Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss accounts, at present, for one quarter of global sea–level rise.
Majority of the mass loss is concentrated at the ice sheet margin due to the acceleration and thinning of outlet glaciers. Oceanic and atmospheric warming have been suggested as the dominant trigger of such changes. Yet the mechanisms controlling the ice response to external forcing (i.e. oceanic, atmospheric) and internal dynamics (i.e. subglacial hydrology, basal topography) are not well constrained. Recent advances in observation and modeling have illuminated surface changes and important processes at the bedrock, atmosphere, and ocean interfaces. Paleoclimate data provides context for recent climate changes and glacial responses, while ice sheet modeling helps to identify the underlying dynamics. This session brings together studies related to Greenland dynamics from oceanography, glaciology and paleoclimatology to examine the complementarity of ideas and approaches across scientific disciplines. We welcome contributions from modeling and theoretical studies, modern and historical data, that provide insights into Greenland response to climate forcing in the past, present and future. Topics may include, but are not limited to: ice-ocean interaction, fjord circulation, calving processes, ice sheet modeling, bedrock and offshore bathymetry mapping, subglacial hydrology dynamics, paleoclimate modeling and records of past ice sheet extent.
This session is convened by participants from the 2014 Advanced Climate Dynamics Course on The Dynamics of the Greenland Ice Sheet: http://www.uib.no/en/rs/acdc/.