Project information
Project aim
Global sea-level rise is accelerating, and the largest potential contribution is from the East Antarctic ice sheet. Preparing for the impacts of sea-level rise needs an improved understanding of the response of the Antarctic ice sheet to changing ocean and atmospheric conditions. This project will examine the atmospheric and oceanic processes responsible for controlling mass loss from East Antarctic ice shelves spanning the sector from Amery to Cook, via basal melting and iceberg calving. We will make the first direct measurements of basal melting of these ice shelves and their associated glacier response; contribute to calibration and validation activities for satellite altimetry missions; and provide the data necessary for the numerical modelling of accumulation and firn densification processes in order to understand surface height changes driven by the atmosphere, ocean and ice dynamics.
