This project investigates the ice-flow mechanisms that are increasing mass loss of Greenland's ice sheet as the Arctic climate warms rapidly. The ice sheet is a massive frozen reservoir, sufficient to raise global sea-levels by over 7 m should it all melt: a catastrophic outcome for the world's coastal communities. Recently, as its climate has warmed, the ice sheet has not only melted quicker but is now flowing faster to the sea where it calves icebergs. These "dynamic losses" due to faster-flow are not well understood or modelled. We will drill boreholes to the ice sheet bed and install fibre-optics and probes to monitor its thermodynamic conditions. In consort with other geophysical, geodetic and satellite measurements, we will unravel the causes: ice heating, basal lubrication, or retreat at its margins driving faster-flow. This new information will then be incorporated into models to improve forecasts of the ice sheet response and future commitment to global sea-level rise.

2024

2028