​​Yikai​ ​​Zhu​

Profile

I am a Research Fellow in the Satellite Ice Dynamics research group within the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science at the University of Leeds.

I completed my PhD at Wuhan University in collaboration with the University of Leeds, where my research focused on grounding systems of Antarctic ice shelves and their role in regulating ice-sheet stability. My doctoral work examined grounding-line migration and the long-term evolution of ice-shelf pinning points using satellite observations, contributing to continent-scale assessments of Antarctic ice dynamics.

My research investigates the mechanisms driving ice dynamic variability across Antarctica, with particular emphasis on grounding processes, ice–ocean interaction, and ice-shelf stability. I am interested in understanding how ocean-driven basal melting and mechanical weakening influence buttressing and mass balance, and how satellite remote sensing can be used to constrain these processes.

In 2025, I was awarded a SCAR INSTANT Fellowship to investigate the temporal evolution and stability of Antarctic ice-shelf pinning points. Through this work, I aim to strengthen international collaboration in polar research and improve understanding of the processes that govern ice-shelf resilience and future sea-level rise.

Research interests

• Antarctic ice-shelf dynamics
• Grounding system
• Ice-ocean interactions
• Mass balance
• Ice velocity
• Subglacial lakes

Research groups and institutes

• Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science