Quaternary Antarctic Ice Sheet History and Prediction of the Future Sea-Level Changes Under Global Warming World

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Quaternary Antarctic Ice Sheet History and Prediction of the Future Sea-Level Changes Under Global Warming World

IS-5 Observing Planet Earth and the Space from Antarctica Recent developments in the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition Ice Sheet Quaternary Antarctic Ice Sheet history and prediction of the future sea-level changes under global warming world Reconstruction of the Quaternary Antarctic Ice Inﬂ uence of the changing of the Antarctic Ice Sheet history Sheet to the global environmental changes The Antarctic Ice Sheet is a gigantic mass of continental ice If the past volume of the Antarctic Ice Sheet could be reproduced accounting for around 90% of all glaciers on earth. Expansion from topographical and geological data and dating, it would be or contraction of the Antarctic Ice Sheet causes changes in possible to quantify the impact of increases and decreases in the global sea levels, marine environments and climate. It has been Antarctic Ice Sheet on past sea level changes. demonstrated, from continental and ocean bed topography and geology, that this Antarctic Ice Sheet has gone through various changes over the past three million years. Glacial topography of the Sør Rondane Mountains in Antarctica, showing past changes in the ice sheet. Elucidation of timing and cause of the changing of Antarctic Ice Sheet The timing and surrounding environment of past Antarctic Ice Sheet changing give us the key to predict the future changing of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Thickness of the Antarctic Ice Sheet removed since around 21,000 years ago (m) The melting volume of the Antarctic Ice Sheet between since around 21,000 years ago (Last Glacial Maximum) on the basis of geomorphological evidence. The reduction in elevation of the melted ice sheet is color-coded in units of meters. The melting volume is an amount equivalent to around 7m into global sea level change. Sampling rock to decide past epochs when the ice sheet changed. There are concerns over melting polar ice sheets due to global warming, and the impact this could have Social on the global environment. This research, based on geological evidence of past changes in the ice sheet, contribution will contribute to elucidating the causes and mechanism of change, as well as predicting future changes in the Antarctic Ice Sheet and their impact. National Institute of Polar Research Research Organization of Information and Systems, Inter-University Research Institute Corporation 10-3, Midori-cho, Tachikawa-shi, Tokyo 190-8518 Tel: +81-42-512-0655 Fax: +81-42-528-3105 http://www.nipr.ac.jp/english/ Email: [email protected] © National Institute of Polar Research, 2014.

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