This meeting is a follow-up to the EGU session CR1.3 “East and West Antarctica’s responses to climate change, past present and future” and aims to discuss the scientific gaps in understanding the sensitivity of the Antarctic ice sheet to short- and long-term climate and ocean variability.
Given the large uncertainties in current projections, there is an urgent need for more regional observations from both the West and East Antarctic Ice Sheets on the physical mechanisms driving processes and environmental change.
For example, despite their importance for understanding the instability of the ice sheet, the processes occurring below and at the termination of marine ice sheet or in the sea-ice and ice shelf covered areas are largely unknown as they are difficult to access and require large investments in field work and multidisciplinary efforts.
The 5th International Polar Year 2030-32 and its preparatory phase provide an opportunity to collaboratively conduct multinational campaigns to achieve high-priority scientific goals through the sharing of data, knowledge and cross-border access to infrastructure. This splinter meeting will allow the Antarctic Ice Sheet community to discuss priorities, inform ongoing projects and future plans, and develop further collaborations.