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Molly Hammond

Molly Hammond

Profile

I am a first year PhD student in the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science (ICAS) working in the Satellite Ice Dynamics group with my supervisors Professor Anna Hogg and Dr. Trystan Surawy-Stepney. My studentship is funded by NERC through the YES DTN and I am looking forward to applying satellite Earth observation, modelling and machine learning to problems in the cryosphere. In addition to my research, I am passionate about outreach and science communication.

Previously, I completed a 4-year integrated master’s degree in physics at the University of Oxford. My master’s project was focussed on developing computationally inexpensive machine learning methods for modelling small scale atmospheric processes, and I was awarded the Gibbs Prize for best MPhys research project for this work. I’m excited to continue working with machine learning methods -- now for ice sheets!

Awards:

  • The Gibbs Prize for Best MPhys Research Project – University of Oxford
  • Head of Department’s Prize for Performance in The Oxford Physics Speaking Competition (1st Prize)
  • Nicholas Prize in Physics (Prelims, Part A, Part B and Part C) for best performance in University College Oxford for those four exam years
  • Prelims Practical Prize for Performance in the Oxford Physics Practical Course

Research interests

My research will involve utilising satellite observations, glaciology ice flow modelling, and machine learning to better understand changes to the Greenland ice sheet. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data, from Earth observation satellites including ERS-1/2, TerraSAR-X and Sentinel-1, will be used to track changes in ice speed in Greenland, using intensity feature tracking and interferometry. We will also investigate using machine learning to make measurements of crevassing, and combine satellite observations with the BISICLES ice flow model to investigate the drivers of ice dynamic change.

Research interests:

  • Earth Observation
  • Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence
  • Cryosphere
  • Climate
  • Remote sensing

Qualifications

  • PhD - University of Leeds (2025 - present)
  • MPhys Physics (Class I) - University of Oxford (2021 - 2025)

Research groups and institutes

  • Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science