Lena Nicola
Main Focus
In my doctoral project, I investigate following research questions:
- In what way can extreme (climate) events affect the Antarctic Ice Sheet? What are short- and long-term effects?
- Are there critical thresholds in the frequency, intensity or duration of extreme events which, once transgressed, trigger large-scale dynamic ice loss?
To answer these questions I use the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM) and the Ice-sheet and Sea-level System Model (ISSM).
Peer-reviewed publications:
Nicola, L., Reese, R., Kreuzer, M., Albrecht, T., and Winkelmann, R.: Bathymetry-constrained warm-mode melt estimates derived from analysing oceanic gateways in Antarctica, The Cryosphere, 19, 2263–2287, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2263-2025, 2025.
Nicola L., Frøystad R., Juarez‑Martinez A., and 39 others: Where do we want the glaciological community to be in 2073? Equality, diversity and inclusion challenges and visions from the 2023 Karthaus Summer School. Journal of Glaciology, 71, e68. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2025.18, 2025
Nicola, L., Notz, D., and Winkelmann, R.: Revisiting temperature sensitivity: how does Antarctic precipitation change with temperature?, The Cryosphere, 17, 2563–2583, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2563-2023, 2023
Nicola, L., Polarfuchs (Kolumne): Die Antarktis im Computer – wie funktionieren Computermodelle?, Polarforschung, 91, 105–108, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf‑91‑105‑2023, 2023.
Other publications:
EGU Cryosphere Blogpost 3 Reasons to engage in early career networks by M. Muchow, L. Nicola and A. Zuhr (March 24, 2023)
Winkelmann, R., Nicola, L., Notz, D., The Antarctic Ice Sheet – A Sleeping Giant?. Front. Young Minds. 10:702643. https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2022.702643
Nicola, L., Loebel, E., and Zuhr, A. M.: Money makes our world go round –
funding landscape for polar early-career scientists in Germany,
Polarforschung, 90, 81–84, https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-90-81-2022,
2022.
Loebel, E., von
Albedyll, L., Mourot, R., and Nicola, L.: Let's talk fieldwork:
early-career scientists sharing practical knowledge about polar
fieldwork, Polarforschung, 90, 29–32,
https://doi.org/10.5194/polf-90-29-2022, 2022.
Participation in summer schools, workshops and conferences
- EGU General Assembly, 27 April - 02 May 2025, Vienna, Austria, link to abstract
- ISSM Workshop, 19-21 March 2025, Dartmouth College, NH, USA
- Australian Antarctic Research Conference, 19 - 22 November 2024, Hobart, TAS, Australia
- EGU General Assembly, 15-19 April 2024, Vienna, Austria, link to abstract
- TiPACCs Annual Meeting, 16-19 October 2023, Brussels, Belgium
- Antarctic Policy Event: Tipping Points in Antarctica, 16 October 2023, Brussels, Belgium
- 12. REKLIM-Konferenz „Klimawandel in Regionen“, 28 September 2023, Bremen, Germany
- Forum for Research into Ice Shelf Processes (FRISP) meeting, 19-22 June 2023, Stalheim, Norway
- EGU General Assembly, 23-28 April 2023, Vienna, Austria, link to abstract
- Summer School on Ice Sheets and Glaciers in the Climate System, 24 May - 2 June 2023, Karthaus, Italy
- PISM Workshop, 23-25 October 2022, Copenhagen, Denmark
- TiPACCs Annual Meeting, 12-14 June 2022, Grenoble, France
Academic service and outreach
- Since 2024: Early Career Scientists Representative in German National Committee of Antarctica InSync
- 2023 - 2024: Early Career Scientists Representative in EU-H2020 project TiPACCs
- Since 2023: Junior Chief Editor of the Journal of the German Society for Polar Research (Polarforschung)
- Since 2021: Board member (and since 2023: Co-Chair) of the German National Committee of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS)
Press / Podcasts
- ORF Podcast Dimensionen: Hoch oben: Polar- und Alpenforschung (in German, September 2025): https://oe1.orf.at/programm/20240926/769776/Hoch-oben-Polar-und-Alpenforschung
- Wellenbrecher Podcast (in German, April 2025): https://wellenbrecherpodcast.podigee.io/11-folge
- <<30 um die 30>> der Leibniz Gemeinschaft - Interview (in German, April 2025): https://www.leibniz-magazin.de/alle-artikel/magazindetail/newsdetails/30-um-die-30-lena-nicola
Follow me on BlueSky: @lenanicola.bsky.social