P2C2: Impact of Coupled Climate-Ice Sheet Processes on Past and Future Sea Level Trajectories

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This project by an early career scientist aims to study the coupled climate-Antarctic and Northern Hemisphere ice sheet response to external forcing (e.g. orbital) by utilizing an earth modeling system (climate ice sheet modeling, CLIMS). The numerical simulations will be used to investigate how variations in greenhouse gas forcing and orbital configurations explain climate and ice sheet variability on orbital time scales over the last four glacial cycles (800, 000 years). Model results will be compared with ice core climate reconstructions to help provide a deeper insight into: 1) the underlying processes and the sensitivity of the Northern Hemisphere/Antarctic ice sheet/climate system to external forcings; and 2) the mechanisms that couple climate and ice sheets in both hemispheres. The potential Broader Impacts include a greater understanding of the processes underlying the coupling between climate and ice sheets, comprising ice sheet retreat and sea level variations at global and regional scales (e.g. Hawaii, the US mainland). The project will generate 3-dimensional coupled climate/ice sheet simulations and a paleo-data/model comparison for the last 800,000 years. The project has the potential to elucidate processes governing the stability of the Antarctic and Northern Hemispheric ice sheets and their contributions to sea-level and climate variability during the Late Quaternary.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.