Calving MIP: Results and conclusions from the first phase of a model intercomparison project into ice shelf calving

The representation of ice shelf calving in numerical ice models is a new and emerging field in cryospheric modelling. As yet, there has been no systematic, in-depth study of how this process is implemented and whether the results can be trusted. Calving MIP is an ongoing model intercomparison project that seeks to address this issue by providing a common framework for model simulations of ice shelf calving, so that results between different models and approaches can be compared. We find it helpful to distinguish between a calving algorithm, the numerical implementation in a model of how ice is removed due to calving, and a calving law, a law with some physical basis that determines how much ice needs to be removed due to calving. The first phase of Calving MIP experiments are primarily interested in comparing different calving algorithms, whilst future experiments are planned to investigate different calving laws as well as compare simulated results with real world observations.

We present here results from across the cryospheric modelling community from the first phase of Calving MIP experiments investigating calving algorithms as well as future plans for further experiments.