Current Research:

Computer simulation modeling of naturally occurring systems is my primary interest. The models that I have the most experience with are ones necessitated by economic and social interest. Lack of data is often a limiting factor in these efforts. As such, the goals are reducing uncertainty in modeling predictions and understanding the system’s response to various forcings. Traditionally, model formulations have relied upon both partial and ordinary differential equations, both of which posses rich literatures. More recently I have been interested in systems having large numbers of mutually interacting simple components. These components behave differently in the aggregate than they do individually. This is sometimes referred to as ‘complexity’. Examples of complex systems that I am considering are ice flow networks and their allometry, sand piles, and granular materials. It is my belief that extending current models with these complex formulations will result in greater understanding of the system and lower uncertainty in predictions.

Modeling often produces very large datasets. In order to better communicate my results and ideas to others, I take care to present the data as best I can. This has lead to an interest in data visualization.

Recent Publications:

Staiger, J.W., Gosse J.C, Johnson, J.V., Fastook J., Gray J.T., Stockli D.F., Stockli L., and Finkel R.“Relief generation by polythermal glacier ice” Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (2005) 30 (9) 1145-1159

Staiger, J.W., Marchant, D.R., Oberholzer, P., Schaefer, J.M., Johnson, J.V., Lewis, A.R. “Late Miocene-Pleistocene history of Ferrar Glacier, Antarctica: Implications for climate and ice sheet stability”, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (2005) accepted for publication

Johnson, J.V. , Prescott P.R. and Hughes T.H. “Ice dynamics preceding catastrophic disintegration of the floating part of Jababshavn Isbræ” (2004) 50 (171) 492-504 Journal of Glaciology