SEARISE Workshop

南极西部冰原（WAIS）的稳定性是一个具有直接全球重要性的问题，因为冰原含有足够的水，可以使海平面上升5米以上。如果冰盖迅速崩塌，随之而来的海平面迅速上升将给全球海岸线带来可怕的后果。最近，简单海岸项目（SCP）对西南极洲正在发生的重大变化的发现，加剧了评估西海大陆架稳定性的紧迫性。然而，SCP的重点是冰川学，并没有正确评估重要的气象和海洋影响。它们在决定冰盖的行为及其对全球气候的影响方面发挥着重要作用。现在需要的是对WAIS进行多学科研究，在所有相关学科进行研究。一项整合这些独立调查的计划是实现了解WAIS的全球作用及其稳定性这一目标的必要的第一步。这里提议的是召集重要极地学科的专家召开研讨会，制定一个合理的研究WAIS的计划。缩写词SEARISE（南极西部冰盖环境稳定性）被选为这个项目，因为它提供了公众关注的一个可识别的焦点。

The stability of the West Antarctic ice sheet (WAIS) is an issue of immediate global importance because the ice sheet contains enough water to raise sea level over 5 meters. If the ice sheet experiences a rapid collapse, the accompanying rapid rise in sea level will have dire consequences along coastlines worldwide. The urgency of assessing the stability of the WAIS is fueled by the recent discoveries made by the Siple Coast Project (SCP) of significant changes taking place in West Antarctica. However, the SCP has had a glaciological focus and has not properly assessed the important meteorological and oceanic effects. which play a major role in determining the behavior of the ice sheet and its impact on global climate. What is needed is a multi-disciplinary study of the WAIS where studies in all relevant disciplines are conducted. A plan to integrate these separate investigations is a necessary first step to achieving the goal of understanding the global role of the WAIS and its stability. What is proposed here is to bring together experts from the important polar disciplines for a workshop to formulate a rational plan for the study of the WAIS. The acronym SEARISE (Stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Environment) has been chosen for this program because it provides an identifiable focus of public concern.