Ice Sheet Modeling
Richard Hindmarsh (left) and Doug MacAyeal (right) inspecting drumlins in Ireland.
We have had a long-standing interest in the development of ice sheet, ice-shelf and ice-stream models.
Cartoon showing the different parts of an ice sheet. Much of our modeling efforts are focused on the ice-shelf/ocean and ice-shelf/ice-stream interactions.
The most recent research we have conducted in this area involves the response of the flow of the Ross ice Shelf to ocean tidal forcing and to ice-stream discharge variability (with Kelly Brunt). Other topics of current research include stick-slip flow of Whillans Ice Stream (with Olga Sergienko), and participation in an ad hoc group designed to look at questions regarding future sea level rise prediction.
Finite Element Model Domain with Coded Nodes. The mesh nodes were coded based on MODIS imagery, courtesy NSIDC (Haran et al. 2006). Yellow nodes represent the interior of the ice shelf. Red, blue, and green nodes represent areas of no flow, in flow and out flow, respectively.
Model Velocity Compared to InSAR and Speckle Track Velocity. Model velocity (left) and velocity based on InSAR and speckle track techniques (right) (in meters per year). Areas where color coding is missing in the right-hand side panel correspond to areas where satellite data was not sufficient to provide velocity determination.
Model comparison of steady-state flowline profiles for an ice sheet with varying degrees of basal degree (given by the different beta factors). The colors show ice sheet velocity as a function of depth.
Current research topics
• Finite element and finite different flow line models
• New approximations for the large-scale flow of ice sheets starting with the Hamiltonian formalism of mechanisms
• We are exploring the use of particle methods such as smoothed particle hydrodynamics to model the advection dominated flow of ice sheets and ice shelves
