Association of Polar Early Career Scientists

 

The workshop on Glacial Isostatic Adjustment, Ice Sheets, and Sea-level Change – Observations, Analysis, and Modelling will be from 24-26 September 2019 at the Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada. Travel funding will be available for selected Early Career Researchers.

Conveners:  Thomas James, Glenn Milne, Pippa Whitehouse, Natalya Gomez, Matt King, and Shawn Marshall

Please fill out this brief questionnaire to help us assess interest and plan the workshop.

Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) is the response of the solid Earth to past and present-day changes to glaciers and ice sheets.  It generates crustal displacements, sea-level changes, and changes to the Earth’s gravitational field. Recent developments in GIA modelling include increased consideration of lateral variations in Earth structure (i.e. three-dimensional Earth models) and coupled ice-sheet/Earth modelling.  Complementing these recent developments are ongoing investigations into paleo ice sheet extent, Earth structure, and paleo sea-level investigations.  Geodetic measurements of crustal motion and gravitational change include the GIA viscoelastic response to past changes, as well as the Earth’s elastic response to present-day ice mass changes.  

The vertical crustal displacements induced by GIA are a major contributor to relative sea-level change on a global scale, and locally can overwhelm the global sea-level change generated by addition of water to the ocean from thinning ice sheets and glaciers.  The outstanding source of uncertainty in projecting future global sea-level rise is the dynamical behavior of marine-based portions of the Antarctic ice sheet.  These ice sheets, grounded below present-day sea-level on bedrock that slopes down towards the interior, may be subject to a Marine Ice Sheet Instability (MISI) featuring a positive feedback cycle of thinning and grounding line retreat.  Where glaciers and ice sheets are undergoing rapid change, the solid Earth response, which is comprised of both an elastic response to present-day change and viscoelastic response to past ice mass change, can affect the bedrock elevation relative to local sea-level and affect glacier flow dynamics, including grounding line migration, and thus affect global sea levels.  The structure and rheology of the interior of the Earth determines the rapidity of the Earth’s response and the strength of the potential interaction between vertical crustal displacement and ice sheet dynamics.

This workshop invites contributions discussing observations, analyses, and modelling of ice sheet dynamics, the ensuing solid-Earth response, the resulting global and local (relative) sea-level changes, and the interactions and feedbacks between these components of the coupled Earth system.  Contributions related to both polar regions are welcomed.  The workshop will emphasize recent developments in GIA and ice sheet modelling:

  • coupled ice-sheet/GIA models to explore interactions, including those that may accelerate or impede rapid delivery of ice to the oceans
  • GIA modelling with complex Earth models that may incorporate lateral heterogeneity (i.e., three-dimensional Earth models) and non-linear rheologies.

We also seek contributions on:

  • Observations constraining ice sheet history and refinements or syntheses of paleo-sea-level histories
  • Glacial isostatic adjustment modeling to explain aspects of the paleo record (ice-sheet extent, sea-level history) and present-day measured crustal motion and gravitational changes
  • Geophysical and geodetic constraints on Earth structure and mantle rheology beneath present-day and ancient ice sheets
  • Ice sheet and glacier measurements and modelling of past, present, and future extent and volume.

Sponsored by the Solid Earth Response and influence on Cryosphere Evolution (SERCE) Scientific Research Program of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR), and the Canadian Museum of Nature.

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UiT The Arctic University of Norway
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Email: info(at)apecs.is

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