SFU Faculty of Science: Global Warming Seminar Series "Climate Change and the Melting Polar Ice-Caps"

Abstract

The dramatic decline of the summer Arctic sea ice pack is probably the most visible, large scale change on Earth's surface in recent years. Most global climate models, however, have significantly underestimated this decline. We will discuss how models from statistical physics are being used to study key sea ice processes such as the formation and melting of seasonal ice. Such processes must be better understood to improve projections of the fate of the polar ice packs, and the response of polar ecosystems. We will also discuss evidence of climatic warming exhibited by the great land ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica. Video from a recent Antarctic expedition where we measured sea ice properties will be shown.