
Dr Tian Li
B. Eng, M.Sc
Expertise
Current positions
Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow
School of Geographical Sciences
Contact
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Research interests
I am interested in the profound impacts of climate change on polar glaciers and ice sheets. I use deep learning and Bayesian statistical models with extensive satellite remote sensing data to investigate glacier dynamics in the polar regions. My current research focuses on the calving processes of marine-terminating glaciers in the Arctic.
I completed my PhD at the Bristol Glaciology Centre, where I studied the grounding zone dynamics of the Antarctic Ice Sheet using NASA's ICESat-2 satellite data. During my PhD, I developed novel methodologies for mapping the Antarctic grounding zone, leading to the creation of the first ICESat-2-derived Antarctic Ice Sheet grounding zone data product. This dataset was published by the NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center, and revealed significant retreats in the grounding lines of Moscow University and Totten Glacier ice shelves in East Antarctica over the past two decades. This research contributes to a better understanding of East Antarctic Ice Sheet instability and its potential implications for future sea-level rise.
My work is also driven by a passion for applying deep learning techniques to polar glaciology. In 2022, I received a PGR seed-corn research grant from the Jean-Golding Institute on using deep learning to map the grounding zone with ICESat-2 data. In 2023, I was a Visiting Research Fellow at the AI4EO Future Lab of the Technical University of Munich, where I collaborated on projects at the intersection of AI and Earth Observation.
Projects and supervisions
Research projects
An automated deep learning pipeline for mapping Antarctic grounding zone from ICESat-2 laser altimeter
Principal Investigator
Description
Funded by the Jean Golding Institute PGR Seed Corn Funding Scheme 2022, this project aims to apply deep learning to satellite laser altimetry datasets in mapping the Antarctic grounding zone.Managing organisational unit
School of Geographical SciencesDates
01/04/2022 to 30/06/2022
Arctic PASSION
Principal Investigator
Role
Researcher
Managing organisational unit
School of Geographical SciencesDates
01/07/2021 to 30/06/2025
Publications
Selected publications
15/01/2025Pervasive glacier retreats across Svalbard from 1985 to 2023
Nature Communications
A high-resolution calving front data product for marine-terminating glaciers in Svalbard
Earth System Science Data
Grounding line retreat and tide-modulated ocean channels at Moscow University and Totten Glacier ice shelves, East Antarctica
Cryosphere
Recent publications
17/01/2025We built an AI model that analysed millions of images of retreating glaciers – what it found is alarming
Pervasive glacier retreats across Svalbard from 1985 to 2023
Nature Communications
Totten Ice Shelf history over the past century interpreted from satellite imagery
The Cryosphere
A high-resolution calving front data product for marine-terminating glaciers in Svalbard
Earth System Science Data
Widespread and rapid dynamics of subglacial water in the Canadian Arctic
Widespread and rapid dynamics of subglacial water in the Canadian Arctic
Thesis
Mapping Antarctic grounding zones from ICESat-2 laser altimetry
Supervisors
Award date
06/12/2022