Butcher, Frances, Dr

Dr Frances Butcher

School of Geography and Planning

Leverhulme Early Career Fellow

f.butcher@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 7972

Room C5, Geography and Planning Building

Full contact details

Dr Frances Butcher
School of Geography and Planning
Room C5
Geography and Planning Building
Winter Street
��«Ӱҵ
S3 7ND

Profile

I am a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow in the Department of Geography at ��«Ӱҵ. I am a planetary scientist and glacial geomorphologist researching the history of glaciation on Mars and Earth.

I obtained a BA in Geography from the University of Cambridge in 2015 before moving to The Open University to undertake a PhD entitled 'Wet-Based Glaciation on Mars', which I completed in 2019. I then moved to the University of ��«Ӱҵ as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant on the ERC-funded PALGLAC project (PI: Prof Chris Clark), using glacial landforms to reconstruct the flow dynamics of the former Scandinavian Ice Sheet on Earth.

I began my current Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellowship at ��«Ӱҵ in 2022. I use data from satellites orbiting Mars to analyse the landscapes generated by past and present glaciers on the Red Planet. In doing so, I aim to better understand the history of environmental change on Mars, with a particular focus on the history of glacial meltwater production.

My research aims to inform future robotic and human exploration of Mars’ ice deposits. For example, I was selected by NASA and the Canadian, Japanese and Italian space agencies to serve as a member of the '' for the International Mars Ice Mapper (‘I-MIM’) Mission.

I founded and lead the 'CryoMars' network of UK researchers and international collaborators working on Mars Cryosphere and Earth Analogue topics. I am also on the Science team for the CaSSIS camera on ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, and serve on the UK Space Agency's Space Exploration Advisory Committee.

I am also an Associate Editor for the journal Earth Surface Dynamics (ESurf).

Research interests

My key research interests include:

Landforms produced by glaciation and glacial meltwater on Mars, and their implications for environmental conditions in Mars' recent and ancient past.
Current ice deposits on Mars, their implications for recent environmental change, and their potential for future sampling and in situ resource utilisation by human/robotic missions.
Landforms produced by past ice sheets on Earth, and their implications for ice sheet dynamics.
Using comparisons to Earth to better understand glaciation on Mars (and vice versa).

Publications

Books

(2024) . Elsevier.

Journal articles

Butcher FEG, Arnold NS, Conway SJ, Berman DC, Davis JM & Balme MR (2023) . Icarus, 115717-115717.
Arnold N, Butcher F, Gallagher C, Balme M & Conway S (2023) .
Ely JC, Stevens D, Clark CD & Butcher FEG (2023) . Earth Surface Processes and Landforms.
Morino C, Conway S, Philippe M, Peignaux C, Svennevig K, Lucas A, Noblet A, Roberti G, Butcher F & Collins-May J (2023) . Icarus, 391.
Arnold NS, Butcher FEG, Conway SJ, Gallagher C & Balme MR (2022) . Nature Astronomy.
Stevens D, Ely JC, Livingstone SJ, Clark CD, Butcher FEG & Hewitt I (2022) . Journal of Glaciology.
Woodley SZ, Butcher FEG, Fawdon P, Clark CD, Ng FSL, Davis JM & Gallagher C (2022) . Icarus, 386.
Soare RJ, Williams J-P, Hepburn AJ & Butcher FEG (2022) . Icarus, 385.
Galofre AG, Andres CN, Becerra P, Bhardwaj A, Bramson A, Butcher F, Christensen PR, Conway SJ, Coronato A, Hauber E , Hibbard S et al (2021) . Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 53(4).
Smith I, Calvin WM, Smith DE, Hansen C, Diniega S, McEwen A, Thomas N, Banfield D, Titus TN, Becerra P , Kahre M et al (2021) . Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 53(4).
Butcher FEG, Balme MR, Conway SJ, Gallagher C, Arnold NS, Storrar RD, Lewis SR, Hagermann A & Davis JM (2021) . Icarus, 357.
Gallagher C, Butcher FEG, Balme M, Smith I & Arnold N (2020) . Icarus.
Conway S, Peignaux C, Morino C, Philippe M, Collins-May J, Butcher F & Roberti G (2020) .
Butcher FEG, Balme MR, Conway SJ, Gallagher C, Arnold NS, Storrar RD, Lewis SR & Hagermann A (2020) . Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 542.
Arnold NS, Conway SJ, Butcher FEG & Balme MR (2019) . Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.
Morino C, Conway SJ, Sæmundsson Þ, Helgason JK, Hillier J, Butcher FEG, Balme MR, Jordan C & Argles T (2019) . Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 516, 136-147.
Balme MR, Curtis-Rouse MC, Banham S, Barnes D, Barnes R, Bauer A, Bedford CC, Bridges JC, Butcher FEG, Caballo-Perucha P , Caldwell A et al (2019) . Planetary and Space Science, 165, 31-56.
de Haas T, Conway SJ, Butcher FEG, Levy J, Grindrod PM, Goudge TA & Balme MR (2019) . Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 467(1), 165-186.
Conway SJ, Butcher FEG, de Haas T, Deijns AAJ, Grindrod PM & Davis JM (2018) . Geomorphology, 318, 26-57.
Balme M, Robson E, Barnes R, Butcher F, Fawdon P, Huber B, Ortner T, Paar G, Traxler C, Bridges J , Gupta S et al (2018) . Planetary and Space Science, 153, 39-53.
Butcher FEG, Balme MR, Gallagher C, Arnold NS, Conway SJ, Hagermann A & Lewis SR (2018) . Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 122(12), 2445-2468.
Butcher FEG, Conway SJ & Arnold NS (2016) . Icarus, 275, 65-84.
Archer RE, Ely JC, Heaton TJ, Butcher FEG, Hughes ALC & Clark CD () . Earth Surface Processes and Landforms.
Butcher FEG, Arnold NS, Balme MR, Conway SJ, Clark CD, Gallagher C, Hagermann A, Lewis SR, Rutledge AM, Storrar RD & Woodley SZ () . Annals of Glaciology, 1-6.

Chapters

Koutnik M, Butcher FEG, Soare RJ, Hepburn AJ, Hubbard B, Brough S, Gallagher C, Mc Keown LE & Pathare A (2024) , Ices in the Solar System (pp. 101-142). Elsevier
Soare RJ, Costard F, Williams J-P, Gallagher C, Hepburn AJ, Stillman D, Koutnik M, Conway SJ, Philippe M, Butcher FEG , Mc Keown LE et al (2024) , Ices in the Solar System (pp. 143-192). Elsevier
Davis JM, Fawdon P, Butcher FEG & Banham SG (2022) , Deciphering Earth's History: the Practice of Stratigraphy (pp. 327-342). The Geological Society of London
Butcher FEG (2021) , Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Planetary Science
Lasue J, Clifford SM, Conway SJ, Mangold N & Butcher FEG (2019) , Volatiles in the Martian Crust (pp. 185-246). Elsevier
Lasue J, Clifford SM, Conway SJ, Mangold N & Butcher FEG (2018) , Volatiles in the Martian Crust (pp. 185-246).

Conference proceedings papers

Storrar R, Jones A, Butcher FEG, Dewald N, Clark C, Delaney C, Evans D, Lewington E, Livingstone S & Stokes C (2021) . EGU General Assembly. online, 19 April 2021 - 30 April 2021.
Butcher FEG, Balme MR, Conway SJ, Gallagher C, Arnold NS, Storrar RD, Lewis SR, Hagermann A & Davis JM (2021) . EGU General Assembly. online, 19 April 2021 - 30 April 2021.
Morino C, Conway S, Peignaux C, Lucas A, Svennevig K, Butcher FEG, Roberti G, Philippe M & Collins-May J (2021) . EGU General Assembly. online, 19 April 2021 - 30 April 2021.
Butcher FEG, Arnold NS, Conway SJ, Berman DC, Davis JM & Balme MR (2021) Potential for Sampling of Subglacial and Englacial Environments in Mars' Mid-Latitudes, without Deep Drilling.. Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. online, 15 March 2021 - 19 March 2021.
Woodley SZ, Butcher FEG, Clark CD, Ng F, Davis JM & Gallagher C (2021) Multiple Sites of Amazonian Wet-Based Glaciation Identified in West Tempe Terra, Mars. Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. online, 15 March 2021 - 19 March 2021.
Conway SJ, Morino C, Peignaux C, Lucas A, Svennig K, Butcher FEG, Roberti G, Philippe M & Collins-May J (2021) Molards - A New Landform Revealing Ice-Ejecta Interactions on Mars. Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. online, 15 March 2021 - 19 March 2021.
Butcher FEG, Arnold NS, Berman DC, Conway SJ, Davis JM, Balme MR & Barnes R (2020) Internal Structure of a Glacier on Mars Revealed by Gully Incision. 51st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Physical Meeting Cancelled due to Covid-19. Abstract Available Online.
Butcher FEG, Arnold NS, Berman DC, Conway SJ, Davis JM & Balme MR ()
Arnold N, Butcher F, Gallagher C, Balme M & Conway S ()

Theses / Dissertations

Butcher FEG (2019) Wet-Based Glaciation on Mars.

Datasets

Butcher F, Balme M, Conway SJ, Gallagher C, Arnold NS, Storrar R, Lewis S, Hagermann A & Davis J .

Other

Boyes B, Dulfer H, Dewald N, Butcher F, Clark C, Ely J & Hughes A (2024) .
Dulfer H, Boyes B, Dewald N, Butcher F, Clark C, Ely J & Hughes A (2024) .
Clark C, Ely J, Hughes A, Archer R, Boyes B, Butcher F, Dewald N, Diemont C, Dulfer H & Bradley S (2024) .
Archer R, Ely J, Heaton T, Butcher F, Hughes A & Clark C (2024) .
Stevens D, Ely J, Livingstone S, Clark C, Butcher F & Hewitt I () .
Butcher FEG, Hughes ALC, Ely JC, Clark CD, Lewington ELM, Boyes BM, Scoffield AC, Howcutt S & Dowling TPF () .

Preprints

Soare RJ, Williams J-P, Hepburn AJ & Butcher FEG (2022) , arXiv.

Grants

2022: Principal Investigator, Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellowship. 'Deciphering Mars’ glacial landscapes to underpin science goals of human missions'.
2020: British Society of Geomorphology Conference Support Grant (£500): CryoMars meeting, University of ��«Ӱҵ.
2019: International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) Conference Grant (€1320).
2019: Lunar and Planetary Institute Career Development Award ($1500).
2019: GeoPlanet Research Mobility Grant (€1200): Awarded by Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique, University of Nantes.
2018: Royal Astronomical Society Travel Grant (£900).
2018: British Society for Geomorphology Postgraduate Conference Attendance Grant (£300).
2017: Pierazzo International Student Travel Award ($2000): Awarded to one non-US graduate student globally per year by the Planetary Science Institute.
2016: Europlanet Grant: Full funding to attend Europlanet RPIF 3D training workshop, Mullard Space Science Laboratory.
2016: 6th International Mars Polar Conference European Student Travel Grant (€666): Awarded by the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences.
2015: Ogden Trust Trustees' Award (£900).
2015: British Society for Geomorphology Postgraduate Conference Attendance Grant (£850).
2015: ProViDE Summer School EU Student Travel Grant (£500).

Teaching interests

I teach on the following modules in ��«Ӱҵ:

Polar and Alpine Change MSc(Res) Research Project
The Planets
Our Frozen Planet
Critical Digital Geographies in Practice (MSc Applied GIS )

Past teaching activities include:

Guest lectures for 'Digital Terrain Analysis' module, University of Manchester MSc Geographical Information Science (2019 and 2020)
Invited Workshop Coordinator: 'Planetary Geomorphology in Mars Landing Site Selection', South East Physics Network GRADnet Planetary Science Workshop, National Physical Laboratory, London, (2016).
Demonstrator: Natural Environment Research Council CENTA Doctoral Training Program ArcGIS Training Course, The Open University (2016)

Professional activities and memberships

2nd prize for '3 minute thesis' competition (2018), Open University STEM faculty.
Nature Astronomy Prize for Best Student Presentation (2017) at the 1st British Planetary Science Congress, Glasgow, UK, 4-5 Dec. 2017 (Poster).
Paper subsequently reported in a
John Glen Prize (2017) for the best student talk at the International Glaciological Society's British Branch Meeting, Lancaster University, UK, 5-7 Sept. 2017.
Prize for best student talk (2017) at the Astrobiology Society of Britain: Habitability Beyond Earth conference. Open University, UK, 13-14 Sept. 2017.
William Vaughan Lewis Prize (2015), University of Cambridge prize for undergraduate geography dissertation.
Corpus Christi College Prize (2015), Corpus Christi College (University of Cambridge) prize for undergraduate dissertation.
Hewitt Exhibition (2015), Corpus Christi College (University of Cambridge) prize for contributions to outreach and admissions initiatives between 2012 and 2015.