Student Profile: Alice Bradley

It is sometimes easy to forget that aerospace engineering is as much about gaining fundamental knowledge about the nature of our planet as it is about understanding the distant reaches of our universe.

Arctic systems, like so many processes and systems on Earth, dynamically change throughout time, affecting climate, society and more individually, human life.

As a native Alaskan, Alice Bradley is no stranger to the beauty of frozen landscapes or their continual evolution. Her PhD research through CU Boulder aerospace aims to investigate the factors that cause arctic climate shifts.

Concentrating on remote sensing, Alice uses unmanned aircraft and mini-buoys to study the effects of upper ocean temperatures on arctic climate systems. Understanding the relationship between ocean heat content and climate allows researchers to gain greater insight into the patterns that govern sea ice melt and freeze up throughout the year.

In the short-term, understanding sea ice behavior is critical for the safe and efficient execution of economic operations in arctic regions (wouldn’t want sea ice freezing up around your shipping vessel!). In the long run, a deeper understanding of arctic ice behavior may shed valuable light on climate shifts that could dramatically impact global economic and social conditions.

Alice will continue her field campaign in Northern Alaska this upcoming fall. As Alice explains, “The more effectively we understand [arctic] systems, the more effectively we can benefit - environmentally, economically and socially.” 

-Written By: Ari Sandberg, Intern