Description

The growth and decay of glaciers and ice sheets. A glacier is an ice mass that has been formed by successive local accumulation of snow, with ice movement due to ice deforming under its own weight. An ice sheet is defined as a glacier that spreads out in all directions from a central dome, i.e. a large glacier (> 50,000 km2 in area) that is not confined by the underlying topography.

SKB Number

SKB FEP Number

Cli06

Main Category

Main category for FEP

External factor

Sub-category

Sub-category for FEP

Climatic processes and effects

Handling

Explanation of how the FEP is treated

The evolution of ice sheets is investigated by means of numerical modelling with a thermo-dynamic ice sheet model. The base case of the main scenario in SR-Site is constructed from a reference glacial cycle based on an ice sheet model reconstruction of the Weichselian glaciation. The thermo-dynamic ice sheet model used is capable of simulating realistic ice sheets which are typically not in balance with the climate.

References

Bibliographic references to obtain more information

SR-Site Climate report, TR-10-49, Section(s) 3.1