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Details of Award

NERC Reference : NE/S006613/1

NSFPLR-NERC: GHOST (Geophysical Habitat of Subglacial Thwaites)

Grant Award

Principal Investigator:
Professor R Bingham, University of Edinburgh, Sch of Geosciences
Science Area:
Atmospheric
Earth
Freshwater
Marine
Terrestrial
Overall Classification:
Unknown
ENRIs:
Environmental Risks and Hazards
Global Change
Science Topics:
Climate & Climate Change
Sea level rise
Glacial processes
Earth Resources
Crustal processes
Seismic waves
Antarctic ice
Ice flow models
Ice streams
Sea level change
Glacial & Cryospheric Systems
Flow modelling
Geophysical surveying
Groundwater
Hydrogeology
Ice streams
Sediment/Sedimentary Processes
Glacial processes
Seismicity
Subglacial lakes
Abstract:
Costs of rapid sea level rise globally to infrastructure (houses, roads, and farms, etc.) is likely to be large. A possible source of water for sea level rise is the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and Thwaites Glacier in particular. Ice sheets and glaciers contain vast quantities of water (in the form of ice) that is continually shed to the ocean, and continually replenished by snowfall (from water that evaporates from the oceans). If the amount of ice that Thwaites Glacier loses to the ocean over the next decades is much greater than the amount it receives as snowfall, then sea level in all the world's oceans would rise, possibly as much as a meter (approximately 3 feet). In order to estimate how likely such a catastrophic scenario would be, we need to better understand the surface over which Thwaites Glacier slides. If we can better characterize that layer ("is to smooth? Is it rough? Is it soft? Is it hard?"), then computer models of Thwaites would be much improved and we can make better projections of the amount of ice that Thwaites Glacier would shed to the ocean.
Period of Award:
1 Oct 2018 - 30 Sep 2025
Value:
£229,530 Split Award
Authorised funds only
NERC Reference:
NE/S006613/1
Grant Stage:
Awaiting Event/Action
Scheme:
Directed (RP) - NR1
Grant Status:
Active
Programme:
Thwaites Glacier

This grant award has a total value of £229,530  

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FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)

DI - Other CostsIndirect - Indirect CostsDA - InvestigatorsDI - StaffDA - Estate CostsDI - T&SDA - Other Directly Allocated
£10,139£69,289£16,162£85,408£27,918£18,442£2,173

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