosmogenic isotope exposure dating). While traditionally focused on formerly glaciated environments, in recent years I have also been exploring current glaciological issues, with a particular attention to two subjects: the effect of ongoing climate change on glaciers, and the interaction between volcanic processes and glaciers.