August 5, 2024
In short: ACCESS-NRI has adopted the Ice-sheet and Sea-level System Model (ISSM) as its support Ice Sheet model after an open and rigorous community-led selection process.
What’s next?ACCESS-NRI will implement ISSM configurations of Antarctica and Greenland, with the ultimate goal to couple ISSM into ACCESS in order to improve decadal- to centennial-scale projections of global mean and regional sea level and climate change.
The Australian climate research community is taking a significant step forward in improving climate simulations by selecting an ice sheet model (ISM) to couple with the Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator (ACCESS) model, following an extensive selection process.
Ice sheets are fundamental components of the Earth system. We currently have two ice sheets on Earth – Antarctica and Greenland. These large masses of land ice are the largest drivers of global sea level change on centennial and longer timescales and play a fundamental role in regulating the amount of incoming solar radiation and in ocean and atmosphere circulation.
It’s easy think that Antarctica and Greenland are relatively distant and disconnected from our day-to-day lives, but what happens in Antarctica and Greenland doesn’t stay there – it impacts weather, climate, society, and the environment, all around the world.
Dr Felicity McCormack, Chief Investigator on the ARC Special Research Initiative Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future, who co-led this selection process, say
s “If we want to understand how the climate might change over the coming centuries, and the impact of these changes on all of the Earth system, we need to accurately model the interactions between the ice sheets and the ocean and atmosphere. Coupling an ISM of Antarctica and Greenland into ACCESS will improve decadal- to centennial-scale projections of global mean and regional sea level and climate change.”
Until now, ACCESS, the Australian Earth System Model, didn’t have an ice-sheet model component. The ACCESS Cryosphere Modelling Working Group (CMWG) was established in 2023, and one of its first tasks was to establish a process for selecting an Ice Sheet Model (ISM) to couple ice sheet processes into the ACCESS Earth system model.
“The cryosphere community worked together to assess a large number of existing ice sheet models and select an ice sheet model for ACCESS. This is incredibly important given that we’re a relatively small community and this decision will impact us all. Our whole process was open and is documented at the ACCESS-Hive Forum,” says Dr McCormack.
The ACCESS Cryosphere Modelling Community Working Group went through a 9-month process to develop an open, transparent, and rigorous selection approach. This included assessing a total of 28 selection criteria that covered: ice sheet model physics, numerics, and capabilities; coupling with previous climate / Earth systems component models; and accessibility, community support, relationship with developers, and experience within the Australian community.
Read more about the selection process and final outcome or download the final report.
Professor Matt King, Director, ARC Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science (ACEAS) highlights the collaborative nature of the process: “The selection process included perspectives and expertise from across the ACCESS community. That was critical since we need a model that will best serve Australia’s climate research needs.”
Dr. Nathan Bindoff, ARC Laureate Fellow and Program Leader of the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership (AAPP), underscores the broader implications of this work: “The inclusion of an ice sheet model in ACCESS is a pivotal change to Australia’s earth system modelling, and a step change for sea-level research. The fate of Antarctica and Greenland could cost Australian trillions in terms of lost economic growth by 2100. The risks are large, and the uncertainty is deep.”
ACCESS-NRI received funding from the 2023 NCRIS round to support ice sheet and coastal ocean modelling as part of an NCRIS-wide Coastal Research Infrastructure (CoastRI) Initiative.
Professor Andy Hogg, Director of Australia’s Climate Simulator, ACCESS-NRI, notes that “Many other modelling centres around the world are prioritising ice sheet model coupling into their Earth System Models. Including an ice sheet model in ACCESS will ensure that we’re at the forefront of critical developments in climate and Earth systems modelling”.
“We’re very much looking forward to progressing with this ice sheet work and excited about the opportunities it will enable within Australia.” says Professor Hogg.
The Australian climate research is anticipating with excitement the integration of the ISSM model into ACCESS. This development promises to enhance Australia’s contribution to global climate research and improve our understanding of the complex interactions between ice sheets, oceans, and the atmosphere in a changing climate.
Interested in the ACCESS ISM selection process? You can find more information here.
Download the Full ACCESS ISM Selection Report
Information on how to join the Cryosphere Modelling CWG can be found on our ACCESS Hive Forum here.
ACCESS-NRI modelling relies on computational and data resources from high-performance supercomputers operated by Australia’s National Computational Infrastructure (NCI) located at The Australian National University.
ACCESS-NRI and NCI are enabled by the Australian Government, Department of Education, through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).