Coupled Climate‐Ice‐Sheet Simulations Reveal Novel Teleconnection Between Northern Hemisphere Ice Sheets and the Antarctic Ice Sheet
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Coupled climate‐ice‐sheet modeling is still in its developing stage, and feedback processes
between ice sheets and climate are still not yet fully understood. Here, we use simulations with a coupled
climate‐ice‐sheet model to investigate teleconnections between Northern Hemispheric ice sheets and the
Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) without direct freshwater forcing. We show that ice mass removal in the Northern
Hemisphere can alter AIS evolution through a series of feedbacks. Changes in surface properties and orographic
effects warm the newly deglaciated areas and the North Atlantic Ocean at mid‐depth. The warmer water masses
propagate to the Southern Ocean, where internal oscillations periodically deliver them to the Antarctic coast.
These repeated warm water intrusions destabilize the Ross ice shelf, ultimately triggering a runaway retreat of
the West Antarctic ice sheet. Our results underscore the importance of coupled bi‐hemispheric climate‐ice‐sheet
modeling to capture global teleconnections between ice sheets and climate.
between ice sheets and climate are still not yet fully understood. Here, we use simulations with a coupled
climate‐ice‐sheet model to investigate teleconnections between Northern Hemispheric ice sheets and the
Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) without direct freshwater forcing. We show that ice mass removal in the Northern
Hemisphere can alter AIS evolution through a series of feedbacks. Changes in surface properties and orographic
effects warm the newly deglaciated areas and the North Atlantic Ocean at mid‐depth. The warmer water masses
propagate to the Southern Ocean, where internal oscillations periodically deliver them to the Antarctic coast.
These repeated warm water intrusions destabilize the Ross ice shelf, ultimately triggering a runaway retreat of
the West Antarctic ice sheet. Our results underscore the importance of coupled bi‐hemispheric climate‐ice‐sheet
modeling to capture global teleconnections between ice sheets and climate.
Date Issued
2026-01-12
Publication Type
Article
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Schannwell, Clemens | |
Kapsch, Marie‐Luise | |
Mikolajewicz, Uwe |
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher
Wiley
ISSN
0094-8276
1944-8007
Access(Rights)
open.access