Dr. Andrews is a glaciologist with the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Her research focuses on understanding the role of the cryosphere in the Earth system, including how glacial meltwater can alter the dynamic response of ice sheets and glaciers and how the representation of cryospheric processes, including snow and sea ice, can impact seasonal forecasting and climate projections. Dr. Andrews leads the PolarMERRA Reanalysis Project, a joint effort between GMAO and GSFC Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory, to produce a polar-focused, high-resolution atmospheric reanalysis and is a Deputy PI of Snow4Flow, a NASA Earth Ventures Suborbital-4 mission designed to measure, model, and project Northern Hemisphere ice mass and mass change.
Lauren C Andrews
(Rsch AST, Earth Sciences Remote Sens)
Email: | lauren.c.andrews@nasa.gov |
Phone: | 301.614.5117 |
Org Code: | 610.1 |
Address: |
NASA/GSFC Mail Code 610.1 Greenbelt, MD 20771 |
Employer: |
Brief Bio
Education
2015 Doctor of Philosophy
Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Dissertation: Spatial and temporal evolution of the glacial hydrologic system of the Western Greenland Ice Sheet: Observational and remote sensing results
Advisor: Dr. Ginny A. Catania
2007 Bachelor of Arts with honors
Geology, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota
Thesis: A geochemical analysis of aluminum hydroxides and iron oxides, Little Backbone Creek, Shasta County, California
Advisor: Dr. Bereket Haileab
Current Projects
Snow4Flow, NASA Earth Ventures Suborbital-4 Mission
PolarMERRA Reanalysis Project
Toward ice sheet surface data assimilation: Employing satellite observations and machine learning to improve model representation of ice sheet surface melt
Greenland ice sheet model calibrations using ensemble-based data assimilation
Spatiotemporal analysis of extreme event characteristics using S2S forecasts to inform hydrometeorological hazard assessment
Subseasonal to Seasonal Forecasts in High Mountain Asia: Improving forecast skill for water resources and hazard management
Positions/Employment
Research Physical Scientist
Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (610.1) - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
2017 - Present
NASA Postdoctoral Fellow
Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
2016 - 2017
Research Scientist Associate V
University of Texas Institute for Geophysics - University of Texas at Austin
2015 - 2016
Teaching and Graduate Research Assistant
Jackson School of Geosciences - University of Texas at Austin
2009 - 2015
Staff Geologist
VESTRA Resources, Inc. - Redding, California
2007 - 2009
Geology Laboratory Teaching Assistant
Carleton College - Northfield, Minnesota
2006 - 2007
Publications
Refereed
2024. "Connecting Global Modes of Variability to Climate in High Mountain Asia ." Atmosphere 15(2) 142 [https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15020142] [Journal Article/Letter]
2023. "Seasonal forecasting skill for the High Mountain Asia region in the Goddard Earth Observing System." Earth System Dynamics 14 (1): 147-171 [10.5194/esd-14-147-2023] [Journal Article/Letter]
2022. "Modeling the Influence of Moulin Shape on Subglacial Hydrology." Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 127 (8): [10.1029/2022jf006674] [Journal Article/Letter]
2022. "Controls on Greenland moulin geometry and evolution from the Moulin Shape model." The Cryosphere 16 (6): 2421-2448 [10.5194/tc-16-2421-2022] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "Supraglacial River Forcing of Subglacial Water Storage and Diurnal Ice Sheet Motion." Geophysical Research Letters 48 (7): [10.1029/2020gl091418] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "Challenges in predicting Greenland supraglacial lake drainages at the regional scale." The Cryosphere 15 (3): 1455-1483 [10.5194/tc-15-1455-2021] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "Anomalous circulation in July 2019 resulting in mass loss on the Greenland ice sheet." Geophysical Research Letters 47 (17): [10.1029/2020GL087263] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "GEOS-S2S Version 2: The GMAO high resolution coupled model and assimilation system for seasonal prediction." Journal of Geophysical Research 125 (5): [10.1029/2019JD031767] [Journal Article/Letter]
2019. "Long‐Term Support of an Active Subglacial Hydrologic System in Southeast Greenland by Firn Aquifers." Geophysical Research Letters 46 4772-4781 [10.1029/2019GL082786] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "Seasonal Evolution of the Subglacial Hydrologic System Modified by Supraglacial Lake Drainage in Western Greenland." Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 123 (6): 1479-1496 [10.1029/2017jf004585] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "Widespread Moulin Formation During Supraglacial Lake Drainages in Greenland." Geophysical Research Letters 45 (2): 778-788 [10.1002/2017gl075659] [Journal Article/Letter]
2017. "Assessment of NASA airborne laser altimetry data using ground-based GPS data near Summit Station, Greenland." The Cryosphere 11 (2): 681-692 [10.5194/tc-11-681-2017] [Journal Article/Letter]
2016. "Greenland subglacial drainage evolution regulated by weakly-connected regions of the bed." Nature Communications 7 Article number: 1390 [10.1038/ncomms13903] [Journal Article/Letter]
2015. "Heat sources within the Greenland Ice Sheet: dissipation, temperate paleo-firn and cryo-hydrologic warming." The Cryosphere 9 (1): 245-253 [10.5194/tc-9-245-2015] [Journal Article/Letter]
2014. "Direct observations of evolving subglacial drainage beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet." Nature 514 (7520): 80–83 [10.1038/nature13796] [Journal Article/Letter]
2014. "Caterpillar-like ice motion in the ablation zone of the Greenland ice sheet." Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 119 (10): 2258-2271 [10.1002/2013jf003067] [Journal Article/Letter]
2014. "Sustained high basal motion of the Greenland ice sheet revealed by borehole deformation." Journal of Glaciology 60 (222): 647-660 [10.3189/2014JoG13J196] [Journal Article/Letter]
2014. "Sustained seismic tremors and icequakes detected in the ablation zone of the Greenland ice sheet." Journal of Glaciology 60 (221): 563-575 [10.3189/2014jog13j210] [Journal Article/Letter]
2013. "A ten-year record of supraglacial lake evolution and rapid drainage in West Greenland using an automated processing algorithm for multispectral imagery." The Cryosphere 7 (6): 1869-1877 [10.5194/tc-7-1869-2013] [Journal Article/Letter]
2011. "Links between acceleration, melting, and supraglacial lake drainage of the western Greenland Ice Sheet." Journal of Geophysical Research 116 (F4): F04035 [10.1029/2010jf001934] [Journal Article/Letter]
Non-Refereed
2019. "Methane beneath Greenland’s ice sheet is being released." Nature 565 (7737): 31-32 [10.1038/d41586-018-07762-7] [Journal Article/Letter]
Other Professional Information
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
2024 Ice + Climate Seminar, Department of Engineering, Dartmouth College
Ice Sheet Representation in an Earth System Model (and why you might care)
2023 NSF HDR Institute for Harnessing Data and Model Revolution in the Polar Regions. University of Maryland, Baltimore County
PolarMERRA: An effort to improve polar processes in NASA’s next-gen reanalyses
2022 Geomatics for Earth & Climate Sciences, University of Maine
Combining satellites and models: Understanding cryospheric processes and more
2021 Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee Collaborations Webinar
Ice Sheet and Glacier meltwater routing in GEOS
2021 University of Maine Geomatics for Earth & Climate Sciences
Combining satellites and models: Understanding cryospheric processes and more
2020 NASA Changes in the Arctic Boreal System Quarterly Updates
Arctic and Boreal Model Development in GEOS
2020 NASA Goddard Director’s Seminar
Linking Atmospheric Circulation Patterns and Ice Sheet Mass Loss Using Modeling and Observations
2020 GMAO Seminar Series on Earth System Science
Polar atmospheric patterns and their role in Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss & dynamics
2019 Bromery Lecture Series, John’s Hopkins University Earth and Planetary Sciences Department
The role of meltwater in Greenland Ice Sheet Dynamics
2017 Ice + Climate Seminar, Department of Earth Science, Dartmouth College
Subglacial drainage evolution beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet
2016 Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wisconsin Madison
Subglacial evolution beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet regulated by weakly connected regions of the bed
2016 Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wisconsin Madison
Spatiotemporal variation in ice velocity and subglacial hydrology in the ablation zone of the Western Greenland Ice Sheet
2014 Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin
Spatiotemporal evolution of the subglacial hydrologic system beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet
2014 Center for Inquiry, Austin
Monitoring the Greenland Ice Sheet: Why and how we study its plumbing
2014 Austin Gem and Mineral Society
Physical controls on outlet glacier variability in Central Western Greenland
SELECTED CONFERENCE PARTICIPATION (presenting author only)
Andrews, L. C., & Cullather, R. I. (2024), Supporting Arctic research, engagement, and policy with GMAO’s next generation reanalysis and prediction systems, Abstract presented at the 2024 Navigating the New Arctic Community Meeting, National Science Foundation, Washington D. Cc, 5-7 Mar.
Andrews, L. C., Cullather, R. I., Parker, C. L., Stevens, C. M. (2024), Regional impacts of ice sheet surface representation improvements in an Earth system model, Abstract C53A-03 presented at 2023 AGU Fall Meeting, 11-15 Dec.
Andrews, L. C., Cullather, R., Parker, C., Simon, E., Medley, B., Boisvert, L., et al. (2022), PolarMERRA: A Polar-Focused Global Reanalysis Project for Scientific and Stakeholder Needs, Abstract 53 presented at AMS Collective Madison Meeting, AMS, Madison, Wisconsin, 8-12 Aug.
Andrews, L. C. (2021), The Role of Basal Meltwater in the Seasonality of Outlet Glacier Flow in Greenland, Abstract (invited) C23A-04 presented at 2021 AGU Fall Meeting, 13-17 Dec.
Andrews, L. C., Cullather, R., Parker, C., Simon, E., Medley, B., Boisvert, L., et al. (2021),
PolarMERRA: A Polar-Focused Global Reanalysis Project for Scientific and Stakeholder Needs, Abstract C35D-0902 presented at 2021 AGU Fall Meeting, 13-17 Dec.
Andrews, L. C., Poinar, K., & Trunz, C. (2020), Modeling moulin evolution on the Greenland Ice Sheet, Abstract presented at 2020 Program for Arctic Regional Climate Assessment, 20 Feb.
Andrews, L. C., Cullather, R. I., Nowicki, S. M., & Carton, J. A. (2019), Numerical Reanalyses as a Gateway to Arctic Synthesis, Abstract presented at Arctic Futures 2050, 4-6 Sept.
Andrews, L. C., & Poinar, K. (2019), A Physical Model of Moulin Formation and Evolution, Abstract presented at the International Glaciological Society Symposium on Glacial Erosion and Sedimentation, 12-17 May.
Andrews, L. C., & Poinar, K. (2019), A Physical Model of Moulin Formation and Evolution on the Greenland Ice Sheet, Abstract C12A-04 presented at 2019 AGU Fall Meeting, 9-13 Dec.
Andrews, L. C., & Poinar, K. (2019), Physically based and stochastic models for Greenland moulin Formation, longevity, and spatial distribution, Abstract presented at the Program for Arctic Regional Climate Assessment, 27-29 Jan.
Andrews, L. C., Cullather, R., & Molod, A. (2018), The role of atmospheric teleconnections and local forcings in predicting Greenland Ice Sheet surface mass loss, Abstract GC53A-06 presented at 2018 AGU Fall Meeting, 10-14 Dec.
Andrews, L. C., Dow, C. F., Poinar, K., & Nowicki, S. (2017), Subglacial efficiency and storage modified by the temporal pattern of high-elevation meltwater input, Abstract C22A-03 presented at 2017 AGU Fall Meeting, 11-15 Dec.
Andrews, L. C., Poinar, K., & Neumann, T. A. (2017), Using remote sensing to constrain regional changes in summer ice motion and subglacial evolution in western Greenland, Abstract 10126 resented at European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2017, 8-13 April.
Andrews, L. C., Hoffman, M. J., Neumann, T. A., Catania, G. A., Lüthi, M. P., & Hawley, R. L. (2016), Regional Patterns of stress transfer in the ablation zone of the western Greenland Ice Sheet, Abstract C41D-0706 presented at 2016 Fall Meeting, 12-16 Dec.
Andrews, L. C., Catania, G. A., Hoffman, M. J., Lüthi, M. P., Hawley, R. L. & Neumann, T. A. (2015), Reconciling subglacial drainage patterns on the Western Greenland Ice Sheet, Abstract C51B-0705 presented at 2015 Fall Meeting, AGU, 15-18 Dec.
Andrews, L. C., Catania, G. A., Hoffman, M. J., Morriss, B. F., Hawley, R. L., Lüthi, M. P., Ryser, C., Gulley, J. D., & Neumann, T. A. (2015), Supraglacial and subglacial hydrologic variability in the Pâkitsoq Region, Western Greenland, presented at Program for Arctic Regional Climate Assessment Annual Meeting, 26 Jan.
Andrews, L. C., Hoffman, M. J., Catania, G. A., Gulley, J. D., Lüthi, M. P., Ryser, C., Hawley, R. L., Neumann T. A. (2014), Direct observations of evolving subglacial drainage beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet, Abstract 70A0936 presented at International Symposium on Contribution of Glaciers and Ice Sheets to Sea Level Change, 26-30 May.
Andrews, L. C., Catania, G. A., Hoffman, M. J., Hawley, R. L., Lüthi, M. P., & Neumann, T. A. (2012), Subglacial channel evolution observed in Western Greenland from moulin water level and GPS-derived surface velocities, Abstract C43C-0620 presented at 2012 Fall Meeting, 3-7 Dec.
Andrews, L. C., Catania, G. A., Hawley, R. L., Hoffman, M. J., Morriss, B. F., Ryser, C., Lüthi, M. P., Funk, M., & Neumann, T. A. (2011), Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of meltwater deliver to the bed of the Greenland Ice Sheet, Abstract C13C-02, presented at 2011 Fall Meeting, 5-9 Dec.
Andrews, L. C., Catania, G. A., Buttles, J. L., Andrews, A. G., & Markowski, M. S. (2010), A physical model of ice sheet response to changes in subglacial hydrology, Abstract C21B-0543 presented at 2010 Fall Meeting, 13-17 Dec.
GENERAL INTEREST PUBLICATIONS (non-refereed) & PRESENTATIONS
Cullather, R., Andrews, L. C., Coy, L., Pawson, S. & Partyka, G. (2022). An Atmospheric Blocking Event Shatters Temperature Records in East Antarctica. GMAO Science Snapshots. https://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/research/science_snapshots/2022/atmos_blocking_event_antarctic.php
Contributor (2022) to Late Season Melting in Greenland. NASA Earth Observatory Image of the Day.
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/150324/late-season-melting-in-greenland
Andrews, L. C. (2021). Greenland’s Melt in Context. United Nations Climate Change Conference NASA Hyperwall presentation.
Cullather, R., Andrews, L. C. (2021). Greenland Ice Sheet Melt Events: A Variety Pack. GMAO Science Snapshots.
https://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/research/science_snapshots/2021/Greenland_ice_melt 2021.php
Contributor (2021) to Unusual Snowfall in Greenland. NASA Earth Observatory Image of the Day.
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/148826/unusual-snowfall-in-greenland
Contributor (2021) to Rain and Warmth Trigger More Melting in Greenland. NASA Earth
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/148720/rain-and-warmth-trigger-more-melting-in-greenland
Andrews, L. C., Cullather, R. (2019). Historic Greenland Melt Event Follows European Heatwave. GMAO Science Snapshots.
https://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/research/science_snapshots/2019/Greenland_ice_melt.php
Professional Service
2023 – present Lecturer and organizing committee, Greenland Ice Sheet Ocean Science (GRISO) network Summer School 2024, Nuuk, Greenland
2023 – present Associate Editor, AGU Journal of Geophysical Research – Earth Surface
2022 – 2023 Contributor, Societal Benefit Area Team, 2023 National Earth Observation Assessment
2015-17, 23-24 Co-Chair, AGU Annual Meeting Cryospheric Sciences Session (various topics)
Member, IARPC Arctic Modeling and Glaciers & Sea Level Communities of Practice
Reviewer, Annals of Glaciology, The Cryosphere, Frontiers in Earth Sciences, Geomorphology, Geophysical Research Letters, Geoscientific Model Development, IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, Journal of Geophysical Research – Earth Surface, Journal of Glaciology, Nature, Nature Communications, Nature Earth & Environment, Remote Sensing
Awards
2021 NASA Group Award, Earth Information System
2020 NASA Quality Step Increase for Outstanding Performance
2016 Editors’ Citation for Excellence in Refereeing, AGU Journal of Geophysical Research – Earth Surface
2016 NASA Postdoctoral Fellowship, NASA GSFC
2015 Best PhD Technical Presentation, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin
Professional Societies
American Geophysical Union
2009 - Present
International Glaciological Society
2012 - Present
Earth Sciences Women's Network
2016 - Present