Dr Liz Bagshaw

• Senior Lecturer in Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University 2019-present
• Lecturer in Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University 2014-2019
• Postdoctoral Research Assistant, biogeochemical sensor development and testing, Bristol Glaciology Centre, University of Bristol 2013-2014
• Postdoctoral Research Assistant, subglacial wireless sensor development and testing, Queens School of Engineering, University of Bristol, 2010-2013
• Postdoctoral Research Assistant and Lecturer in Glaciology, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, 2008-2010
• PhD in Glacial Biogeochemistry, Bristol Glaciology Centre, University of Bristol, 2008
• MSci in Physical Geography, University of Bristol, 2005

• Date
• Type
• Selected

Liz is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She teaches across the undergraduate programmes in the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, primarily supporting Environmental Geography students.

Her teaching covers Glaciology, Chemistry of the Environment and BSc and MSci Dissertation Projects. You're also likely to find her teaching in the field. 

I am a glaciologist with particular interest in biogeochemical processes in the cryosphere, and in the development and testing of new technologies to monitor them. I do fieldwork in Antarctica and Greenland, monitoring the impact of physical processes on microbial communities through geochemical changes in meltwater. Glacial environments are home to a diverse range of microorganisms, which have a profound impact on surrounding environments via the export of runoff. This impact is poorly quantified, primarily because it is challenging to take measurements in isolated and cold locations. I am interested in new methods for measuring aquatic biogeochemistry in these environments, in order to interpret processes and changes occurring in extreme ecosystems, both in the past and present day.

Communicating data through ice is a real challenge, so our EPSRC funded 'Cryoegg' research is exploring ways to return data from meltwater underneath glaciers. You can find out some information about the Cryoegg project here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC96ZMofZLM&feature=youtu.be and here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-48638958. Recently I've been working with the East Greenland Ice Core Project to development methods for instrumenting a fast-flowing ice stream; you can read more here: https://eastgrip.org/

I lead the multidisciplinary Cold Climate research group (https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/explore/research-units/cold-climates). The Cold Climate research team includes biogeochemists, microbiologists and engineers, all working together with partners in academia and industry to understand processes occurring in remote environments. We're also interested in exploring existing methods and adapting our bespoke technologies for low-cost monitoring of water quality in UK catchments, as part of the Cardiff Water Institute (https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/water-research-institute/research/research-themes/digital-solutions-for-water-risk-management).

Current supervision

Impact

I work with Rivers Trusts in the UK to explore the use of low cost sensors to monitor and manage catchment water quality. We are testing wireless sensing technologies in a number of catchments, and exploring app-based alert systems for real-time water quality conditions. You can find a previous version of the app here: https://www.natural-apptitude.co.uk/project/wisecam/ but keep your eyes peeled for future updates!

Outreach

I really enjoy public engagement and regularly visit local schools and youth groups to talk about Polar Science. You'll also occasionally find me at Pint of Science (https://pintofscience.co.uk/events/cardiff) or Science Festivals. Get in touch if you are interested in a speaking engagement.