- 👨💻 Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Pennsylvania
- 🧊 Glaciologist + 💻 Data Scientist
I'm a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, and I am interested in sea-level rise, iceberg calving, ice-ocean interactions, and numerical modeling. My current research focuses on developing applications for terrestrial laser scanners for glaciological purposes (e.g. point set registration problems), a case study of Helheim Glacier calving dynamics using terrestrial laser scanners, and how ice melange (a mixture of sea ice and icebergs) impacts submarine melting of glaciers draining the Greenland Ice Sheet. I'm passionate about open source tools for scientific research and helping others navigate the pangeo stack.
- Write a Jupyter-based glaciology course textbook
- Create geospatial Python workshops
Shahin, M.G., K. Hughes, L. A. Stearns, C.J. van der Veen, A. Roth, F. Straneo. Can a glacier protect itself? Viewing sikkusak (ice mélange) and deep-keeled icebergs as a heat sink. Under Review.
Shionalyn, K., G. Catania, D. Trugman, M.G. Shahin, D. Felikson, L.A. Stearns. Outlet Glacier Seasonal Terminus Prediction Using Interpretable Machine Learning. Accepted at The Cryosphere. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3483
Shahin, M.G., L.A. Stearns, C.J. van der Veen, D.C. Finnegan, A.L. LeWinter, S.F. Child, S. O'Neel, H. Butler. Calving Mechanisms Inferred from Observations of Surface Depressions at Helheim Glacier, Greenland. 2025. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 130, e2024JF008059. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JF008059
Harcourt, W. D., M.G. Shahin, L.A. Stearns, and S. Shankar: Structural weaknesses in ice mélange revealed by high resolution ICEYE SAR imagery. 2025. Journal of Glaciology. https://doi:10.1017/jog.2025.10085
Meng, Y., C.Y., Lai, R. Culberg, M.G. Shahin, L.A. Stearns, J. Burton, K. Nissanka. Seasonal Changes of M'elange Thickness Coincide With Greenland Calving Dynamics. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55241-7
Fahrner, D., G. Catania, M.G. Shahin, D.D. Hansen, K. Löffler, J. Abermann. Advances in monitoring glaciological processes in Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) over the past decades. 2024. PLOS Climate. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000379
Melton, S. M., R.B. Alley, S. Anandakrishnan, B.R. Parizek, M.G. Shahin, L.A Stearns, A. L. LeWinter, D. C. Finnegan. 2022. Meltwater drainage and iceberg calving observed in high-spatiotemporal resolution at Helheim Glacier, Greenland. Journal of Glaciology. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.141