Indrani Das

I have a Glaciology and Atmospheric Sciences background with expertise in satellite and airborne remote sensing. The main area of my research include mass balance of ice sheets and ice shelves. I study physical processes that impact the mass balance and stability of ice sheets and ice shelves, ice-atmosphere and ice-ocean interactions using a combination of satellite remote sensing, airborne radar and laser altimeter, ground based measurements, and modeling.

I did my Ph.D in Atmospheric Physics from Indian Space Research Organization in 2007 where I worked on radiative transfer algorithms to retrieve marine aerosols from satellite data. After briefly working on estimating snow depth in the Himalayas, in 2007 I came as a postdoc to University of Alaska Fairbanks to work on mass balance of Alaskan glaciers using airborne laser altimetry.

In 2010, I came to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory to work on surface processes impacting surface mass balance of Antarctica. I am now an Assistant Research Professor and my work has evolved to include both surface and basal processes of ice sheets and ice shelves. I also work on paleo observations of accumulation rates and climate history of Greenland ice sheet. I am a co-PI on the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (NSF-NERC ITGC) and work on integrating remote sensing observations and ice sheet models to understand basal processes and conditions at the bed. I serve on National Academies on Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and a council member of the International Glaciological Society.

Fields of Interest

Mass balance of ice sheets and ice shelves, ice-atmosphere interaction, ice-ocean interaction, ice sheet basal and surface processes, katabatic winds, paleo climate and accumulation rate history, ice dynamics, ice sheet models, aerosols and radiative transfer, climate, art and society

Education

  • Ph.D. Atmospheric Physics (Radiative transfer and aerosols)
  • M.Sc. Physics (Spl. Particle Physics)
  • B.Sc. Physics (Major)

 

Das, I., Padman, L., Bell, R. E., Fricker, H. A., Tinto, K. J., Hulbe, C. L., et al ( 2020). Multi‐decadal basal melt rates and structure of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica using airborne ice penetrating radar. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 125, e2019JF005241. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JF005241