Final Report
Prof. Edward Hanna of the School of Geography lead-organised an international research workshop on Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheet mass balance - links between observational data and computer model simulations. This included some of the world-leading scientists working in this area. There were two keynote talks: Prof. Tony Payne (University of Bristol) spoke on "Challenges in making useful projections of the future sea-level contributions of ice sheets," while Prof. Andy Shepherd (University of Leeds) gave a very timely rundown of "Satellite observations of ice sheet mass balance." The latter talk was based on a major new research paper on Antarctic Ice Sheet mass balance, 1992-2017, that Prof. Shepherd had lead-published in the journal NATURE the previous day. Other talks included the effects on ice sheets of limiting global warming to 1.5degC above pre-industrial levels by 2100 - an unlikely outcome but one that is highly relevant to study for an upcoming interim report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
For more information please see the workshop website.
Highlights:
- Review recent observational estimates, and their related uncertainties, of ice sheet mass balance (including surface mass balance, basal melting and solid-ice discharge components) and their response to climate change, and to reach a consensus on the magnitude of current ice-sheet contribution to sea-level change.
- Review recent improvements in ice-sheet modelling and the use of updated mass-balance observational datasets in ice-sheet models.
- Disseminate this improved understanding both to other researchers and also to policymakers and the general public.
Date and Location:
15 June 2018 | Davos (Switzerland)
IASC Working Group / Committees funding the Project:
- Cryosphere WG
Project Lead
Year funded by IASC
2018
Project Status
Completed