Ocean forcing of ice-sheet change

What OFIC did

The OFIC project studied how ocean heat drove ice loss in rapidly retreating parts of the Antarctic ice sheet.

Researchers used long-term in situ measurements of ocean temperature and currents to understand the processes controlling ice-sheet change. This data helped improve predictions of future ice-sheet stability and global sea-level rise.

Why this mattered

Antarctic ice loss contributed directly to global sea-level rise. Understanding the ocean processes that accelerated melting was critical for accurate climate projections.

The research reduced uncertainty in future predictions and informed government and policy decisions. It helped assess how ice-sheet changes could affect societies and economies around the world in the coming decades.

How the project works

OFIC combined multiple approaches:

• Deploying oceanographic moorings to measure temperature, currents, and heat transport.
• Using bespoke radar systems to monitor ice-sheet response to ocean forcing.
• Creating a unique, long-term dataset that linked ocean conditions with ice-sheet change.

The project was part of a major UK–US collaboration aimed at understanding the drivers of Antarctic ice loss over a multi-year period.

Who was involved

• Lead contact was Paul Holland
• National Capability Single Centre, commissioned by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
• Collaborators include UK and US research institutions

Research topics

• Antarctic ice-sheet dynamics
• Ocean–ice interactions
• Sea-level rise projections
• Long-term in situ ocean measurements
• Radar monitoring of ice-sheets
• Climate change impacts

National capability science

Our ambition for this project was to use our long-term in situ measurement of ocean-heat delivery to understand the major drivers of ice-loss in some of the most rapidly-retreating parts of the Antarctic ice sheet. The outcome from this research informed projections for future ice-sheet stability and global sea-level projections.

Sustained observations contributed to international research efforts

Our aim was to understand how ocean heat influenced changes to Antarctic ice, and to reduce uncertainty in scientific predictions for a future world and to provide Government with scientific assessment of how these issues would affect the everyday lives of people in decades to come. This project was a key component of a major UK/US collaboration that took place over the next 5-years.

We used oceanographic moorings and bespoke radar systems to create a unique dataset that recorded the major driver of Antarctic ice-loss.

We aimed to use our unique capability in polar ocean research areas and our ability to lead interdisciplinary teams to work across the boundaries of glaciology, oceanography and climate science. Our particular focus areas were:

• The role of the ocean in melting the polar ice caps. To measure, simulate and understand the global implications of the polar changes and the influencing of ice shelves and ice sheet stability.
• The vigorous-overturning in the regions of water mass renewal close to Antarctica and in the Arctic. To improve knowledge of the role played by the polar oceans in exchanging heat and carbon with the atmosphere, in storing them in the ocean interior, and the impacts that these processes had on the climatic evolution of the planet
• Reduce uncertainty concerning the future trends in climate and sea level. To conduct specific process models and regional ocean model experiments, and work with partners to simulate and understand the global implications of the polar changes

1. RRS Sir David Attenborough

   Our state-of-the-art polar science ship provides scientists access to remote and challenging marine environments across the Antarctic and Arctic.

   Read more of: RRS Sir David Attenborough