TY  - JOUR
A1  - Seroussi, Helene
A1  - Nowicki, Sophie
A1  - Payne, Antony J.
A1  - Goelzer, Heiko
A1  - Lipscomb, William H.
A1  - Abe-Ouchi, Ayako
A1  - Agosta, Cecile
A1  - Albrecht, Torsten
A1  - Asay-Davis, Xylar
A1  - Barthel, Alice
A1  - Calov, Reinhard
A1  - Cullather, Richard
A1  - Dumas, Christophe
A1  - Galton-Fenzi, Benjamin K.
A1  - Gladstone, Rupert
A1  - Golledge, Nicholas R.
A1  - Gregory, Jonathan M.
A1  - Greve, Ralf
A1  - Hattermann, Tore
A1  - Hoffman, Matthew J.
A1  - Humbert, Angelika
A1  - Huybrechts, Philippe
A1  - Jourdain, Nicolas C.
A1  - Kleiner, Thomas
A1  - Larour, Eric
A1  - Leguy, Gunter R.
A1  - Lowry, Daniel P.
A1  - Little, Chistopher M.
A1  - Morlighem, Mathieu
A1  - Pattyn, Frank
A1  - Pelle, Tyler
A1  - Price, Stephen F.
A1  - Quiquet, Aurelien
A1  - Reese, Ronja
A1  - Schlegel, Nicole-Jeanne
A1  - Shepherd, Andrew
A1  - Simon, Erika
A1  - Smith, Robin S.
A1  - Straneo, Fiammetta
A1  - Sun, Sainan
A1  - Trusel, Luke D.
A1  - Van Breedam, Jonas
A1  - van de Wal, Roderik S. W.
A1  - Winkelmann, Ricarda
A1  - Zhao, Chen
A1  - Zhang, Tong
A1  - Zwinger, Thomas
T1  - ISMIP6 Antarctica
BT  - a multi-model ensemble of the Antarctic ice sheet evolution over the 21st century
JF  - The Cryosphere : TC ; an interactive open access journal of the European Geosciences Union
N2  - Ice flow models of the Antarctic ice sheet are commonly used to simulate its future evolution in response to different climate scenarios and assess the mass loss that would contribute to future sea level rise. However, there is currently no consensus on estimates of the future mass balance of the ice sheet, primarily because of differences in the representation of physical processes, forcings employed and initial states of ice sheet models. This study presents results from ice flow model simulations from 13 international groups focusing on the evolution of the Antarctic ice sheet during the period 2015-2100 as part of the Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison for CMIP6 (ISMIP6). They are forced with outputs from a subset of models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), representative of the spread in climate model results. Simulations of the Antarctic ice sheet contribution to sea level rise in response to increased warming during this period varies between 7:8 and 30.0 cm of sea level equivalent (SLE) under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 scenario forcing. These numbers are relative to a control experiment with constant climate conditions and should therefore be added to the mass loss contribution under climate conditions similar to present-day conditions over the same period. The simulated evolution of the West Antarctic ice sheet varies widely among models, with an overall mass loss, up to 18.0 cm SLE, in response to changes in oceanic conditions. East Antarctica mass change varies between 6 :1 and 8.3 cm SLE in the simulations, with a significant increase in surface mass balance outweighing the increased ice discharge under most RCP 8.5 scenario forcings. The inclusion of ice shelf collapse, here assumed to be caused by large amounts of liquid water ponding at the surface of ice shelves, yields an additional simulated mass loss of 28mm compared to simulations without ice shelf collapse. The largest sources of uncertainty come from the climate forcing, the ocean-induced melt rates, the calibration of these melt rates based on oceanic conditions taken outside of ice shelf cavities and the ice sheet dynamic response to these oceanic changes. Results under RCP 2.6 scenario based on two CMIP5 climate models show an additional mass loss of 0 and 3 cm of SLE on average compared to simulations done under present-day conditions for the two CMIP5 forcings used and display limited mass gain in East Antarctica.
Y1  - 2020
U6  - https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3033-2020
SN  - 1994-0416
SN  - 1994-0424
VL  - 14
IS  - 9
SP  - 3033
EP  - 3070
PB  - Copernicus
CY  - Göttingen
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Feldmann, J.
A1  - Albrecht, Torsten
A1  - Khroulev, C.
A1  - Pattyn, F.
A1  - Levermann, Anders
T1  - Resolution-dependent performance of grounding line motion in a shallow model compared with a full-Stokes model according to the MISMIP3d intercomparison
JF  - Journal of glaciology
N2  - Making confident statements about the evolution of an ice-sheet shelf system with a numerical model requires the capability to reproduce the migration of the grounding line. Here we show that the shallow-ice approximation/shallow-shelf approximation hybrid-type Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM), with its recent improvements, is capable of modeling the grounding line motion in a perturbed ice-sheet shelf system. The model is set up according to the three-dimensional Marine Ice-Sheet Model Intercomparison Project (MISMIP3d), and simulations are carried out across a broad range of spatial resolutions. Using (1) a linear interpolation of the grounding line with locally interpolated basal friction and (2) an improved driving-stress computation across the grounding line, the reversibility of the grounding line (i.e. its retreat after an advance forced by a local perturbation of basal resistance) is captured by the model even at medium and low resolutions (Delta x > 10 km). The transient model response is qualitatively similar to that of higher-order models but reveals a higher initial sensitivity to perturbations on very short timescales. Our findings support the application of PISM to the Antarctic ice sheet from regional up to continental scales and on relatively low spatial resolutions.
KW  - glacier flow
KW  - ice dynamics
KW  - ice-sheet modelling
Y1  - 2014
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3189/2014JoG13J093
SN  - 0022-1430
SN  - 1727-5652
VL  - 60
IS  - 220
SP  - 353
EP  - 360
PB  - International Glaciological Society
CY  - Cambridge
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Albrecht, Torsten
A1  - Levermann, Anders
T1  - Spontaneous ice-front retreat caused by disintegration of adjacent ice shelf in Antarctica
JF  - Earth & planetary science letters
N2  - Antarctic ice-discharge constitutes the largest uncertainty in future sea-level projections. Floating ice shelves, fringing most of Antarctica, exert retentive forces onto the ice flow. While abrupt ice-shelf retreat has been observed, it is generally considered a localized phenomenon. Here we show that the disintegration of an ice shelf may induce the spontaneous retreat of its neighbor. As an example, we reproduce the spontaneous but gradual retreat of the Larsen B ice front as observed after the disintegration of the adjacent Larsen A ice shelf. We show that the Larsen A collapse yields a change in spreading rate in Larsen B via their connecting ice channels and thereby causes a retreat of the ice front to its observed position of the year 2000, prior to its collapse. This mechanism might be particularly relevant for the role of East Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula in future sea level.
KW  - Antarctica
KW  - Larsen Ice Shelf
KW  - glaciology
KW  - numerical ice modeling
KW  - sea level
KW  - iceberg calving
Y1  - 2014
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2014.02.034
SN  - 0012-821X
SN  - 1385-013X
VL  - 393
SP  - 26
EP  - 30
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Garbe, Julius
A1  - Albrecht, Torsten
A1  - Levermann, Anders
A1  - Donges, Jonathan
A1  - Winkelmann, Ricarda
T1  - The hysteresis of the Antarctic Ice Sheet
JF  - Nature : the international weekly journal of science
N2  - More than half of Earth's freshwater resources are held by the Antarctic Ice Sheet, which thus represents by far the largest potential source for global sea-level rise under future warming conditions(1). Its long-term stability determines the fate of our coastal cities and cultural heritage. Feedbacks between ice, atmosphere, ocean, and the solid Earth give rise to potential nonlinearities in its response to temperature changes. So far, we are lacking a comprehensive stability analysis of the Antarctic Ice Sheet for different amounts of global warming. Here we show that the Antarctic Ice Sheet exhibits a multitude of temperature thresholds beyond which ice loss is irreversible. Consistent with palaeodata(2)we find, using the Parallel Ice Sheet Model(3-5), that at global warming levels around 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, West Antarctica is committed to long-term partial collapse owing to the marine ice-sheet instability. Between 6 and 9 degrees of warming above pre-industrial levels, the loss of more than 70 per cent of the present-day ice volume is triggered, mainly caused by the surface elevation feedback. At more than 10 degrees of warming above pre-industrial levels, Antarctica is committed to become virtually ice-free. The ice sheet's temperature sensitivity is 1.3 metres of sea-level equivalent per degree of warming up to 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels, almost doubling to 2.4 metres per degree of warming between 2 and 6 degrees and increasing to about 10 metres per degree of warming between 6 and 9 degrees. Each of these thresholds gives rise to hysteresis behaviour: that is, the currently observed ice-sheet configuration is not regained even if temperatures are reversed to present-day levels. In particular, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet does not regrow to its modern extent until temperatures are at least one degree Celsius lower than pre-industrial levels. Our results show that if the Paris Agreement is not met, Antarctica's long-term sea-level contribution will dramatically increase and exceed that of all other sources. <br /> Modelling shows that the Antarctic Ice Sheet exhibits multiple temperature thresholds beyond which ice loss would become irreversible, and once melted, the ice sheet can regain its previous mass only if the climate cools well below pre-industrial temperatures.
Y1  - 2020
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2727-5
SN  - 0028-0836
SN  - 1476-4687
VL  - 585
IS  - 7826
SP  - 538
EP  - 544
PB  - Macmillan Publishers Limited
CY  - Berlin
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Winkelmann, Ricarda
A1  - Martin, Maria A.
A1  - Haseloff, Monika
A1  - Albrecht, Torsten
A1  - Bueler, Ed
A1  - Khroulev, C.
A1  - Levermann, Anders
T1  - The Potsdam parallel ice sheet model (PISM-PIK) - Part 1: Model description
JF  - The Cryosphere : TC ; an interactive open access journal of the European Geosciences Union
N2  - We present the Potsdam Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM-PIK), developed at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research to be used for simulations of large-scale ice sheet-shelf systems. It is derived from the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (Bueler and Brown, 2009). Velocities are calculated by superposition of two shallow stress balance approximations within the entire ice covered region: the shallow ice approximation (SIA) is dominant in grounded regions and accounts for shear deformation parallel to the geoid. The plug-flow type shallow shelf approximation (SSA) dominates the velocity field in ice shelf regions and serves as a basal sliding velocity in grounded regions. Ice streams can be identified diagnostically as regions with a significant contribution of membrane stresses to the local momentum balance. All lateral boundaries in PISM-PIK are free to evolve, including the grounding line and ice fronts. Ice shelf margins in particular are modeled using Neumann boundary conditions for the SSA equations, reflecting a hydrostatic stress imbalance along the vertical calving face. The ice front position is modeled using a subgrid-scale representation of calving front motion (Albrecht et al., 2011) and a physically-motivated calving law based on horizontal spreading rates. The model is tested in experiments from the Marine Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project (MISMIP). A dynamic equilibrium simulation of Antarctica under present-day conditions is presented in Martin et al. (2011).
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-715-2011
SN  - 1994-0416
VL  - 5
IS  - 3
SP  - 715
EP  - 726
PB  - Copernicus
CY  - Göttingen
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Reese, Ronja
A1  - Levermann, Anders
A1  - Albrecht, Torsten
A1  - Seroussi, Helene
A1  - Winkelmann, Ricarda
T1  - The role of history and strength of the oceanic forcing in sea level projections from Antarctica with the Parallel Ice Sheet Model
JF  - The Cryosphere : TC ; an interactive open access journal of the European Geosciences Union
N2  - Mass loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet constitutes the largest uncertainty in projections of future sea level rise. Ocean-driven melting underneath the floating ice shelves and subsequent acceleration of the inland ice streams are the major reasons for currently observed mass loss from Antarctica and are expected to become more important in the future. Here we show that for projections of future mass loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet, it is essential (1) to better constrain the sensitivity of sub-shelf melt rates to ocean warming and (2) to include the historic trajectory of the ice sheet. In particular, we find that while the ice sheet response in simulations using the Parallel Ice Sheet Model is comparable to the median response of models in three Antarctic Ice Sheet Intercomparison projects - initMIP, LARMIP-2 and ISMIP6 - conducted with a range of ice sheet models, the projected 21st century sea level contribution differs significantly depending on these two factors. For the highest emission scenario RCP8.5, this leads to projected ice loss ranging from 1:4 to 4:0 cm of sea level equivalent in simulations in which ISMIP6 ocean forcing drives the PICO ocean box model where parameter tuning leads to a comparably low sub-shelf melt sensitivity and in which no surface forcing is applied. This is opposed to a likely range of 9:1 to 35:8 cm using the exact same initial setup, but emulated from the LARMIP-2 experiments with a higher melt sensitivity, even though both projects use forcing from climate models and melt rates are calibrated with previous oceanographic studies. Furthermore, using two initial states, one with a previous historic simulation from 1850 to 2014 and one starting from a steady state, we show that while differences between the ice sheet configurations in 2015 seem marginal at first sight, the historic simulation increases the susceptibility of the ice sheet to ocean warming, thereby increasing mass loss from 2015 to 2100 by 5% to 50 %. Hindcasting past ice sheet changes with numerical models would thus provide valuable tools to better constrain projections. Our results emphasize that the uncertainty that arises from the forcing is of the same order of magnitude as the ice dynamic response for future sea level projections.
Y1  - 2020
U6  - https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3097-2020
SN  - 1994-0416
SN  - 1994-0424
VL  - 14
IS  - 9
SP  - 3097
EP  - 3110
PB  - Copernicus
CY  - Göttingen
ER  -