Dr Rachel Oien

Biography

Current: Lecturer (Teaching Fellow) at the University of Aberdeen

Teaching Fellow, Department of Geography, Durham University

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University at Buffalo, NY, USA

Ph.D. in Geoscience at the University of Aberdeen '21

Recent Publications

Oien, R. P. and E. Lee (2026). Morphometric Analysis of Cirques in Central Siberia’s Western Putorana Plateau: A Proxy for Palaeoclimate. Boreas. 

Oien, R. P., & Kurjański, B. (2026). Cirque morphology in relation to ice-sheet retreat in central West Greenland and Disko Island (Qeqertarsuaq). QI. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2026.110381

Powell, C. J., & Oien, R. P. (2025). Sedimentological reconstruction of Glan-y-môr Isaf, North Wales: A model for the formation of stratified subglacial till assemblages from glaciolacustrine deposits. QSR. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109224

Carrivick, J. L., ...Oien, R. P...(2023). Mass Loss of Glaciers and Ice Caps Across Greenland Since the Little Ice Age. GRL. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL103950

Oien, R. P., Barr, I. D., Spagnolo, M., Bingham, R. G., Rea, B. R., & Jansen, J. (2022). Controls on the altitude of Scandinavian cirques: What do they tell us about palaeoclimate? PPP. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PALAEO.2022.111062

Barr, I. D., Spagnolo, M., Rea, B. R., Bingham, R. G., Oien, R. P., Adamson, K., Ely, J. C., Mullan, D. J., Pellitero, R., & Tomkins, M. D. (2022). 60 million years of glaciation in the Transantarctic Mountains. Nature Comms. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33310-z

Oien, R. P., Rea, B. R., Spagnolo, M., Barr, I. D., & Bingham, R. G. (2022). Testing the area-altitude balance ratio (AABR) and accumulation-area ratio (AAR) methods of calculating glacier equilibrium-line altitudes.Glaciology. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.100

Oien, R. P., Spagnolo, M., Rea, B. R., Barr, I. D., & Bingham, R. G. (2020). Climatic controls on the equilibrium-line altitudes of Scandinavian cirque glaciers. Geomorphology. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.GEOMORPH.2019.106986

External Memberships

Geological Society of America

American Geophysics Union

American Association of Petroleum Geologists

Sigma Xi

International Glaciological Society (IGS)

European Geophysics Union

Quaternary Research Association

International Association of Geomorphologists

Nordic Union for Quaternary Research (NORDQUA)

International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA)

Funding and Grants

• NEIF: National Environmental Isotope Facility, March 2026 (£51,577)
  • Processing 20 Cosmogenic Radio Nuclide samples collected from feedwork in Tromsø, Norway, in connection with Low-Elevation Peripheral Glaciers Project
• Scottish Alliance for Gesocience, Earth & Society (SAGES) , Small Reserach Grant - May 7th, 2026 (£500)
  • Overdeepening of Cirques: an in-depth analysis of cirque bathymetry
• EDI Grant, European Geophysics Union, 2026 (€400)
  • Geomorphology Representative, for planning and coordinating EGU 26, May 2026
• EGU Volunteer Support Grant, European Geophysics Union (€750)
  • Geomorphology Representative, for planning and coordinating EDI events, particularly for underrepresented groups, EGU 26, May, 2026
• PalaeoArc, UArctic, Travel Grant - May 1st, 2025 (£400)
  • Low-Elevation Peripheral Glaciers: Key Indicators of Climate Change of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet
• Quaternary Research Association, Small Grant -Feb 1st, 2025 (£1650)
  • Low-Elevation Peripheral Glaciers: Key Indicators of Climate Change in the Western Scandinavian Ice Sheet
• Research Development Funding, Durham, Dept of Geography (£2500)
  • Low-Elevation Peripheral Glaciers: Key Indicators of Climate Change in the Scandinavian Ice Sheet, Nov 2024 
• Travel Grant, European Geophysics Union (€500)
  • Geomorphology Representative for planning and coordinating EGU 25, April 2025
• Travel Grant, European Geophysics Union (€500)
  • Geomorphology Representative, for planning and coordinating EGU 24, April 2024
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Science Foundation through the University at Buffalo, NY
  • Research Allowance ($30,000)
• SINERGIS Project, University of Bergen (£1000)
  • Travel grant to present  at the Stability of the Greenland Ice Sheet- lessons from the past workshop in Bergen, Norway, April 2023
• Quaternary Research Association (£900)
  • Travel grant to present  and convene at the International Quaternary Association Conference in Rome, Italy, July 2023
• International Quaternary Association (€1500)
  • Travel grant to present at the International Quaternary Association Conference in Rome, Italy, July 2023
• Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Earth & Society Graduate Bursary (£500)
  • Travel grant to present at the International Quaternary Association Conference in Dublin, Ireland, July 2019
• Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Earth & Society Graduate Bursary (£18,000)
  • Modern and Palaeo Scandinavian Cirque Glaciers as Indicators of Climate Change, Research Allowance, Oct 2017- July 2021
• The North Academic Research Grant, University of Aberdeen (£2000)
  • Travel grant to participate in the Urbino Summer School for Palaeoclimatology in Urbino, Italy, July 2018
• Graduate Research Grant, University of Illinois ($2000)
  • Modelling the Inception of the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet using PISM
• Programming Collaboration with Dr. Andy Aschwanden, University of Alaska-Fairbanks, developer of PISM, July 2015
  • Leighton Award, University of Illinois ($2600)
• Geomorphic Mapping in the Romsdalen Fjord, Norway
  • with Dr. Ola Fredin, Norwegian Geological Survey, July 2014
  • Cosmogenic and OSL sampling in Finndalen, Norway with Dr. David Egholm
• Roscoe Jackson Award, University of Illinois ($800)
  • Creating a more inclusive environment for Geoscience Students
  • Graduate Support Fund to attend AGU and present the WIDER educational research, December 2014
• Geological Society of America ($500)
  • Climate and Chronological Age of Nipissing Dune in Door County, WI, attend GSA, Oct 2012