Lily Innes Jones

I joined the School in 2020, initially completing a BSc in Geography followed by an MSc (Res) in Polar and Alpine Change, before beginning my PhD in October 2024. During my time at Sheffield, I have developed research interests in glaciology, geomorphology and water security in alpine regions. 

Do microplastics escape proglacial forelands?

Glaciers are becoming increasingly contaminated by microplastics. As glaciers recede, they release both meltwater and accumulated microplastics into surrounding environments. As meltwater travels through the proglacial landscape, it navigates a series of temporary stores (wetlands, lakes and ponds), most of which are closely related to, or dammed by, proglacial geomorphology and sedimentary deposits (e.g. moraines, till, glaciolacustrine sediments). These features may complicate the movement of microplastics through glacial forelands and into downstream water supplies. Given the societal reliance on glacial meltwater, especially in water scarce mountain catchments, understanding the behaviour of microplastic particles as they navigate the landscape and potentially contaminate water supplies is crucial.

This project aims to explore the distribution and transport of microplastics through the proglacial landscape of the Cordillera Vilcanota, Peru and assess whether they escape the proglacial foreland and pose a threat to the water supplies downstream communities. To do this, I will incorporate a range of geomorphological mapping, fieldwork, laboratory techniques and numerical modelling. 

Supervisors: Dr Jeremy Ely, Dr Sihan Li, Dr Lorna Linch (University of Brighton) & Prof. Bethan Davies (University of Newcastle)