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POLARPROG-Polarforskningsprogram

Fieldwork to enable a multi-scale-multi-method analysis of mechanisms causing ice acceleration

Awarded: NOK 80,389

Transfer of land-based ice masses into the oceans is a strong contributor to ongoing sea level rise; both, melt-water runoff, as well as ice discharge into the oceans are expected to increase with continued climate warming. Dynamic instabilities allow for larger, more rapid ice mass loss than surface melt, and Earth history has experienced several episodes of rapid ice sheet decay with severe impact on sea level, climate and ecology. There is considerable variability in the way glaciers respond to climate change; some glaciers become dynamically inactive and exhibit moderate rates of mass loss, whereas others feature dynamic instabilities and discharge large amounts of ice. For instance, the drastic acceleration of a single basin of the Austfonna ice cap since 2012 doubled sea-level contribution from the entire Svalbard archipelago. The discovery of widespread acceleration of the Greenland Ice Sheet in the early 2000s sparked intense research activity on the hydraulic lubrication of glacier beds. Since then, a wealth of new observations in unprecedented quality, detail and coverage suggest the existence of additional, hitherto neglected, cryo-hydrological feedbacks. This incomplete process understanding gives rise to considerable uncertainties about future evolution of sea level, as acknowledged by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. MAMMAMIA addresses these crucial knowledge gaps to ultimately facilitate improved assessments of the dynamic stability of polar ice masses. The project will monitor the subglacial sliding motion of arctic, poly-thermal glaciers and investigate the role of meltwater supply to control these processes. Fusing dedicated field experiments, remote sensing and modelling, will not only advance process parameterization, but also foster multidisciplinary contributions in theory, methodology and outreach, acting as a catalyst for research innovation.

Funding scheme:

POLARPROG-Polarforskningsprogram