An Overview of Interactions and Feedbacks Between Ice Sheets and the Earth System

Jeremy Fyke, Olga Sergienko, Marcus Löfverström, Stephen Price, Jan T.M. Lenaerts

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

66 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ice sheet response to forced changes—such as that from anthropogenic climate forcing—is closely regulated by two-way interactions with other components of the Earth system. These interactions encompass the ice sheet response to Earth system forcing, the Earth system response to ice sheet change, and feedbacks resulting from coupled ice sheet/Earth system evolution. Motivated by the impact of Antarctic and Greenland ice sheet change on future sea level rise, here we review the state of knowledge of ice sheet/Earth system interactions and feedbacks. We also describe emerging observation and model-based methods that can improve understanding of ice sheet/Earth system interactions and feedbacks. We particularly focus on the development of Earth system models that incorporate current understanding of Earth system processes, ice dynamics, and ice sheet/Earth system couplings. Such models will be critical tools for projecting future sea level rise from anthropogenically forced ice sheet mass loss.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)361-408
Number of pages48
JournalReviews of Geophysics
Volume56
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2018
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Earth system
  • climate change
  • feedbacks
  • ice sheets
  • modeling
  • observations

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geophysics

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'An Overview of Interactions and Feedbacks Between Ice Sheets and the Earth System'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this