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SCAR SERCE News – December 2014

Upcoming events related to Solid Earth – Interaction Research

EGU General Assembly 2015 (EGU2015), 12 Apr 2015 - 17 Apr 2015, Vienna, Austria.

GD6.2/CR2.5 Geodynamic evolution of the polar regions and interaction with the cryosphere Convener: Douglas Wiens Co-Conveners: Terry J. Wilson, Karsten Gohl, Pippa Whitehouse Link: http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2015/session/18612

The Antarctic and Arctic regions are unique geodynamic environments where the solid earth, the cryosphere and the global climate system are intimately linked. This session will explore new data and modeling studies bearing on any aspect of the geological and geodynamic evolution of the polar regions, with a particular emphasis on interactions with the cryosphere. Topics may include crustal evolution, crust and mantle structure beneath the ice sheets, measurements of deformation and seismicity, geothermal heat flux, incorporation of geological, geodetic and geophysical measurements into geodynamic modeling of glacial isostatic adjustment, and the assimilation of ground-based measurements with data from current space missions.

The deadline for the receipt of Abstracts is 07 Jan 2015, 13:00 CET.

A SERCE ad hoc meeting will also be held at the EGU meeting in Vienna – watch the ‘splinter meeting’ schedules……… ------

Symposium & Workshop - May 26-29, 2015 University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, Fairbanks, Alaska

Symposium/Workshop Organisers: Jeff Freymueller, Abbas Khan, Michael Bentley, Pippa Whitehouse and Matt King

The workshop is sponsored by IAG sub-commission 3.2 “Cryospheric Deformation” and SCAR SERCE.

Symposium Description Melting of ice sheets and glaciers adds to the mass of water that fills the ocean basins and results in solid Earth deformation over a large range of spatial and temporal scales. Both ice-ocean load and surface deformation changes (vertical and horizontal) are far from completely observed and where they are observed they are typically not fully understood. Observations of ice extent and paleo sea level are increasing in number, but provide less spatial or temporal coverage than desired and reconstructions benefit from further indirect constraints associated with the deformation of the solid Earth. Time series of relative sea level are particularly powerful additional constraints, with modern geodetic measurements often providing more complete spatial coverage but with the limitation that the observations only cover a few decades at most. This workshop will bring together those working on ice load reconstructions, modeling of (visco-) elastic processes and comparison to relative sea level and geodetic observations (e.g. GRACE, GPS, ICESat, CRYOSAT II) in order to further refine our understanding of past to present ice/ocean load changes, and the characteristics of the solid Earth under time-varying loads, in order to advance our understanding of past ice sheet and sea level changes, of the structure and rheology of Earth, and of exactly what geodetic measurements are measuring.

Final Day Workshop on Elastic Modelling The final day of the meeting will provide an opportunity to gain hands on experience and tutoring on tools for computation of the high-resolution elastic response of Earth to surface load changes. The session will explore the theory and practical application of two tools - REAR and SPOTL – as well as a summary of sources for obtaining observed or modeled ice loading changes and their treatments. The 1-day workshop will focus on learning through undertaking computer exercises with the software. A familiarity with Linux will be essential. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Further information, including registration and abstract submission is available at http://www.gia2015.org/ ------

26th IUGG General Assembly, June 22 – July 02, 2015 Joint Inter-Association Symposium JG1 "Dynamics of the Cryosphere from Geometric and Gravimetric Observations"

Convenor: Mirko Scheinert (TU Dresden) (IAG) Co-convenors: Pippa Whitehouse (University of Durham) (IACS), Matt King (University of Tasmania) (IAG), Erik Ivins (NASA/JPL) (IAG)

Session description: The Cryosphere is undergoing huge changes, and multidisciplinary studies offer the best approach to understand its past, current and future state. Geodesy provides an array of observational tools that operate across a spectrum of spatial scales: from the enormous areal extent of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets down to flow features within individual glaciers. Satellite methods play key roles: radar and laser altimetry enable us to infer height changes of the ice surface, radar interferometry and feature tracking allow monitoring of glacial flux, while satellite gravimetry provides a direct measurement of ice-mass changes. Independently, GNSS observations of crustal deformation reflect the loading effects of past and present ice-mass changes and provide constraints to disentangle ice-mass effects from solid earth effects in satellite altimetry and gravimetry. Furthermore, ground-based and airborne methods provide important spatial and temporal densification and calibration/validation of satellite measurements. In recent years, our understanding of glacier, ice cap and ice sheet behaviour has advanced through a variety of synergistic combinations of geodetic methods with geological, geophysical and glaciological observation techniques. In particular, modeling efforts that are validated by geodetic data improve our understanding of the mechanisms and processes driving ice dynamics. In addition, the modeling of glacial-isostatic adjustment is of central importance to making reliable estimates of ice-mass balance by satellite gravimetry, especially in . For this symposium, contributions are sought on all aspects of space-, air- and ground- based geodesy applied to Cryosphere studies, from individual glaciers to entire ice sheets. We particularly welcome the interdisciplinary use of a variety of observational techniques to understand the stability and evolution of the Cryosphere and test numerical models. We hope that this session will present a detailed but also comprehensive picture of the dynamic state of the Cryosphere, from ice sheets to individual glaciers.

Please note the abstract submission deadline: 31 January 2015. ------

XII SCAR International Antarctic Symposium on Antarctic Earth Science Goa, India, 13-17th July 2015

Two SERCE-related thematic sessions and a workshop have been proposed for the XII ISAES in Goa:

Cryosphere – Solid Earth Interactions

Session Convenors: Terry Wilson Ohio State University, USA Samantha Hansen Univ. of Alabama, USA Wouter van der Wal Univ. Delft, Netherlands

Session Description: In this session we examine the interaction between the Antarctic cryosphere and solid earth. We invite presentations that address fundamental interactions between the Antarctic ice sheet and the underlying Antarctic crust and mantle. These include geological studies (sub-glacial , mantle studies), studies (bedrock surface topography, crust and mantle structure, lithospheric and rheological models), geodetic studies (plate movements, glacial isostatic adjustment models), and modeling studies aimed at better understanding of modern ice sheet behaviour and better prediction of future change in a warming world. This session supports the science objectives of the SCAR Science Research Program ‘Solid Earth Response and influence on Cryosphere Evolution (SERCE).

Antarctic Geothermal Heat Flux, Subglacial Geology and Ice Dynamics

Session Convenors: Chris Carson, Geoscience Australia Sridhar Anandakrishnan, Penn State Univ., USA

Session Description: Numerical models are the primary tool for understanding ice sheets dynamics. However, one key parameter for any predictive model of ice sheet behaviour – sub-glacial heat flow - is poorly constrained. Regional patterns of heat flow may provide information on the configuration of subglacial geological provinces. This session will discuss the sub-glacial heat flow (both mantle and crustal sources of heat), and its heterogeneity, across the Antarctic continent, and will explore the potential ramifications of the magnitude and variability of heat flow on the dynamics ice sheet behaviour. We invite submissions that present data and models for Antarctic geothermal heat flow, geological implications of heat flow patterns, and/or address the relationship of ice dynamics and sub-glacial heat flow in the Antarctic. This session supports the science objectives of the SCAR Science Research Program ‘Solid Earth Response and influence on Cryosphere Evolution (SERCE).

Autonomous GPS & Seismic Station Workshop, Goa, India, July 2015

In the time period encompassing the International Polar Year, significant advances in autonomous GPS & seismic systems designed to operate year-round at remote locations in extreme polar environments were made. Lessons have been learned during IPY and subsequent deployments and system design has been iteratively improved. Robust systems can be built at relatively low cost. This one-day workshop aims distribute information broadly to the Antarctic earth science community on system types, design and installation parameters, and the range of applications these systems enable.

Further information, including registration and abstract submission will be available soon at http://isaes2015.ncaor.gov.in ------

POLENET/SERCE 2015 Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) Modeling Training School Gibralter Island, Lake Erie 13-19 September 2015

A training school focused on exploring glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) modeling will be held from 13-19 September 2015 on Gibralter Island, Lake Erie, USA. The program will include lectures and practical exercises aimed at investigating the interactions between solid-earth deformation, ice mass change, and associated sea-level and geoid variations. Students will complete homework exercises utilizing freely available modeling software and will have the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with leading researchers in the GIA community while working through examples in class. The preliminary list of instructors includes Mike Bentley, Mike Bevis, Ian Dalziel, Erik Ivins, Matt King, Giorgio Spada, Holger Steffen, Bert Vermeersen, Wouter van der Wal, Pippa Whitehouse, and Doug Wiens. This course is meant for individuals who are working on (or will soon start working on) GIA modeling, or topics directly related to GIA modeling. While the course is aimed at graduate students and early career scientists, all interested parties are encouraged to apply regardless of age or experience level. A basic introduction to the fundamentals and applications of GIA modeling will be provided, and no previous modeling experience is required. Financial support for the training school is provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the Antarctica Network (ANET) component of the Polar Earth Observing Network (POLENET) project and by the Scientific Community on Antarctic Research (SCAR) through the Solid Earth Responses and influences on Cryospheric Evolution (SERCE) program. There is no registration fee, and participants will be provided with food and lodging for the duration of the training school. Funding for additional travel expenses, including airfare, may also be available for both US and non-US participants. Individuals seeking financial support should submit both an Enrollment Application and a Financial Support Application, available at www.polenet.org .

The deadline for application is 31 March 2015.

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