Department Seminar: Mattia Poinelli

Title: The devil’s in the details: small-scale, high-frequency processes in the ice-ocean dynamics of Antarctica

Abstract: Antarctica is losing mass at an accelerated rate. The most significant ice-loss signal comes from a relatively small area, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). Glaciers in this sector are rapidly retreating as ice flow is accelerating due to vigorous ocean-driven melting at the vulnerable interface where glaciers detach from the bedrock. These rapid changes have raised concerns about a future collapse of the entire WAIS, which could raise the global sea level by up to three meters. However, the 21st-century rate and extent of ice loss from Antarctic glaciers remain uncertain, largely due to limited understanding of the physical processes at the ice-ocean interface. Traditionally, ice-ocean processes have been examined through the lens of long-term climatic patterns, focusing on inter-annual and, to a lesser extent, seasonal scales. In this talk, I highlight the importance of small-scale (<100 km), short-term (~days) ocean mechanisms controlling submarine ice melting. I argue that, despite being largely overlooked, these processes are among the key drivers of ice loss in Antarctica and must be urgently integrated into climate models to improve projections of future sea-level rise.