Louise Sime

Palaeoclimate Modeller

Louise Sime

Contact

Louise Sime

Biography

My research is primarily concerned with developing a better understanding changes in the ice sheets, sea ice, and climate in polar regions over the last 800 000 years. Much of my effort goes into understanding ice core observations of stable water isotopes by using climate models. Water isotopes (deuterium and oxygen-18) in ice are a key long-term record of past changes in the polar environmental and global climate. Water isotope enabled simulations, from climate models, help us understand how changes in ice sheets, sea ice, and climate imprint themselves in polar ice cores.
 

I have worked for the British Antarctic Survey since 2006. Before this, I had a two year stint as a senior research associate at UEA (2003-2006), and obtained a PhD from the University of Sheffield (in 2004). And before all that, I gained a BSc Hons degree from the University of Glasgow (in 1999).

 

Current responsibilities for BAS:

  • Deputy Team Leader of Ice Dynamics and Palaeoclimate
  • Group head of Palaeoclimate

 

PhD projects on offer that will start in 2019 (apply now!):

Already funded project – to start early 2019 – application deadline 30th Nov:

NERC DTP projects to start Oct 2019 – application deadline end of Dec:

 

Students and staff:

  • Co-supervisor of PhD (Ms Elisabeth Bowker, University of Leeds, UK).
  • Supervisor of SPITFIRE REP student (Ms Andrea Becsek, British Antarctic Survey, UK).
  • Co-supervisor of SPITFIRE  PhD (Mr Matthew Chadwick, British Antarctic Survey, UK).
  • Primary Supervisor of PDRA (Dr Vittoria Guarino. British Antarctic Survey, UK).
  • Primary supervisor for DFG Research Fellow (Dr Kira Rehfeld, British Antarctic Survey, UK).
  • Primary supervisor of PDRA (Dr Max Holloway, British Antarctic Survey, UK).
  • Co-supervisor of PhD (Ms Fiona Turner, University of Sheffield, UK).
  • Primary supervisor of PDRA (Dr Emilie Capron, British Antarctic Survey, UK).
  • Primary supervisor of PhD (Ms Irene Malmierca, British Antarctic Survey, UK).
  • Primary supervisor of PhD (Mr Max Holloway, British Antarctic Survey, UK).
  • Primary supervisor of funded MSC (Daniel Kramer, University of Trier, Germany).
  • Co-supervisor of funded MSC (Ms Alienor Lavergne, Ecole Normale superieure of Paris, France).
  • Co-supervisor of PDRA (Dr Gisela Hiess, British Antarctic Survey, UK).
  • Co-supervisor of PhD (Mr Joe Wheatley, University of Sheffield).

 

Funding and major projects:

  • Co-Investigator. AHRC: research grant: Materializing Data, Embodying Climate Change.  AH/S00369X/
  • Co-Investigator. EU-ERC Grant: Warm Climate Stability of the West Antarctic ice sheet in the last Interglacial: WACSWAIN.
  • Principal Investigator. NERC Standard Grant: Retreat of Southern Hemisphere Sea Ice, 130 000 to 116 000 years BP. NE/P013279/1.
  • Principal Investigator. NSF-NERC Standard Grant: Paleoclimate signatures of the climate response to West Antarctic ice sheet collapse. NE/P009271/1.
  • Co-Investigator. Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures Grant: Reconstructing the past and predicting the future: what can ice cores tell us about climate?
  • Principal Investigator. EPSRC-Feasibility Study Grant: Emulating the Isotope Response to Changes in the Geometry of the Greenland Ice Sheet.
  • Co-Investigator. NERC Standard Grant: Late Quaternary changes in Westerly Winds over the Southern Ocean. NE/K004514/1.
  • Principal Investigator. NERC New Investigator Grant: The Age Structure of the Greenland Ice Sheet. NE/J004804/1.

 

Research interests

One of the key questions which has motivated my recent work is the question of how can we best use ice and marine core evidence from the Last Interglacial, 130 000 to 116 000 years ago, to help better predict likely polar change over the coming centuries.  Last Interglacial global temperature was quite similar to that predicted over the coming 50 years; but polar regions were substantially warmer than they are today. Reconstructing and modeling polar ice sheets and sea ice changes during the Last Interglacial provides a unique means to evaluate future predictions of critical changes in both polar climate and global sea level.

 

Collaborations

Professional (collaborative) activities:

2018-2023 Chair of the University of Cambridge C-CLEAR NERC DTP Climate and Environment panel: Awards 3-12 NERC PhD studentships
2018-2020 Steering Committee: SCAR Past Antarctic Ice Sheet (PAIS)
2017-2020 Steering Committee: PAGES Climate Variability Across Scales (CVAS)
2016-2021 Core panel A member for NERC
2016-2018 Management board member: GW4+ NERC DTP: Awards 28 NERC PhD studentships
2016-2017 Chaired interview panel: For GW4+ DTP across multiple sites.
2015-2017 Elected Work Group Leader: the Past Earth Network, Model-Data Comparisons

Publications from NERC Open Research Archive

2018

De Boer, Agatha M., Pascual-Ahuir, Gavilan Estanislao, Stevens, David P., Chafik, Léon, Hutchinson, David K., Zhang, Qiong, Sime, Louise C., Willmott, Andrew J.. (2018) Interconnectivity between volume transports through Arctic straits. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 123. 8714-8729. 10.1029/2018JC014320

Holloway, Max D., Sime, Louise C., Singarayer, Joy S., Tindall, Julia C., Valdes, Paul J.. (2018) Simulating the 128 ka Antarctic climate response to Northern Hemisphere ice sheet melting using the isotope-enabled HadCM3. Geophysical Research Letters, 45. 11921-11929. 10.1029/2018GL079647

Malmierca Vallet, Irene, Sime, Louise C., Tindall, Julia C, Capron, Emilie, Valdes, Paul J, Vinther, Bo M. (2018) Simulating the Last Interglacial Greenland stable water isotope peak: the role of Arctic sea ice changes. Quaternary Science Reviews, 198. 1-14. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.07.027

Saunders, Krystyna M., Roberts, Stephen J., Perren, Bianca, Butz, Christoph, Sime, Louise, Davies, Sarah, Van Nieuwenhuyze, Wim, Grosjean, Martin, Hodgson, Dominic A.. (2018) Holocene dynamics of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds and possible links to CO2 outgassing. Nature Geoscience, 11. 650-655. 10.1038/s41561-018-0186-5

2017

Holloway, Max D., Sime, Louise C., Allen, Claire S., Hillenbrand, Claus-Dieter, Bunch, Pete, Wolff, Eric, Valdes, Paul J.. (2017) The spatial structure of the 128 ka Antarctic sea ice minimum. Geophysical Research Letters, 44. 11129-11139. 10.1002/2017GL074594

Rhodes, Rachael H., Brook, Edward J., McConnell, Joseph R., Blunier, Thomas, Sime, Louise C., Faïn, Xavier, Mulvaney, Robert. (2017) Atmospheric methane variability: Centennial-scale signals in the Last Glacial Period. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 31. 575-590. doi:10.1002/2016GB005570

2016

Sime, Louise S., Hodgson, Dominic, Bracegirdle, Thomas J., Allen, Claire, Perren, Bianca, Roberts, Stephen, de Boer, Agatha M.. (2016) Sea ice led to poleward-shifted winds at the Last Glacial Maximum: the influence of state dependency on CMIP5 and PMIP3 models. Climate of the Past, 12. 2241-2253. doi:10.5194/cp-12-2241-2016

Holloway, Max D., Sime, Louise C., Singarayer, Joy S., Tindall, Julia C., Bunch, Pete, Valdes, Paul J.. (2016) Antarctic last interglacial isotope peak in response to sea ice retreat not ice-sheet collapse. Nature Communications, 7. 9 pp. doi:10.1038/ncomms12293

Holloway, Max D., Sime, Louise C., Singarayer, Joy S., Tindall, Julia C., Valdes, Paul J.. (2016) Reconstructing paleosalinity from δ18O: Coupled model simulations of the Last Glacial Maximum, Last Interglacial and Late Holocene. Quaternary Science Reviews, 131. 350-364. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.07.007

2014

Capron, Emilie, Govin, Aline, Stone, Emma J., Masson-Delmotte, Valérie, Mulitza, Stefan, Otto-Bliesner, Bette, Sime, Louise C., Waelbroeck, Claire, Wolff, Eric W.. (2014) Temporal and spatial structure of multi‐millennial temperature changes at high latitudes during the Last Interglacial. Quaternary Science Reviews, 103. 116-133. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2014.08.018

Sime, Louise C.. (2014) Greenland deglaciation puzzles. Science , 345. 1116-1117. 10.1126/science.1257842

Sime, Louise C., Karlsson, Nanna B., Paden, John D., Gogineni, S. Prasad. (2014) Isochronous information in a Greenland ice sheet radio-echo sounding dataset. Geophysical Research Letters, 41. 1593-1599. 10.1002/2013GL057928

2013

Kohfeld, K.E., Graham, R.M., de Boer, A.M., Sime, L.C., Wolff, E.W., Le Quéré, C., Bopp, L.. (2013) Southern Hemisphere westerly wind changes during the Last Glacial Maximum: paleo-data synthesis. Quaternary Science Reviews, 68. 76-95. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.01.017

Sime, Louise C., Risi, Camille, Tindall, Julia C., Sjolte, Jesper, Wolff, Eric W., Masson-Delmotte, Valérie, Capron, Emilie. (2013) Warm climate isotopic simulations: what do we learn about interglacial signals in Greenland ice cores?. Quaternary Science Reviews, 67. 59-80. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.01.009

Sime, Louise C., Kohfeld, Karen E., Le Quere, Corinne, Wolff, Eric, de Boer, Agatha M., Graham, Robert M., Bopp, Laurent. (2013) Southern Hemisphere westerly wind changes during the Last Glacial Maximum: model-data comparison. Quaternary Science Reviews, 64. 104-120. 10.1016/j.quascirev.2012.12.008

Royles, Jessica, Sime, Louise C., Hodgson, Dominic A., Convey, Peter, Griffiths, Howard. (2013) Differing source water inputs, moderated by evaporative enrichment, determine the contrasting δ18OCELLULOSE signals in maritime Antarctic moss peat banks. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 118. 184-194. doi:10.1002/jgrg.20021

Masson-Delmotte, Valerie, Capron, E., Goosse, H., Pol, K., Siddall, M., Sime, L., Bradley, S., Stenni, B.. (2013) Antarctic interglacial climate variability and implications for changes in ice sheet topography. PAGES News, 21. 18-19.

Sime, Louise C., Masson-Delmotte, V., Risi, C., Sjolte, J.. (2013) Sea surface temperature controls on warm climate water isotopes in Greenland ice cores. PAGES News, 21. 28-29.

2012

Mulvaney, Robert, Abram, Nerilie J., Hindmarsh, Richard C.A., Arrowsmith, Carol, Fleet, Louise, Triest, Jack, Sime, Louise, Alemany, Olivier, Foord, Susan. (2012) Recent Antarctic Peninsula warming relative to Holocene climate and ice shelf history. Nature, 489. 141-144. 10.1038/nature11391

2011

Sime, Louise, Wolff, Eric. (2011) Antarctic accumulation seasonality. Nature, 479. 6 pp. 10.1038/nature10613

Sime, Louise, Lang, Nicola, Thomas, Elizabeth, Benton, Ailsa, Mulvaney, Robert. (2011) On high-resolution sampling of short ice cores: dating and temperature information recovery from Antarctic Peninsula virtual cores. Journal of Geophysical Research, 116. 17 pp. 10.1029/2011JD015894

Masson-Delmotte, V., Buiron, D., Ekaykin, A., Frezzotti, M., Gallee, H., Jouzel, J., Krinner, G., Landais, A., Motoyama, H., Oerter, H., Pol, K., Pollard, D., Ritz, C., Schlosser, E., Sime, Louise C., Sodemann, H., Stenni, B., Uemura, R., Vimeux, F.. (2011) A comparison of the present and last interglacial periods in six Antarctic ice cores. Climate of the Past, 7. 397-423. 10.5194/cp-7-397-2011

Masson-Delmotte, V., Braconnot, P., Hoffman, G., Jouzel, J., Kageyama, M., Landais, A., Lejeune, Q., Risi, C., Sime, Louise, Sjolte, J., Swingedouw, D., Vinther, B.. (2011) Sensitivity of interglacial Greenland temperature and delta 18 O: ice core data, orbital and increased CO2 climate simulations.. Climate of the Past, 7. 1041-1059. 10.5194/cp-7-1041-2011

Levine, J.G., Wolff, E.W., Jones, A.E., Sime, L.C., Valdes, P.J., Archibald, A.T., Carver, G.D., Warwick, N.J., Pyle, J.A.. (2011) Reconciling the changes in atmospheric-methane sources and sinks between the Last Glacial Maximum and the pre-industrial era. Geophysical Research Letters, 38. 6 pp. 10.1029/2011GL049545

Sime, Louise C., Hindmarsh, Richard C.A., Corr, Hugh. (2011) Automated processing to derive dip angles of englacial radar reflectors in ice sheets. Journal of Glaciology, 57. 260-266.

Levine, James G., Wolff, Eric W., Jones, Anna E., Sime, Louise C.. (2011) The role of atomic chlorine in glacial-interglacial changes in the carbon-13 content of atmospheric methane. Geophysical Research Letters, 38. 6 pp. 10.1029/2010GL046122

2010

Abram, Nerilie J., Thomas, Elizabeth R., McConnell, Joseph R., Mulvaney, Robert, Bracegirdle, Thomas J., Sime, Louise C., Aristarain, Alberto J.. (2010) Ice core evidence for a 20th century decline in sea ice in the Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica. Journal of Geophysical Research, 115. 9 pp. 10.1029/2010JD014644

Wolff, E.W., Barbante, C., Becagli, S., Bigler, M., Boutron, C.F., Castellano, E., de Angelis, M., Federer, U., Fischer, H., Fundel, F., Hansson, M., Hutterli, Manuel, Jonsell, U., Karlin, T., Kaufmann, P., Lambert, F., Littot, G.C., Mulvaney, Robert, Rothlisberger, Regine, Ruth, U., Severi, M., Siggard-Andersen, M.L., Sime, Louise, Steffensen, J.P., Stocker, T.F., Traversi, R., Twarloh, B., Udisti, R., Wagenbach, D., Wegner, A.. (2010) Changes in environment over the last 800,000 years from chemical analysis of the EPICA Dome C ice core. Quaternary Science Reviews, 29. 285-295. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2009.06.013

Hodgson, Dominic A., Sime, Louise C.. (2010) Palaeoclimate Southern westerlies and CO2. Nature Geoscience, 3. 666-667. 10.1038/ngeo970

2009

Tindall, J. C., Valdes, P.J., Sime, Louise C.. (2009) Stable water isotopes in HadCM3: isotopic signature of El Nino-Southern Oscillation and the tropical amount effect. Journal of Geophysical Research, 114. 12 pp. 10.1029/2008JD010825

Sime, Louise C., Marshall, Gareth J., Mulvaney, Robert, Thomas, Elizabeth R.. (2009) Interpreting temperature information from ice cores along the Antarctic Peninsula: ERA40 analysis. Geophysical Research Letters, 36. 5 pp. 10.1029/2009GL038982

Sime, Louise, Wolff, Eric, Oliver, K.I.C., Tindall, J.C.. (2009) Evidence for warmer interglacials in East Antarctic ice cores. Nature, 462. 342-346. 10.1038/nature08564

2008

Rothlisberger, R., Mudelsee, M., Bigler, M., de Angelis, M., Fischer, H., Hansson, M., Lambert, F., Masson-Delmotte, V., Sime, L., Udisti, R., Wolff, E.W.. (2008) The Southern Hemisphere at glacial terminations: insights from the Dome C ice core. Climate of the Past, 4. 345-356.

Sime, Louise C., Tindall, Julia C., Wolff, Eric W., Connolley, William M., Valdes, Paul J.. (2008) Antarctic isotopic thermometer during a CO2 forced warming event. Journal of Geophysical Research, 113. 16 pp. doi:10.1029/2008JD010395

Links to current major funded projects that I lead or co-lead:

AHRC: research grant: Materializing Data, Embodying Climate Change. Led by Professor Tom Corby:University of the Arts London. AH/S00369X/1 (685K), co-led by Dr Louise Sime.

ERC advanced grant: WACSWAIN. (3000K) Led by Prof Eric Wolff; co-investigator Dr Louise Sime.

NERC standard grant: Retreat of Southern Hemisphere Sea Ice, 130 000 to 116 000 years BP . Led by Dr Louise Sime: BAS (360K)

NSFGEO-NERC standard grant: Paleoclimate signatures of the climate response to West Antarctic ice sheet collapse. Joint US and UK project. Led by Dr Louise Sime: BAS (202K); and Prof Eric Steig; University of Washington (300K).

 

Links to major funded projects now finished, that I led or co-led:

NERC standard grant: Late Quaternary changes in the Westerly Winds over the Southern Ocean. Led by Dr Dom Hodgson, BAS (650K)l; co-led by Dr Louise Sime.

NERC new investigator grant: The Age Structure of the Greenland ice sheet from Airborne Radar Data (ASGARD). Led by Dr Louise Sime: BAS (79K)