Sophie Norris

Sophie Norris
Position
Assistant Professor
Quaternary geomorphology, geochronology, ice sheet dynamics, glacial erosion, glacial lake outburst floods
Contact
Office: DTB B128
250-472-5652
website
Credentials

PhD (University of Alberta)

 

I am an Assistant Professor in the Geography Department. I oversee the Geomorphology and Chronology Research (GCR) lab (located in DTB B133). The GCR lab is a research facility and team that focuses on better understanding past glacier and ice sheet responses to global climatic change throughout the Quaternary period (the last 2.6 million years). Using a wide range of laboratory and analytical procedures combined with computer modelling tools, this work aims to quantify the timing and rate of landscape change in terrestrial cryosphere environments.

Please note - I am not currently accepting new graduate students for the 2024-2025 academic year. 

Research

My ongoing research projects fall into three broad themes:

Reconstructing the evolution of the North American Ice Sheet Complex during the last deglacial

  • This research aims to quantify the timing and dynamic behaviour of portions of the Cordilleran and western Laurentide Ice Sheet during rapid climatic change at the end of the last ice age. 

 Modelling and reconstruction of glacial lake outburst floods

  • This research aims to understand better the behaviour of large glacial lake drainage events and the implications of these events in the context of ocean circulation.

 Quantifying glacial erosion processes and rates

  • This research aims to quantify glacial erosion rates on Quaternary timescales and to aid in predicting future rates of glacial erosion.

Teaching

GEOG272: Introduction to Climatology and Hydrology

GEOG276: Introduction to Geomorphology

GEOG491: Advanced topics in Geography

Publications

Publications in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters:

Google Scholar

 

Conference abstracts, presentations, and media articles:

Website