iSTAR-C: Dynamical control on the response of Pine Island Glacier
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of Geosciences
Abstract
It is expected that sea-level rise will impact coastal communities worldwide over the coming decades to centuries. In the UK, the vulnerability of coastal communities and assets is best characterised in terms of the likely frequency of the over-topping of sea-defences. For example, when they were built, the sea-defences for the city of London (including the Thames Barrier) were designed to protect London 1-in-1000 year flooding. A rise of 50 cm in global sea level will reduce this level of protection to 1-100 years, and a rise of 100 cm would reduce it to 1-in-10 years.
Pine Island Glacier is one of five glaciers in West Antarctica that are currently contributing sea-level rise at a significant and accelerating rate. The portion of current affected by thinning contains sufficient ice to raise global sea-level by around 25 cm - its neighbours account for another 50 cm.
Given the rate of ice-loss and the potential implications for sea-defence planning there is a clear requirement to understand and predict the future of Pine Island Glacier and its neighbours. However, as highlighted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007) understanding the way that dynamic changes are transmitted through the glaciers draining ice sheets is so poorly understood that the IPCC believed it was the least well understood, and potentially the largest, contribution to sea-level rise in the coming century.
ISTAR-C will directly address this lack of knowledge, by seeking to understand the processes that are responsible for transmitting the effect of thinning of the floating ice shelf, upstream such that thinning can now be seen on much of the trunk and tributaries of Pine Island Glacier.
ISTAR-C will also use the most up-to-date methods available to measure the properties (rock-type and water-content) of the bed beneath at several locations on Pine Island Glacier to determine their influence on the propagation of thinning. We will test the hypothesis that it is these bed conditions are responsible for the fact that the tributaries of Pine Island Glacier appear to be thinning at different rates, which will give us a much better understanding on which to predict the future magnitudes of ice-thinning rates for the glacier.
To achieve these objectives we will collect data from Pine Island Glacier during two field seasons. These will include precise measurement of variations in ice-flow from the ice-shelf up the glacier and into its tributaries. We will image the bed of the glacier using radar and seismic techniques, use satellite to measure the changing configuration of the glacier in areas that cannot be accessed on the ground. We will use the data we have collected to drive and verify a set of computer simulations of the dynamics of Pine Island Glacier. Each of these will test a particular aspect of the glacier flow, and allow us to test our current knowledge and hypotheses against real data. The models that emerge from the exercise will be demonstrably more reliable in simulating past changes on the glacier, and thus have reduced uncertainty in predicting the future evolution of such changes, and the consequential contribution to sea-level rise.
Overall, this programme will deliver significant improvements in understanding of how glaciers in general interact with their beds, and very specific lessons about one of the most rapidly-changing and significant glaciers on the planet, Pine Island Glacier.
Pine Island Glacier is one of five glaciers in West Antarctica that are currently contributing sea-level rise at a significant and accelerating rate. The portion of current affected by thinning contains sufficient ice to raise global sea-level by around 25 cm - its neighbours account for another 50 cm.
Given the rate of ice-loss and the potential implications for sea-defence planning there is a clear requirement to understand and predict the future of Pine Island Glacier and its neighbours. However, as highlighted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007) understanding the way that dynamic changes are transmitted through the glaciers draining ice sheets is so poorly understood that the IPCC believed it was the least well understood, and potentially the largest, contribution to sea-level rise in the coming century.
ISTAR-C will directly address this lack of knowledge, by seeking to understand the processes that are responsible for transmitting the effect of thinning of the floating ice shelf, upstream such that thinning can now be seen on much of the trunk and tributaries of Pine Island Glacier.
ISTAR-C will also use the most up-to-date methods available to measure the properties (rock-type and water-content) of the bed beneath at several locations on Pine Island Glacier to determine their influence on the propagation of thinning. We will test the hypothesis that it is these bed conditions are responsible for the fact that the tributaries of Pine Island Glacier appear to be thinning at different rates, which will give us a much better understanding on which to predict the future magnitudes of ice-thinning rates for the glacier.
To achieve these objectives we will collect data from Pine Island Glacier during two field seasons. These will include precise measurement of variations in ice-flow from the ice-shelf up the glacier and into its tributaries. We will image the bed of the glacier using radar and seismic techniques, use satellite to measure the changing configuration of the glacier in areas that cannot be accessed on the ground. We will use the data we have collected to drive and verify a set of computer simulations of the dynamics of Pine Island Glacier. Each of these will test a particular aspect of the glacier flow, and allow us to test our current knowledge and hypotheses against real data. The models that emerge from the exercise will be demonstrably more reliable in simulating past changes on the glacier, and thus have reduced uncertainty in predicting the future evolution of such changes, and the consequential contribution to sea-level rise.
Overall, this programme will deliver significant improvements in understanding of how glaciers in general interact with their beds, and very specific lessons about one of the most rapidly-changing and significant glaciers on the planet, Pine Island Glacier.
Planned Impact
The research undertaken in iSTAR-C will improve understanding of the causes of rapid change observed in parts of the West Antarctic ice sheet (WAIS) and how these may contribute to sea-level rise in future. While production of sea-level rise projections is not included within iSTAR-C, this programme will deliver understanding that underpins such projections, and will reduce uncertainty, and increase confidence, in those projections. Thus, the most significant economic and societal impacts of iSTAR-C will be realised as the science outcomes from iSTAR-C are taken up by beneficiaries beyond the immediate colleagues of the Co-Is; there are researchers and non-research scientists and engineers, who are directly undertaking sea-level rise projections.
Within this group we identify several key beneficiaries who will be users of iSTAR-C outcomes.
1. Academic researchers: (e.g., Proudman Oceanographic Institute, UK Climate Impacts Programme) who have a role in producing local, regional and global sea-level projections, and delivering to users.
2. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC is by far the most influential group synthesising and delivering sea-level rise projections to policy-makers.
3. Governmental and non-governmental advisors. (E.g.; Dept. of Energy and Climate Change, UK Environment Agency) closely monitor science regarding sea-level protection and are influential in bringing science in the agenda of policy-makers.
Engaging with these and similar groups will maximise the value of iSTAR-C.
In an even wider frame, iSTAR-C and projects like it, which seek to improve the underlying science on which we base our projections of future state of the planet, should play an important role in re-establishing public confidence in science. The nature of the iSTAR-C programme, which focuses on an exciting work in an inspiring area, and on real changes in the Earth System, will draw the attention of many people not normally turned on by science. This will give iSTAR-C a great opportunity to engage with individuals and we will not squander this opportunity. We will seek to present and frame iSTAR-C outcomes without policy-prescriptive implications, but in a spirit of informing rational evidence-based debate. We will seek a dialogue with groups and individuals who share this goal.
Within this group we identify several key beneficiaries who will be users of iSTAR-C outcomes.
1. Academic researchers: (e.g., Proudman Oceanographic Institute, UK Climate Impacts Programme) who have a role in producing local, regional and global sea-level projections, and delivering to users.
2. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC is by far the most influential group synthesising and delivering sea-level rise projections to policy-makers.
3. Governmental and non-governmental advisors. (E.g.; Dept. of Energy and Climate Change, UK Environment Agency) closely monitor science regarding sea-level protection and are influential in bringing science in the agenda of policy-makers.
Engaging with these and similar groups will maximise the value of iSTAR-C.
In an even wider frame, iSTAR-C and projects like it, which seek to improve the underlying science on which we base our projections of future state of the planet, should play an important role in re-establishing public confidence in science. The nature of the iSTAR-C programme, which focuses on an exciting work in an inspiring area, and on real changes in the Earth System, will draw the attention of many people not normally turned on by science. This will give iSTAR-C a great opportunity to engage with individuals and we will not squander this opportunity. We will seek to present and frame iSTAR-C outcomes without policy-prescriptive implications, but in a spirit of informing rational evidence-based debate. We will seek a dialogue with groups and individuals who share this goal.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
Robert Bingham (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Ashmore D
(2020)
Englacial Architecture and Age-Depth Constraints Across the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
in Geophysical Research Letters
Ashmore D
(2017)
The relationship between sticky spots and radar reflectivity beneath an active West Antarctic ice stream
in Annals of Glaciology
Bingham RG
(2017)
Diverse landscapes beneath Pine Island Glacier influence ice flow.
in Nature communications
Brisbourne A
(2017)
Bed conditions of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
Christie F
(2018)
Glacier change along West Antarctica's Marie Byrd Land Sector and links to inter-decadal atmosphere-ocean variability
in The Cryosphere
Davies D
(2017)
High-resolution sub-ice-shelf seafloor records of twentieth century ungrounding and retreat of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
Davies D
(2018)
How dynamic are ice-stream beds?
in The Cryosphere
Fretwell P
(2013)
Bedmap2: improved ice bed, surface and thickness datasets for Antarctica
in The Cryosphere
Gourmelen N
(2017)
Channelized Melting Drives Thinning Under a Rapidly Melting Antarctic Ice Shelf
in Geophysical Research Letters
Jamieson S
(2014)
The glacial geomorphology of the Antarctic ice sheet bed
in Antarctic Science
Karlsson N
(2017)
Constraining past accumulation in the central Pine Island Glacier basin, West Antarctica, using radio-echo sounding
in Journal of Glaciology
Smith A
(2013)
Influence of subglacial conditions on ice stream dynamics: Seismic and potential field data from Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth
Turner J
(2017)
Atmosphere-ocean-ice interactions in the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica
in Reviews of Geophysics
Van Wyk De Vries M
(2017)
A new volcanic province: an inventory of subglacial volcanoes in West Antarctica
in Geological Society, London, Special Publications
Description | New images of the bed of an active Antarctic ice stream. Important as basis for modelling ice flow. Important as providing landforms and metrics which identify former locations of ice streams/glaciers in deglaciated landscapes. Overall information to feed into wider understanding of ice-sheet contributions to sea level and climate. |
Exploitation Route | Important data for ice-sheet modelling and projecting future ice-sheet melt contributions to global sea level. |
Sectors | Environment |
Description | Recently published results were reported by the BBC News Website in November 2017 http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-42052072 |
First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
Sector | Environment,Other |
Description | American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2016 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | International conference presentation |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | European Geosciences Union 2018 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | International conference presentation reporting on recently published paper Bingham, R.G.; D.G. Vaughan, E.C. King, D. Davies, S.L. Cornford, A.M. Smith, A.M. Brisbourne, J. De Rydt, A.G.C. Graham, M. Spagnolo, O.J. Marsh and D.M. Shean. Diverse landscapes beneath Pine Island Glacier influence ice flow. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, 04/2018. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | International Glaciological Society British Branch 2018 (University of Exeter) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | National conference presentation advertising recently published paper: Bingham, R.G.; D.G. Vaughan, E.C. King, D. Davies, S.L. Cornford, A.M. Smith, A.M. Brisbourne, J. De Rydt, A.G.C. Graham, M. Spagnolo, O.J. Marsh and D.M. Shean Diverse landscapes beneath Pine Island Glacier influence ice flow. IGS British Branch Meeting, Exeter, 09/2018. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | International Glaciological Society British Branch Meeting, Durham, 2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Conference talk |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | International Glaciological Society Conference, Cambridge, 2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | 2x conference talks, one given by me (Bingham) and the other by PhD student Damon Davies. Both talks publicised to the professional community findings from 2013/14 fieldwork in Antarctica. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | http://www.igsoc.org/symposia/2015/cambridge/proceedings/ |
Description | International Glaciological Society Conference, Chamonix, 2014 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Poster presentation, presenting preliminary results of Antarctic fieldwork to scientific peers. Sparked discussion and questions afterwards. Provided early experience of presenting at international conference for 1sy year PhD student. This was the first presentation of some early images of the Antarctic ice-sheet bed, so generated strong interest from scientific peers. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | http://www.igsoc.org/symposia/2014/chamonix/proceedings/ |
Description | International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences, Goa, India, 2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | International conference presentation |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | http://ncaor.gov.in/news/view/199 |
Description | Invited Presentation - American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2018 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited conference presentation on recently published paper: Bingham, R.G.; D. Davies, E.C. King, A.M. Smith, A.M. Brisbourne, M. Spagnolo, A.G.C. Graham, A.E. Hogg and D.G. Vaughan (2018) How dynamic are ice-stream beds? AGU Fall Meeting, Washington D.C., 12/2018. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Invited Research Seminar, University of Manchester |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Invited research seminar |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | NERC-iSTAR Final Workshop 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Two talks delivered by myself and PhD student Damon Davies at final iSTAR Workshop at University of Leeds, May 2017: Bingham, R.G.; E.C King, D. Davies, S.L. Cornford, A.M. Smith, A.M. Brisbourne, R.J. Arthern, J. De Rydt, A.G.C. Graham, M. Spagnolo. O.J. Marsh, D.E. Shean, D.G. Vaughan. Diverse landscapes beneath Pine Island Glacier influence rates of ice loss. NERC-iSTAR Annual Science Meeting, Leeds, 05/2017. Davies, D.; R.G. Bingham, A.G.C. Graham, M. Spagnolo, P. Dutrieux, D.G. Vaughan, A. Jenkins, F.O. Nitsche High resolution sub-ice-shelf seafloor records of 20th-century ungrounding and retreat of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica. NERC-iSTAR Annual Science Meeting, Leeds, 05/2017. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Outreach presentation to Fort William Mountain Festival |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Outreach talk, 30 mins, as part of dedicated session on polar science. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research Open Science Conference - POLAR2018, Davos, Switzerland, 2018 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | International conference presentation reporting on recently published paper: Bingham, R.G.; D.G. Vaughan, E.C. King, D. Davies, S.L. Cornford, A.M. Smith, A.M. Brisbourne, J. De Rydt, A.G.C. Graham, M. Spagnolo, O.J. Marsh and D.M. Shean Diverse landscapes beneath Pine Island Glacier influence ice flow. SCAR Open Science Conference, Davos, Switzerland, 06/2018. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Scottish Universities Research in Glaciated Environments (SURGE) workshop, Aberdeen, 2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Workshop talk and discussion |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Subglacial Landscape Workshop, Durham University, 2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | Invited member of group of UK academics discussing frontiers in subglacial landscape research. Identified review paper to be written. Early presentation experience for 1st Year PhD student. Sparked interest in project amongst multidisciplinary UK Antarctic community. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | West Antarctic Ice Sheet Conference 2014, California |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This was an invited talk to the (mostly) USA Antarctic community. The invitation was based on interest in the NERC iSTAR project and its results. The talk sparked great interest and there was much discussion afterwards about the project and potential future collaborations. After the talk there was much conversation about potential future collaborations that might make use of the techniques and logistics used for the iSTAR project. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | https://www.waisworkshop.org/workshop-2014 |
Description | West Antarctic Ice Sheet Conference 2015, Colorado |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talks by me (Bingham) and PhD student Damon Davies detailing results from 2013/14 fieldwork and analysis. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | https://www.waisworkshop.org/workshop-2015#Agenda |
Description | West Antarctic Ice Sheet Workshop 2016, Washington DC |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Conference presentation |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Widespread media coverage of Nature Communications paper 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Associated with the publication of Bingham et al. (2017) Nature Communications, I liaised with Nature publications, University of Edinburgh and British Antarctic Survey press offices to write a press release. The paper's results were reported by BBC News on 20 November 2017, and the story then picked up by and reported by many further international media outlets. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42052072 |
Description | Workshop on Terrestrial Radioglaciology 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Workshop on Terrestrial and Planetary Radioglaciology, University College London, March 2017 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | iSTAR Science Meeting, Edinburgh, 2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Science Meeting for NERC-iSTAR projects |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |