Dr Frances Butcher

School of Geography and Planning

Research Fellow

Frances Butcher profile photo
Profile picture of Frances Butcher profile photo
f.butcher@sheffield.ac.uk
Room C13b, Geography and Planning Building

Full contact details

Dr Frances Butcher
School of Geography and Planning
Room C13b
Geography and Planning Building
Winter Street
Sheffield
S3 7ND
Profile
I am a UK Space Agency Exploration Science Research Fellow in the School of Geography and Planning at Sheffield. I am a planetary scientist and glacial geomorphologist researching the history of glaciation on Mars and Earth. 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 ice, liquid water, and environmental change on Mars, and inform the scientific objectives of future robotic and human missions.
 
My current UK Space Agency-funded fellowship project is entitled 'Structural glaciology on Mars to underpin preparations for ice-access missions'.

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 Sheffield 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 then returned to Mars-focussed research by winning a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellowship at Sheffield (2019-2022), and I am currently a UK Space Agency Exploration Science Research Fellow. 

I use my research to inform concepts and planning for future Mars missions. For example I was selected by NASA and the Canadian, Japanese and Italian space agencies to serve as a member of the 'Measurement Definition Team' for the International Mars Ice Mapper (I-MIM) Mission. More recently (2024), I was selected to serve on the Measurement Definition Team for the European Space Agency LightShip-SpotLight Mars orbiter concept. In 2024/2025 I also served on the MEPAG Science Analysis Group for the ice-drilling 'Search for Life' (Mars Life Explorer) lander concept.

I founded and lead the 'CryoMars' network of UK researchers and international colleagues working on Mars and Earth cryosphere (and cryosphere-related) topics. I also 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

  • Arnold NS & Butcher FEG (2026) . Icarus, 444.
  • Bro鱉 P, Patoka V, Butcher F, Sylvest M & Patel M (2025) . Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 668.
  • Butcher FEG, Fawdon P, Wright J, Woodley SZ & Cornford BT (2025) .
  • Munaretto G, Bertoli S, Tusberti F, Tullo A, Byrne S, Butcher FEG, Grau Galofre A, Cremonese G, Re C, Massironi M , Pajola M et al (2025) .
  • Biju Sindhu P, Broz P, Patoka V, Butcher F, Fox-Powell M, Sylvest M, Emerland Z & Patel M (2025) .
  • Arnold N & Butcher F (2025) .
  • Butcher FEG, Arnold NS, Conway SJ, Berman DC, Davis JM & Balme MR (2024) . Icarus, 419.
  • Archer RE, Ely JC, Heaton TJ, Butcher FEG, Hughes ALC & Clark CD (2023) . Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 48(14), 2754-2771.
  • Arnold N, Butcher F, Gallagher C, Balme M & Conway S (2023) . EGU General Assembly 2023.
  • Ely JC, Stevens D, Clark CD & Butcher FEG (2023) . Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 48(5), 956-978.
  • Morino C, Conway S, Philippe M, Peignaux C, Svennevig K, Lucas A, Noblet A, Roberti G, Butcher F & Collins-May J (2023) . Icarus, 391.
  • Stevens D, Ely JC, Livingstone SJ, Clark CD, Butcher FEG & Hewitt I (2023) . Journal of Glaciology, 69(274), 397-409.
  • Butcher FEG, Arnold NS, Balme MR, Conway SJ, Clark CD, Gallagher C, Hagermann A, Lewis SR, Rutledge AM, Storrar RD & Woodley SZ (2022) . Annals of Glaciology, 63(87-89), 33-38.
  • Arnold NS, Butcher FEG, Conway SJ, Gallagher C & Balme MR (2022) . Nature Astronomy, 6(11), 1256-1262.
  • Woodley SZ, Butcher FEG, Fawdon P, Clark CD, Ng FSL, Davis JM & Gallagher C (2022) . Icarus, 386.
  • Conway S, Butcher F, Grau Galofre A & Noblet A (2022) .
  • Soare RJ, Williams J-P, Hepburn AJ & Butcher FEG (2022) . Icarus, 385.
  • 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).
  • 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).
  • 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 (2021) . Icarus, 355.
  • Conway S, Peignaux C, Morino C, Philippe M, Collins-May J, Butcher F & Roberti G (2020) . Europlanet Science Congress 2020, 14.
  • 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, 124(8), 2101-2116.
  • Morino C, Conway SJ, S疆mundsson , 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.

Book 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
  • 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

  • Storrar R, Jones A, Butcher F, Dewald N, Clark C, Delaney C, Evans D, Lewington E, Livingstone S & Stokes C (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. 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC), Proceedings. Virtual conference, 15 March 2021 - 15 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. 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC), Proceedings. Virtual conference, 15 March 2021 - 15 March 2021.
  • Butcher FEG, Balme MR, Conway SJ, Gallagher C, Arnold NS, Storrar RD, Lewis SR, Hagermann A & Davis JM (2021) . EGU General Assembly 2021 Abstracts. Virtual conference, 19 April 2021 - 19 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 2021 Abstracts. Virtual conference, 19 April 2021 - 19 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. 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC), Proceedings. Virtual conference, 15 March 2021 - 15 March 2021.
  • Butcher FEG, Arnold NS, Berman DC, Conway SJ, Davis JM & Balme MR (2020) . EGU General Assembly 2020: Sharing Geoscience Online. Online conference, 4 May 2020 - 4 May 2020.
  • Arnold NS, Butcher FEG, Gallagher C, Balme MR & Conway SJ (2020) . EGU General Assembly 2020: Sharing Geoscience Online. Online conference, 4 May 2020 - 4 May 2020.
  • 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. Online conference, 16 March 2020 - 16 March 2020.

Theses

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

Dictionary or encyclopaedia entries

  • Butcher FEG (2022) . In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Planetary Science Oxford University Press.

Datasets

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

Other

  • Boyes B, Dulfer H, Clark C, Butcher F, Dewald N, Ely J & Hughes A (2025) .
  • Dulfer HE, Boyes BM, Stoker BJ, Butcher FEG, Clark CD, Dewald N, Diemont CR, Ely JC, Hughes ALC, Margold M & Stokes CR (2025) .
  • Archer R, Ely J, Johnson J, Oakley J, Clark C, Butcher F, Dulfer H, Hughes A, Boyes B & Reese R (2025) .
  • Clark C, Ely J, Hughes A, Archer R, Boyes B, Butcher F, Dewald N, Diemont C, Dulfer H & Bradley S (2025) .
  • Archer R, Ely J, Heaton T, Butcher F, Hughes A & Clark C (2025) .
  • Dulfer H, Boyes B, Dewald N, Butcher F, Clark C, Ely J & Hughes A (2025) .
  • Boyes B, Dulfer H, Dewald N, Butcher F, Clark C, Ely J & Hughes A (2025) .
  • Stevens D, Ely J, Livingstone S, Clark C, Butcher F & Hewitt I (2022) .
  • Butcher FEG, Hughes ALC, Ely JC, Clark CD, Lewington ELM, Boyes BM, Scoffield AC, Howcutt S & Dowling TPF (2022) .

Preprints

  • Soare RJ, Williams J-P, Hepburn AJ & Butcher FEG (2022) , arXiv.
Grants
  • 2025: Principal Investigator, UK Space Agency Exploration Science Fellowship 'Structural glaciology on Mars to underpin preparations for ice-access missions'
  • 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 (瞿500): CryoMars meeting, University of Sheffield.
  • 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 Plan矇tologie et G矇odynamique, University of Nantes.
  • 2018: Royal Astronomical Society Travel Grant (瞿900).
  • 2018: British Society for Geomorphology Postgraduate Conference Attendance Grant (瞿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 (瞿900).
  • 2015: British Society for Geomorphology Postgraduate Conference Attendance Grant (瞿850).
  • 2015: ProViDE Summer School EU Student Travel Grant (瞿500).
Teaching interests
I teach on the following modules in Sheffield:
  • Polar and Alpine Change MSc(Res) Research Project
  • The Planets
  • Our Melting Planet
  • MSc GIS Geospatial Dissertation,
  • Lake District Fieldclass,
  • Why Geography Matters

Past teaching activities include:
  • Teaching cover (Lectures), 3rd year Glaciology, University of Cambridge BA Geography (2024)
  • 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)