Ruqayya Butt

Profile

I am a PhD student interested in understanding the physical mechanisms behind how glaciers in the Karakoram are changing, and the human impact of this change. My research primarily involves quantifying changes in glacier mass loss across the Karakoram and exploring the factors contributing to this mass loss, using new generation remote sensing techniques such as cloud computing and machine learning. Secondly, I will apply these findings to hydrological models to estimate long-term and seasonal projections of water stress in the region. Finally, I will undertake fieldwork in the region to understand how communities are responding to existing water resource challenges, and what adaptation mechanisms could minimise the impacts of future changes to water resource.

Prior to my PhD, I completed a BSc in Physical Geography at King’s College London, and an MRes in Climate and Atmospheric Science at the University of Leeds. My MRes project investigated whether anomalous glacier behaviour has ended in the Western Kunlun Mountains, using ICESat2 altimetry retrievals to quantify surface elevation change, and explored climatic factors influencing changes in regional glacier behaviour.

Research interests

• Alpine Glaciology
• Climate Change
• Water Resource Management
• Earth Observation Remote Sensing
• GIS

Qualifications

• MRes Climate and Atmospheric Science, University of Leeds
• BSc Physical Geography, King's College London

Research groups and institutes

• River Basin Processes and Management