Speaker: Lizz Ultee, Research Scientist, NASA Goddard

Host: Ginny Catania

Title: Greenland Ice Sheet Variability and its Implications for Sea-level Projections

Abstract: In Greenland, ice flows from a central ice sheet out to the ocean through more than 200 outlet glaciers.  The balance of ice flow through those outlet glaciers is a fundamental control on the ice sheet’s contribution to global mean sea level rise. Satellite remote sensing shows that outlet glaciers respond to changes in the atmosphere and ocean at different time scales. While short-term variability is generally not accounted for in ice sheet models, model experiments show that including it affects sea-level projections at longer term. In this talk, I will show how we identify responses across time scales in the satellite data and what we can gain from in situ data. I will highlight preliminary findings from my group’s 2025 field campaign on Sermeq Kujalleq, Greenland’s fastest-flowing outlet glacier. (Yes, there will be gratuitous photos of really cool ice.). Finally, I will summarize how we can incorporate these insights into future sea-level projections.