Workshop on Antarctic Surface Hydrology and Future Ice-shelf Stability

at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, New York, on February 21st to 23rd, 2018.

A number of research groups are currently examining processes related to coupling between surface meltwater production and future Antarctic ice loss. Recent studies have suggested that surface hydrological systems in Antarctica may expand and proliferate this century. Meanwhile, numerical models of the Antarctic Ice Sheet that incorporate meltwater's impact on ice shelves, predict Antarctic contributions of up to a meter of global sea-level rise this century in response to atmospheric warming.

Given the emerging interest in surface hydrology, ice-shelf stability and future sea-level rise, it is vital for the scientific community to come together to identify and address critical knowledge gaps in this field.

This workshop will bring together scientists with expertise in ice-sheet dynamics, glacial hydrology, climatology and other disciplines in order to move the community towards answering several fundamental questions raised by observations of Antarctic surface hydrological processes.

These could include:
What climate dynamics are responsible for surface meltwater generation in Antarctica?
What controls the spatiotemporal distribution of meltwater ponds on Antarctic ice shelves?
Where is meltwater generated, where does it pond today and how will this change this century?
What controls the movement of water across the ice surface and into the sub-surface of Antarctic ice shelves?
How will meltwater impact the stability of ice shelves this century?

Specifically we aim to:
(1) Establish the state-of-the-science of Antarctic surface hydrology,
(2) Identify key research questions and future priorities in this field, and
(3) Facilitate collaborations

The workshop will consist of short science talks, poster sessions and group discussions on various topics within this broad field. Oral and poster presentations could report modelling studies, remote sensing, fieldwork, laboratory experiments related to any aspect of the dynamics of Antarctic surface meltwater and ice shelves.

If you would like to attend please email abstracts (300 word limit), including affiliation information to Frances Simpson (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by January 8th, 2018. Attendance is limited to around 30 people, so if necessary, abstracts will be chosen by the organizing committee based on scientific relevance and diversity, and maximizing gender, geographic and career-stage diversity..

We are very keen to encourage the participation of early-career scientists and under-represented groups of scientists! We have NSF funding to support travel for a limited number of US-based attendees. This funding will be distributed on the basis of need, the potential benefit to early-career scientists and the scientific and diversity considerations listed above. Sorry, only US-based applicants are eligible for travel support.

If you would like to apply for travel support, please include in your application (in addition to your abstract) a separate statement including the length of time since obtaining your last degree, a description of your need for funding and the potential benefit to you that attending this workshop could bring (300 word limit).

Please feel free to contact any of the organizing committee for more details before submitting.