Swift, Darrel, Dr

Dr Darrel Swift

School of Geography and Planning

Senior Lecturer in Geoscience

Director of Postgraduate Research

D.A.Swift@91̽��.ac.uk
+44 114 222 7959

E10, Geography and Planning Building

Full contact details

Dr Darrel Swift
School of Geography and Planning
E10
Geography and Planning Building
Winter Street
91̽��
S3 7ND

Profile

Darrel joined the department in December 2006 as Lecturer in Geoscience. He was awarded a PhD by the University of Glasgow in 2002 and afterwards held a prestigious BP Royal Society of Edinburgh Personal Research Fellowship at the University of Glasgow between 2003 and 2006. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in Geoscience in January 2018.

Darrel is currently an Associate Editor for Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography and is a member of the International Glaciological Society and the European Geophysical Society. In addition he currently acts as an advisor to Nagra (the Swiss National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste) on issues of glacial erosion.

His past internal responsibilities have included Deputy Director of Teaching and Learning, Director of Undergraduate Studies, and Director of the MSc(Res) Polar and Alpine Change Programme. He has received several outstanding contribution awards, including a Faculty award for Sustained Excellence in January 2011 and two further awards In 2014 and 2016.

Research interests

Research Interests

Darrel’s interests focus on glacial processes in high-latitude and high-elevation landscapes. These processes have played a critical role in the long-term evolution of Earth’s climate and evolution of such landscapes as a result of glacial erosion and incision further affects the behaviour of Earth’s glaciers and ice sheets.

His interests are focussed into several strands that span contemporary glaciology and the long-term erosion and evolution of such landscapes, including: the processes of glacial erosion and sediment transfer through glacial systems; the subglacial hydrology and flow dynamics of contemporary glaciers; and the tectonic and climatic controls on the evolution of alpine and passive margin environments.

Current research

Darrel’s current research focuses on sediment transfer by glaciers in Iceland and the European Alps, the influence of bed topography on subglacial hydrology and flow dynamics of mountain glaciers and ice sheet outlet glaciers, and the morphology and formation of subglacial overdeepenings.

Current and Recent PhD students

Andrew Jones. Topic: Influence of bed topography on the dynamics of outlet glaciers of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Will Higson. Topic: Influence of bed topography on the dynamics of mountain glaciers in the Swiss Alps.

James Douglas. Topic: Future retreat of glaciers in the European Alps and the Himalaya and the implications for changes in water resources.

Sean Gilgannon. Topic: Morphological analysis of the origin of overdeepened glacial valleys of the Northern Swiss Alpine Foreland (NERC CASE project; CASE partner: Swiss National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste).

Vaibhav Kaul. Topic: Understanding and enhancing the adaptation and resilience of remote high-altitude Himalayan communities to hydrometeorological extremes and associated geophysical hazards in a changing climate.

Oniya Ifeanyi. Topic: Sources of dust in high-latitude proglacial environments.

Publications

Journal articles

Swift DA, Tallentire GD, Farinotti D, Cook SJ, Higson WJ & Bryant RG (2021) . Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 46(11), 2264-2278.
Stewart RL, Westoby M, Pellicciotti F, Rowan A, Swift D, Brock B & Woodward J (2021) . Journal of Glaciology, 67(262), 366-384.
Cook SJ, Swift DA, Kirkbride MP, Knight PG & Waller RI (2020) . Nature Communications, 11(1).
Mallinson L, Swift D & Sole A (2019) . Geografiska Annaler Series A: Physical Geography, 101(4), 334-349.
Swift D & Jones A (2018) . Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 43(13), 2754-2761.
Bateman MD, Swift DA, Piotrowski JA, Rhodes EJ & Damsgaard A (2018) . Geomorphology, 306, 90-101.
Swift DA, Cook SJ, Graham DJ, Midgley NG, Fallick AE, Storrar R, Toubes Rodrigo M & Evans DJA (2018) . Quaternary Science Reviews, 180, 111-131.
Lovell H, Benn DI, Lukas S, Spagnolo M, Cook SJ, Swift DA, Clark CD, Yde JC & Watts T (2018) . Geomorphology, 300, 176-188.
Swift DA, Livingstone SJ & Clark CD (2016) . Quaternary Science Reviews, 148, 128-145.
Patton H, Swift DA, Clark CD, Livingstone SJ, Cook SJ & Hubbard A (2015) . Geomorphology, 232, 209-223.
Swift DA (2013) . Nature Geoscience, 6(3), 162-163.
Cook SJ & Swift DA (2012) . Earth-Science Reviews, 115(4), 332-372.
Swift DA (2012) . Quaternary International, 279-280, 479-480.
Swift DA (2012) . Quaternary International, 279-280, 480-480.
Livingstone SJ, Clark CD, Piotrowski JA, Tranter M, Bentley MJ, Hodson A, Swift DA & Woodward J (2012) . Quaternary Science Reviews, 53(C), 88-110.
Bateman MD, Swift DA, Piotrowski JA & Sanderson DCW (2012) . Quaternary Geochronology, 10, 230-236.
Swift DA, Sanderson DCW, Nienow PW, Bingham RG & Cochrane IC (2011) . Boreas, 40(3), 446-458.
Cook SJ, Swift DA, Graham DJ & Midgley NG (2011) . Journal of Glaciology, 57(204), 710-720.
Cook SJ, Graham DJ, Swift DA, Midgley NG & Adam WG (2010) Sedimentary signatures of basal ice formation and their preservation in ice-marginal sediments. Geomorphology.
Stroeven AP & Swift DA (2008) . Geomorphology, 97(1-2), 1-4.
Swift DA, Persano C, Stuart FM, Gallagher K & Whitham A (2008) . Geomorphology, 97(1-2), 109-125.
Swift DA, David DJ & Fallick AE (2006) . Quaternary Science Reviews, 25(13-14), 1708-1718.
Swift DA, Nienow PW, Hoey TB & Mair DWF (2005) . Journal of Hydrology, 309(1-4), 133-148.
Swift DA, Nienow PW & Hoey TB (2005) . Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 30(7), 867-883.
Swift DA, Nienow PW, Spedding N & Hoey TB (2002) . Sedimentary Geology, 149(1-3), 5-19.
Lloyd CT, Clark CD & Swift DA () . Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 1-26.
Williams CN, Cornford SL, Jordan TM, Dowdeswell JA, Siegert MJ, Clark CD, Swift DA, Sole A, Fenty I & Bamber JL () .
Douglas JS, Huss M, Swift DA, Jones JM & Salerno F () .

Chapters

Swift DA, Cook S, Heckmann T, Gärtner-Roer I, Korup O & Moore J (2021) , Snow and Ice-Related Hazards, Risks, and Disasters (pp. 165-198). Elsevier
Swift DA & Cook SJ (2018) Glaciological processes associated with the terminal overdeepening at Svinafellsjökull In Evans DJA (Ed.), Glacial Landsystems of Southeast Iceland - Quaternary Applications London: Quaternary Research Association.
Swift DA, Cook S, Heckmann T, Moore J, Gärtner-Roer I & Korup O (2015) , Snow and Ice-Related Hazards, Risks and Disasters (pp. 167-199). Elsevier
Swift DA, Cook S, Heckmann T, Moore J, Gärtner-Roer I & Korup O (2015) , Snow and Ice-Related Hazards, Risks, and Disasters (pp. 167-199).
Swift DA (2014) , Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms (pp. 1-4). Springer New York
Swift DA () , Glacier Science and Environmental Change (pp. 23-25). Blackwell Publishing

Dictionary/encyclopaedia entries

Swift DA (2015) . In Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms Springer New York.
Swift DA (2011) . In Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series Springer Netherlands.
Swift DA (2011) . In Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series Springer Netherlands.

Other

Swift D, Martin C & Ely J (2024) .
Wenban WJ, Brown ND, Rhodes EJ & Swift DA (2024) .
Swift D, Jones A, Westoby M, Bryant R & Veness R () .

Teaching interests

Darrel’s undergraduate teaching is strongly research-led and focusses on his research interests in glaciology and glacial geomorphology. Darrel also co-leads a Level 2 research design module that is core for all programmes. This module guides students through the selection and design of a research idea that they then undertake for their Level 3 dissertation.

Darrel also supervises masters’-level research projects in glaciology and landscape evolution, and he is a former director of the MSc(Res) Polar and Alpine Change Programme.

Teaching activities: Darrel currently teaches on a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses including GEO248 Research Design for Geography and Environmental Science and GEO268 Glacial Environments, as well as supervising of undergraduate dissertation projects.