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Dr Michael Prior-Jones
(he/him)
MEng
Teams and roles for Michael Prior-Jones
Research Fellow
Glaciology and Communications Engineering
Overview
I'm an electronic engineer by background, and my research interests relate to the development of new instruments for collecting data from the field, particularly in glaciology.
I am a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, working on open-source instruments for real-time data collection from glaciers and ice sheets. This includes the development of new instruments that measure snowpack, supraglacial streams, and englacial and subglacial conditions. I explain more about my plans in the video below:
Video about my fellowship plans.
During 2019-2021 I worked on the Cryoegg project with Dr Liz Bagshaw, who is now at the University of Bristol. Cryoegg is a wireless probe for making measurements of conditions underneath glaciers. If you'd like to learn more about Cryoegg, please have a look at some of these links:
- EGU Cryosphere blog post which explains all about the project (for a general science audience).
- October 2020 "GeoTalk" public seminar (which covers similar material, but for the general public)
- Conference presentation from April 2020 from EGU 2020 (for glaciologists).
- watch Liz and I present our work as invited speakers in the Subglacial Environments session of the EGU 2020 conference
Liz and I are continuing to collaborate and I will be developing new versions of Cryoegg as part of the fellowship.
My work is regularly featured in the media:
- "Digital Planet", BBC World Service Radio, first broadcast 20th April 2021.
- Ars Technica, March 2021
- Discover Magazine, March 2021
- Mashable, March 2021
- The Times, June 2019
- The Engineer, June 2019
- BBC News, June 2019
I can be found on Mastodon
Publication
2024
- Paton, M. et al. 2024. 2023 EELS field tests at Athabasca Glacier as an icy moon analogue environment. Presented at: IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, USA, 02-09 March 20242024 IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings. IEEE pp. 1-18., (10.1109/AERO58975.2024.10521174)
2021
- Prior-Jones, M. et al. 2021. Cryoegg: development and field trials of a wireless subglacial probe for deep, fast-moving ice. Journal of Glaciology 67(264), pp. 627-640. (10.1017/jog.2021.16)
2020
- Prior-Jones, M., Pinnion, J., Millet, M., Bagshaw, E., Fagereng, A. and Ballinger, R. 2020. An inclusive risk assessment tool for travel and fieldwork. Presented at: EGU General Assembly 2020, Online, 4-8 May 2020EGU General Assembly 2020, Vol. EGU202. Copernicus {GmbH}, (10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-7678)
- Prior-Jones, M. et al. 2020. Cryoegg: development and field trials of a wireless subglacial probe for deep, fast-moving ice. Presented at: EGU General Assembly 2020, Online, 4-8 May 2020. Copernicus {GmbH}, (10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-10204)
Articles
- Prior-Jones, M. et al. 2021. Cryoegg: development and field trials of a wireless subglacial probe for deep, fast-moving ice. Journal of Glaciology 67(264), pp. 627-640. (10.1017/jog.2021.16)
Conferences
- Paton, M. et al. 2024. 2023 EELS field tests at Athabasca Glacier as an icy moon analogue environment. Presented at: IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, USA, 02-09 March 20242024 IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings. IEEE pp. 1-18., (10.1109/AERO58975.2024.10521174)
- Prior-Jones, M., Pinnion, J., Millet, M., Bagshaw, E., Fagereng, A. and Ballinger, R. 2020. An inclusive risk assessment tool for travel and fieldwork. Presented at: EGU General Assembly 2020, Online, 4-8 May 2020EGU General Assembly 2020, Vol. EGU202. Copernicus {GmbH}, (10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-7678)
- Prior-Jones, M. et al. 2020. Cryoegg: development and field trials of a wireless subglacial probe for deep, fast-moving ice. Presented at: EGU General Assembly 2020, Online, 4-8 May 2020. Copernicus {GmbH}, (10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-10204)
Research
My research interests relate to the use of technology (particularly electronics and communications technology) in glaciology and hydrology. I have a special interest in satellite communications for remote data collection.
Teaching
I teach an introduction to project management for researchers, through Cardiff's Doctoral Academy programme.
Biography
- January 2022 - present: UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University.
- Feb 2019 - December 2021: post-doctoral research associate in glaciology and communications engineering, Cardiff University.
- Aug 2018 - Feb 2019: Senior Control & Test Engineer, Cambridge Mechatronics Ltd, Cambridge, UK
- Feb-Mar 2018: installation engineer for aircraft navigation aids, British Antarctic Survey, Rothera, Antarctica.
- Feb 2014 - Dec 2017: Consultant (electronics & software engineering), TTP plc, Cambridge, UK
- Feb 2012 - Feb 2014: Senior Researcher, Sharp Laboratories of Europe Ltd, Oxford, UK
- Mar 2011 - Jan 2012: Consultant (electronics & software engineering), TTP plc, Cambridge, UK
- Nov 2010 - Feb 2011: Communications Engineer, Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions , Union Glacier, Antarctica.
- Sep 2007 - Sep 2010: PhD in Engineering, University of Leicester. Thesis topic "Digital HF communications for autonomous instrumentation in the polar regions"
- June 2005 - July 2007: Communications Manager, British Antarctic Survey, Rothera, Antarctica.
- September 2003 - June 2005: Research & Development Engineer, BBC Research & Development, Kingswood, Surrey, UK
- September 1999 - June 2003: MEng Electronic Engineering, University of York, UK
Professional memberships
- Member of the International Glaciological Society
- Member of the European Geosciences Union
- Member of the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences
Committees and reviewing
- Organising committee member, Polar Technology Conference 2020
- Chair, World Meteorological Organisation Satcom Forum
- Journal reviewer, Antarctic Science
- Journal reviewer, The Cryosphere
- Reviewer grant, National Science Foundation (USA)
- Reviewer grant, Natural Environment Research Council, UK
