Developing methods for studies of Antarctic ice shelves with modern infrastructure

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is considered the greatest remaining uncertainty for predicting future global sea level rise. But there is a pronounced data gap for these systems – most of the Antarctic ice shelves have never been sampled in situ.

In this project, research about the ocean processes that deliver heat to the WAIS will be developed based on new data sets. An autonomous underwater vehicle with long range and the capability of navigating beneath ice shelves will make formerly impossible observations in two key WAIS ice shelves.

The data sets will be interpreted based on theoretical bounds for heat flux into the ice shelf cavities, developed in parallel.