Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/M000869/1
Basal Properties of the Greenland Ice Sheet (BPoG)
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor J Bamber, University of Bristol, Geographical Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr S J Palmer, University of Exeter, Geography
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor JA Dowdeswell, University of Cambridge, Scott Polar Research Institute
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor MJ Siegert, University of Exeter, Earth and Environmental Science
- Grant held at:
- University of Bristol, Geographical Sciences
- Science Area:
- Earth
- Marine
- Overall Classification:
- Earth
- ENRIs:
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Science Topics:
- Climate & Climate Change
- Glacial & Cryospheric Systems
- Land - Ocean Interactions
- Abstract:
- The single most important boundary condition for modelling ice sheet evolution is bed topography, from which - in conjunction with surface elevations - ice thickness can be determined. This importance is demonstrated by the facts that ice motion due to deformation is very sensitive to ice thickness-the thicker the ice the more it deforms-and that the point at which the ice sheet is contact with the ocean is also very sensitive to thickness and bed profile. Small changes in ice thickness and basal stickiness (friction) at this contact point can result in large change in ice discharge. Advances in our knowledge of ice thickness and bedrock topography in Greenland have been made since the last comprehensive study was published over ten years ago. The most recent bed data set, published in 2013, possesses more complete coverage of the ice sheet interior and margins and was sufficient to resolve a huge ancient canyon, carved by a river tens of thousands of years ago, and now buried beneath the several kilometres of ice. The canyon extends for more than 750 km, and is possibly the longest in the world yet has only just been discovered. Close to the ice sheet margins, however, gaps in observations are still prevalent due to the steep relief and warm ice in these areas. This is particularly true for the numerous outlet glaciers that control ice discharge into the ocean. Outlet glaciers are where ice is flowing fastest, where the greatest ice mass losses have been observed and where models are most sensitive to small changes, or errors, in bed geometry. Furthermore, the topography of the seafloor (the bathymetry) in the fjords that the glaciers flow into is, currently, poorly known. Uncertainties of hundreds of metres in bathymetry exist while numerical modelling studies have shown that the bathymetry has a strong influence on the interaction of the ocean with the glaciers. These big errors in the bathymetry mean that the models will have difficulty simulating the behaviour of this interaction because the errors will feed into the results. It is the problem of "garbage in, garbage out". The models are limited by the quality of the data that are used to drive them. This project aims to address all these limitations by producing the "next generation" bed elevation data set for Greenland and the coastal area including bathymetry. It will also provide key information on the properties of the ice/bed interface: in particular whether there is water at the bed or not. The result of this work will be data sets that will greatly advance our understanding of the sensitivity of the ice sheet to changes in atmospheric and oceanic forcing.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/M000869/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Standard Grant FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Standard Grant
This grant award has a total value of £479,642
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| DI - Other Costs | Indirect - Indirect Costs | DA - Investigators | DI - Staff | DA - Estate Costs | DI - T&S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £20,651 | £178,277 | £66,235 | £176,973 | £30,124 | £7,382 |
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