Ice Shelf-Ocean Interactions in Antarctica, Enhancing French-US Collaboration to Reduce Uncertainty in Global Sea Level Rise Predictions

DESCRIPTION: Sea level rise is one of the most disruptive consequences of global warming, threatening coastal populations and infra-structure worldwide. If we are to develop strategies to either adapt to, or mitigate against, that threat, we first need to know what to expect in the future. The biggest uncertainty in estimates of future sea level is the contribution of the vast Antarctic Ice Sheet. Observations of thinning in some parts of the ice sheet have led to suggestions that an irreversible change may already be underway that could add over a metre to sea level over the coming centuries. This project will build a strong collaboration between observational oriented (US) and numerical simulation oriented (FR) experts in ice-ocean interactions, allowing a necessary collaboration to (1) improve our understanding of the processes that drive present and past Antarctic contributions to sea level rise and (2) provide the tools that will allow a better assessment of what the future holds.