ACCESS-NRI has made four key components of the Ice Sheet and Sea-level System Model (ISSM) available to the Australian research community. This marks the first step in integrating a dynamic ice-sheet model into the ACCESS climate suite, a collection of models used to simulate Earth's climate system. Until now, scientists have relied on static models to estimate the effects of ice sheets on the climate, typically focusing on individual regions rather than the entire Antarctic continent. With the new ISSM model, researchers can now simulate the entire Antarctic ice sheet, allowing for more accurate and comprehensive climate projections.
A dynamic ice sheet model, unlike static models, captures the complex interactions between ice, the ocean, and the atmosphere. Ice sheets contribute freshwater to the oceans, influencing temperature, salinity, and ocean currents. Additionally, the reflective surface of ice affects atmospheric conditions. In turn, changes in the ocean and atmosphere influence how ice sheets evolve over time. This two-way interaction is crucial for understanding how climate change impacts ice sheets and, in turn, how ice sheets influence global climate patterns.
The newly released components of the ISSM workflow allow researchers to begin using the model immediately. Because the model runs on Australian infrastructure, such as the Gadi supercomputer at the National Computational Infrastructure (NCI), the Australian modeling community can use the same model and datasets on the same system. This streamlines the process, as the code performs much of the complex work for the researchers. The deployment of ISSM has been optimized for these systems, making it easier and more accessible for the community to run and process the model.
ACCESS-NRI is working to increase the use of ISSM across Australia by providing support for modeling and data discovery, creating training materials, organizing workshops, and backing the Cryospheric Sciences ACCESS Community Working Group. Looking ahead, the ISSM team is also developing tools for sea-level fingerprint modeling, which will enhance projections of global and regional sea level changes over decades to centuries. Additionally, they are working on ACCESS-AIS3, a comprehensive ice sheet model configuration for the entire Antarctic region, aimed at fostering collaboration and improving climate modeling capabilities.
Australia Releases Dynamic Ice Sheet Modeling Workflow for Climate Research
AI-rewritten from original reportingHow it works
climate-modelingantarcticaice-sheetsaccess-nriissmresearch
Original sources:
- 🇺🇸Phys.org



