Melting of the Antarctic Ice Sheet: What is the role of anthropogenic forcing?

Abstract: Ice loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet is a substantial source of sea-level rise, with a large and uncertain future contribution. This melting ice is often used as an example of global warming, with an implicit linkage to human activities. However, the link to anthropogenic forcing is not clear because the ice sheet may be in an unstable configuration, and the region is subject to large internal climate variability. In this talk I will summarise the available observations of ice, ocean, and atmosphere in the region, and then present evidence from climate model simulations. The combined evidence suggests that the ongoing ice loss is partly caused by ice sheet instability and partly by climate forcing. Of the forcing, part is anthropogenic. As a result of this combination of factors, it is not clear how the Antarctic Ice Sheet will respond to future emissions scenarios.

atmospheric sciencescryosphere sciencesocean sciences

Audience: researchers in the discipline

BAS Polar Oceans Seminar