Dr Emily Potter

School of Geography and Planning

Postdoctoral researcher

emily.potter@sheffield.ac.uk

Geography and Planning Building

Full contact details

Dr Emily Potter
School of Geography and Planning
Geography and Planning Building
Winter Street
Sheffield
S3 7ND

Profile: I completed a PhD at the British Antarctic Survey and Cambridge on meteorology in the Himalayas, and have since held postdoctoral positions at the British Antarctic Survey, the University of Leeds, the University of Vienna and the University of Innsbruck, with a focus on climate of the South American Andes.

Research interests: My current role is working within the Deplete and Retreat project, for which I am creating climate data for the past and future, using a regional climate model. I will use this data to analyse the causes of extreme snowfall in the Andes, as well as working with colleagues to provide climate input data to glaciological models.

Publications

Journal articles

Hänchen L, Potter E, Klein C, Calanca P, Maussion F, Gurgiser W & Wohlfahrt G (2025) A novel framework for analyzing rainy season dynamics in semi-arid environments: a case study in the Peruvian Rio Santa basin. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 29(12), 2727-2747. View this article in WRRO
Fyffe CL, Potter E, Miles E, Shaw TE, McCarthy M, Orr A, Loarte E, Medina K, Fatichi S, Hellström R , Baraer M et al (2025) Thin and ephemeral snow shapes melt and runoff dynamics in the Peruvian Andes. Communications Earth & Environment, 6(1). View this article in WRRO
Mackay JD, Barrand NE, Hannah DM, Potter E, Montoya N & Buytaert W (2025) Physically based modelling of glacier evolution under climate change in the tropical Andes. The Cryosphere, 19(2), 685-712. View this article in WRRO
Collier E, Ban N, Richter N, Ahrens B, Chen D, Chen X, Lai H-W, Leung R, Li L, Medvedova A , Ou T et al (2024) The first ensemble of kilometer-scale simulations of a hydrological year over the third pole. Climate Dynamics, 62(8), 7501-7518. View this article in WRRO
Klein C, Potter ER, Zauner C, Gurgiser W, Cruz Encarnación R, Cochachín Rapre A & Maussion F (2023) Farmers’ first rain: investigating dry season rainfall characteristics in the Peruvian Andes. Environmental Research Communications, 5(7), 071004-071004.
Klein C, Hänchen L, Potter ER, Junquas C, Harris BL & Maussion F (2023) Untangling the importance of dynamic and thermodynamic drivers for wet and dry spells across the Tropical Andes. Environmental Research Letters, 18(3), 034002-034002.
Orr A, Ahmad B, Alam U, Appadurai A, Bharucha ZP, Biemans H, Bolch T, Chaulagain NP, Dhaubanjar S, Dimri AP , Dixon H et al (2022) Knowledge Priorities on Climate Change and Water in the Upper Indus Basin: A Horizon Scanning Exercise to Identify the Top 100 Research Questions in Social and Natural Sciences. Earth's Future, 10(4).
Fyffe CL, Potter E, Fugger S, Orr A, Fatichi S, Loarte E, Medina K, Hellström RÅ, Bernat M, Aubry‐Wake C , Gurgiser W et al (2021) The Energy and Mass Balance of Peruvian Glaciers. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 126(23).
Potter ER, Orr A, Willis IC, Bannister D & Wagnon P (2021) Meteorological impacts of a novel debris‐covered glacier category in a regional climate model across a Himalayan catchment. Atmospheric Science Letters, 22(3).
Potter ER, Orr A, Willis IC, Bannister D & Salerno F (2018) Dynamical Drivers of the Local Wind Regime in a Himalayan Valley. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 123(23).
Potter ER, Fyffe CL, Orr A, Quincey DJ, Ross AN, Rangecroft S, Medina K, Burns H, Llacza A, Jacome G , Hellström RÅ et al () A future of extreme precipitation and droughts in the Peruvian Andes. npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, 6(1).
Taylor LS, Quincey DJ, Smith MW, Potter ER, Castro J & Fyffe CL () Multi-Decadal Glacier Area and Mass Balance Change in the Southern Peruvian Andes. Frontiers in Earth Science, 10.

Other

Bhattacharjee S, Potter E, Li S, Jones J, Ely J & Davis B (2025) Heat Extremes and Urban Climate Dynamics in Andean cities.
Li S, Bhattacharjee S, Potter E, Jones J, Davies B & Ely J (2025) Unprecedented 2023 Winter Heatwave in the Andes.
Potter E, Li S, Jones J, Irarrázaval Í, Matthews T, Perry B & Ely J (2025) Snowfall over the Andes: a convection-permitting climate model.
Gumber S, Orr A, Field P, Pritchard H, Covi F, Deb P, Girona-Mata M, Widmann M & Potter E (2025) Using Novel Lake-based Snowfall Measurements in the Alps and Himalayas to optimise Cloud and Precipitation processes in a Regional Atmospheric Model (MetUM).
Fyffe C, Potter E, Miles E, Shaw T, McCarthy M, Orr A, Loarte E, Medina K, Fatichi S & Pellicciotti F (2025) On the importance of the cryosphere in a tropical Andean basin: the past, present and future of the glaciers and runoff in the Rio Santa.
Fyffe CL, Potter E, Orr A, Shaw TE, Loarte E, Medina K, Miles E, von Ah F, Baraer M, Cochachin A , Castro J et al (2022) Modelling the glacier-hydrology of two large catchments in the Peruvian Andes.
Potter E, Fyffe C, Orr A, Quincey D, Ross AN, Rangecroft S, Medina K, Burns H, Llacza A, Jacome G , Hellström R et al (2022) Projected increases in climate extremes and temperature-induced drought over the Peruvian Andes, 1980-2100.
Celmi G, Momblanch A, Hess T, Fyffe CL, Potter E, Orr A, Drenkhan F, Walker-Crawford N, Loarte E, Bustamante MG & Pellicciotti F (2021) No-regret adaptation to climate change through management of glacial lakes in the Santa River Basin in Peru.
Potter E, Orr A, Fyffe C, Quincey D, Ross A, Burns H, Hellström R, Medina K, Loarte E, Llacza A , Jacome G et al (2021) Multi-decadal past and future temperature and precipitation trends in the Peruvian Andes.
Fyffe CL, Potter E, Fugger S, Orr A, Fatichi S, Medina K, Hellström RÅ, Shaw TE, Bernat M, Llacza A , Jacome G et al (2021) Quantifying the controls of Peruvian glacier response to climate.

Preprints

Hänchen L, Potter E, Klein C, Calanca P, Maussion F, Gurgiser W & Wohlfahrt G (2024) A Novel Framework for Analyzing Rainy Season Dynamics in semi-arid environments: A case study in the Peruvian Rio Santa Basin, Copernicus GmbH.
Mackay JD, Barrand NE, Hannah DM, Potter E, Montoya N & Buytaert W (2024) Physically-based modelling of glacier evolution under climate change in the tropical Andes, Copernicus GmbH.
Collier E, Ban N, Richter N, Ahrens B, Chen D, Chen X, Lai H-W, Leung R, Li L, Ou T , Pothapakula PK et al (2024) The First Ensemble of Kilometre-Scale Simulations of a Hydrological Year over the Third Pole, Springer Science and Business Media LLC.