I use satellites to study sea ice in the polar regions. Currently, I am using satellite altimetry, optical imagery, and passive microwave to study Arctic sea ice. I am particularly interested in how ice pack stability, thickness, and concentration are changing.

In my research, I use data from a variety of satellites, including CryoSat-2, Landsat 8, and ICESat-2. In addition to sea ice trends and dynamics, I am interested in the use of near-coincident satellite data for the validation of satellite altimetry observations.

My PhD is funded by the Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling, and supervised by Prof. Andrew Shepherd and Dr Isobel Lawrence.

I am part of BIOPOLE, an interdisciplinary NERC programme that aims to better understand biogeochemical and ecological processes in the polar regions. I assist in the project by contributing sea ice volume and mass estimates to quantify the role of sea ice meltwater on marine productivity.

I was also the Early Career Representative (ECR) for BIOPOLE from 2022-2023. In this role, I attended Executive Board meetings, coordinated the project ECRs, and led a number of initiatives, including an ECR mentoring scheme, a meet-a-colleague programme, and regular ECR events.

I am the sea ice representative for the EOCIS project, a collaboration of over a dozen research organisations that aims to provide and operationalise climate data and information. In the project, I assist in the development of the Arctic sea ice data portal and write quarterly updates on the state of Arctic sea ice.

I took part in the BREATHE project Arctic field school in May 2023 and assisted in their outreach contributions.

Swiggs, A. E., Lawrence, I. R., Ridout, A., Shepherd, A. (2024). Detecting Sea Ice Leads and Floes in the Northwest Passage using CryoSat-2. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing,18, 1226-1236. https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTARS.2024.3503286