EGU21-11823
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-11823
EGU General Assembly 2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Antarctic ice sheet response to upper-bound scenarios

Sainan Sun and Frank Pattyn
Sainan Sun and Frank Pattyn
  • Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium (sainsun@ulb.ac.be)

Mass loss of the Antarctic ice sheet contributes the largest uncertainty of future sea-level rise projections. Ice-sheet model predictions are limited by uncertainties in climate forcing and poor understanding of processes such as ice viscosity. The Antarctic BUttressing Model Intercomparison Project (ABUMIP) has investigated the 'end-member' scenario, i.e., a total and sustained removal of buttressing from all Antarctic ice shelves, which can be regarded as the upper-bound physical possible, but implausible contribution of sea-level rise due to ice-shelf loss. In this study, we add successive layers of ‘realism’ to the ABUMIP scenario by considering sustained regional ice-shelf collapse and by introducing ice-shelf regrowth after collapse with the inclusion of ice-sheet and ice-shelf damage (Sun et al., 2017). Ice shelf regrowth has the ability to stabilize grounding lines, while ice shelf damage may reinforce ice loss. In combination with uncertainties from basal sliding and ice rheology, a more realistic physical upperbound to ice loss is sought. Results are compared in the light of other proposed mechanisms, such as MICI due to ice cliff collapse.

How to cite: Sun, S. and Pattyn, F.: Antarctic ice sheet response to upper-bound scenarios, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-11823, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-11823, 2021.

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