Slawek Tulaczyk is a Professor of Earth Science at the University of California Santa Cruz. He focuses his research on ice sheets and glaciers as dynamic features interacting with geologic, hydrologic, and climatic processes on different timescales. To understand Thwaites Glacier's potential future contribution to sea level rise, he investigates the physical controls on ice flow velocity and constructs quantitative models of ice flow dynamics, including underlying geology. Tulaczyk explores geologic controls on glacier movement through sedimentological and geochemical analysis of subglacial sediment samples from West Antarctica. He uses multiple data sources—remote sensing, borehole experiments, subglacial sediment samples—to constrain the physics of the subglacial environment and its role in controlling ice flow velocities.

Tulaczyk is a lead principal investigator on the TIME project. He and his team will use a variety of techniques, such as radar and seismic analysis, to understand the margins of the Thwaites Glacier, investigating what controls its width and speed.