As the loss of West Antarctica’s ice sheet threatens to raise sea level and flood the world’s coasts, scientists must improve projections by understanding the physics where glaciers meet the ocean.
To move toward coupled, interactive glacier-ocean models, CliC launched a targeted activity focused on modeling of West Antarctica at a meeting held 27–29 October 2014 at New York University in Abu Dhabi. The 30 participants represented a crosscut of glaciological and ocean modelers spanning the international community. The meeting resulted in the establishment of the Marine Ice Sheet–Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (MISOMIP). This project aims to develop a suite of coupled glacier-ocean model benchmark tests in idealized model configurations, followed by regional simulations of specific outlet glaciers, such as the Thwaites. Further technical details for those interested in participating in the activity are found on the CliC website.
In this context, the MISOMIP leads have been working on an article now featured in EOS, and called “On the Rocks: The Challenges of Predicting Sea Level Rise.” The paper is available here and is also featured on the front page of the EOS website.
Author Information:
David Holland and Denise Holland, Center for Global Sea-Level Change, New York University, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Citation: Holland, D., and D. Holland (2015), On the rocks: The challenges of predicting sea level rise, Eos, 96, doi:10.1029/2015EO036667. Published on 19 October 2015.