Research Themes
Subsurface Biogeochemistry
My current research focuses on identifying the isotopic and geochemical fingerprints of subsurface fluids and the microbiological function in these environments.
Glacial Geochemistry
Glaciers and ice sheets are key contributors to global biogeochemical cycles. This work investigates the geochemical processes operating at the bed of the Greenland Ice Sheet, using proglacial waters, naled ice structures, and subglacial drainage systems. These observations have implications for understanding how glacial systems contribute to global nutrient and carbon cycles, and for predicting how these contributions will change as glaciers retreat.
Key publication: McCerery et al. (preprint) 'Seasonal icings reveal subsurface water drainage of a Greenland ice sheet outlet glacier' The Cryosphere
Polar Microbiology
Extreme cold, low nutrients, and high UV exposure make polar environments some of the most challenging habitats for life. My research characterises microbial communities in subglacial and proglacial sediments across Svalbard, investigates the production of cryoprotectant substances in subglacial environments, and tracks the long-distance atmospheric transport of microbial communities across the Arctic. This work has important implications for understanding microbial invasion risk in rapidly changing polar ecosystems, and for the search for life beyond Earth.
Key publication: McCerery et al. (2025) 'Microbial communities in sediments from different landform systems, Svalbard' Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeoscience
Glacial Geomorphology
The landscape left behind by glaciers helps us to understand how ice has moved, surged, and retreated over time. This work combines satellite remote sensing with field investigations to map and interpret glacial landforms across Svalbard, building detailed landsystem models that reveal the contrasting dynamics of surge-type and non-surge-type glaciers. This work contributes to our understanding of how Arctic glaciers are responding to climate change and what key landforms we can expect to see in other deglaciating environments on Earth and on other planetary bodies.
Key publication: McCerery et al. (2025) 'Landsystem models from remote and field based geomorphological mapping reveal diverse glacier dynamics on Svalbard' Geomorphology
Ice Dynamics & Interface Physics
What makes ice slip? This work took an unconventional approach to a glaciological question, combining sediment geochemistry with interface physics to investigate how the properties of the ice-bed interface drive fast flow and instability in glaciers and ice sheets. This work was the first demonstration of super slippery surfaces in sediments and highlighted the potential role of oil-saturated sediments beneath the former Laurentide Ice Sheet — offering a novel explanation for episodes of rapid ice streaming.
Key publication: McCerery et al. (2025) 'Super slippery surfaces: A novel explanation for dynamics and flow instability of glaciers and ice sheets' Journal of Glaciology