Research Student Spotlight June 2026: Hannah Barnett
Our monthly spotlight on the work and lives of the next generation of water@leeds researchers.
Name: Hannah Barnett
PhD title: Remote sensing as a tool to detect Sudden Detachment Events
School of Geography
Supervisors: Dr Liam Taylor, Prof Duncan Quincey, Dr C. Scott Watson
Tell us a bit about yourself:
I grew up in a village in north Nottinghamshire. Before starting at Leeds, I was studying for my masters degree in Houston, Texas. I was on a year-long placement in the Nature Based Solutions (NBS) department of Shell, learning about commercial research and how climate-research is conducted within an oil and gas company.
Why did you choose University of Leeds?
I chose Leeds because I wanted to work with Liam, Duncan and Scott. I completed a Research Experience Placement (REP) at Leeds during the summer of my second year of undergrad. This was a 6 week placement where I worked with Liam and Duncan to complete a mini project on glacier surges, which was also my first introduction to studying glaciology. As a result of this placement, I was able to go with Liam and Duncan on fieldwork to Iceland and see my first glacier in real life, as well as present my work at my first conference. After that, I was hooked on glaciology and decided that if I was going to do a PhD, it would be with Liam, Duncan and Scott at Leeds!
What is your research about?
My research is focused on the real-world disaster risk challenges posed by glacier collapse events. Glacier collapses called sudden detachment events (SDEs) can involve sudden break-offs of the glacier thar results in high-speed debris flows with runout distances of several kilometres. They have devasting and permanent impacts on alpine communities. Examples include the 2022 Marmolada glacier collapse in Italy, which tragically killed 11 people, and the 2025 Blatten ice-rock avalanche and resultant debris flow in Switzerland. Glacier collapses can also take the form of concentric crevasses in funnel-shaped depressions on the glacier surface. Over time, the ice surface collapses inwards, exposing inner ice to warm air temperatures and liquid water. This further erodes the glacier, and enhances the rate of ice mass loss, with implications for glacier tourism and recreation, and water availability downvalley.
Glacier collapse has direct impacts on communities downstream – if glaciers become increasingly unstable, this poses water resource challenges for the up to ~2 billion people globally who rely on glaciers for water. Accelerated glacier loss also affects tourism, energy generation and security, ecosystems and habitats, and religion and culture. Glacial and mountain hazards are also increasing, as the dynamicity of these environments rises with climate change. This has devasting and permanent impacts on alpine communities.
My research uses a combination of earth observation, in-situ remote sensing and interdisciplinary methods to address different steps of risk reduction and management. I harness global data and cloud computing to model a key driver of collapse in over 98,000 glaciers globally, test low-cost monitoring methods on the Zinal glacier in Switzerland, and address issues of implementing risk reduction systems by exploring interactions between key stakeholders in these hazards.
What did you wish you knew before starting a PhD?
I think it’s really important to take the time to make sure that the project and supervisors are a good fit for you, as much as you are for it – having a good working relationship with your supervisors is crucial. I would also say that you get as much out of your PhD as you put into it!