[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-202622-105":59,"doc-detail-202622-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","antarctic-ice-sheet-modelling-overview","Antarctic Ice Sheet Modelling - Overview","","Computer-based numerical ice sheet models translate mathematical descriptions of ice behaviour into code and solve governing equations over a 3D grid. Such models support both prognostic (predictive) work—addressing questions about potential Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse, timing, and partial versus full loss—and diagnostic studies that probe processes controlling specific ice streams. The material outlines model types, commonly used modelling approaches, and a workflow from physical process definition through calibration, validation, prediction, and sensitivity or uncertainty analysis, with references and examples.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/antarctic-ice-sheet-modelling-overview/202622/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/antarctic-ice-sheet-modelling-overview/202622.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Liam","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-07","2026-09-04",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":39},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What is an ice sheet model in this document?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"It is a computer-based, numerical model where a mathematical description of how ice behaves is converted into code and used to simulate ice sheet behaviour.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Why use a numerical ice sheet model?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Two main reasons are to make predictions (prognostic modelling) and to investigate ice-sheet behaviour and controlling processes (diagnostic modelling).",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What are the main steps in the modelling process?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The workflow covers defining a physical process, translating it into mathematical equations, implementing and solving them in computer code, applying the model to real situations, then calibrating, validating, predicting, and performing sensitivity/uncertainty analysis.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},202622,1788549377,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":39,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":29,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":129,"read_time":143,"preview_page_count":4},8796095461564,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","Ice sheet modelling  \nThis page was contributed by Dr Anne le Brocq from the University of Exeter.  \nWhat is an ice sheet model? | Why do we need a model? | Different types of model | The process of modelling | Examples | Uncertainty | References | Comments  \nWhat is an ice sheet model?  \nA quick search on Wikipedia for the word ‘model’ will give you a many different options, ranging from physical models that you can touch, to conceptual models of how a system works. Here, we are considering a computer-based, numerical ice sheet model. This is where a mathematical formula which represents the way that ice behaves is converted into computer code and the code then used to simulate the ice sheet behaviour.  \nThe process of modelling. Modellers start with a physical process which can be described mathematically. This is turned into computer code where the equations are solved numerical for a 3D grid. The model is then applied to predict the behaviour of the ice sheet: here, applied to Pine Island Glacier (Gladstone et al. 2012) .  \nWhy do we need a model?  \nThere are two main reasons why we might want to use a numerical ice sheet model: 1) to make predictions (prognostic modelling) or; 2) to investigate behaviour of an ice sheet (diagnostic modelling) .  \nPrognostic (or predictive) modelling  \nChanges in the Antarctic Ice Sheet have a big influence on global climate and sea level. For example, collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet could raise average sea level by 3 metres (Bamber) . But what is the likelihood of this? How long will it take? Will it all collapse, or only part of it? These are the sort of questions that policy makers need answers to, especially in low-lying coastal areas. However, the Antarctic Ice Sheet is a complex system with interactions between the ice and climate, the ocean, and conditions at the base of the ice sheet. The complexity of the system means that it isnot straightforward to determine how one thing will affect another, hence, prediction requires a realistic numerical ice sheet model which takes into account all the important processes and how they interact.  \nPrognostic modelling can also involve reconstructing past ice sheets. Understanding the behaviour of  \nice sheets in the past, in different climate settings, can help us understand what might happen in the future.  \nDiagnostic modelling  \nDiagnostic modelling can be used to improve the understanding of the processes controlling the behaviour of a particular ice stream, or to study the importance of one or more physical process in an ice sheet in general.  \nExamples of the two approaches are given below in the examples section.  \nDifferent types of model  \nMany ice sheet models are now freely available, for example, Elmer, Glimmer-CISM, ISSM, PISM, SICOPLIS, making it possible for a wider community to be able to use these models to answer a wide range of scientific questions.  \nThe models vary in a number of different ways, for example: the way in which they break up the world into discrete elements to solve the equations; the representation of the physics of ice flow; the language the code is written in; whether they are solved on one or many computer processors.  \nInvestigating the same question with different models allows us to compare the models and identify where models agree and where differences between the models lead to different answers to the same question. A number of model intercomparison exercises have taken place, for example ISMIP and MISMIP.  \nThe process of modelling  \n1. Physical process  \nThe starting point of modelling is a physical process, either from observation or from theory, for example: how ice “slides” over the underlying sediment or bedrock (e.g. Weertman et al. , 1964, Tulaczyk et al. , 2000) .  \n2. Mathematical description  \nThe relationship then needs to be converted to an equation that can be used to calculate, in our example, ice speed from our knowledge of conditions beneath the ice sheet. However, this may require a ","cbCaio1m8gNo4ic7","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaio1m8gNo4ic7","pdf",369793,"English","# What is an ice sheet model?\n## Why do we need a model?\n## Different types of model\n## The process of modelling\n## Examples\n## Uncertainty\n## References\n## Comments","[{\"question\":\"What is an ice sheet model in this document?\",\"answer\":\"It is a computer-based, numerical model where a mathematical description of how ice behaves is converted into code and used to simulate ice sheet behaviour.\"},{\"question\":\"Why use a numerical ice sheet model?\",\"answer\":\"Two main reasons are to make predictions (prognostic modelling) and to investigate ice-sheet behaviour and controlling processes (diagnostic modelling).\"},{\"question\":\"What are the main steps in the modelling process?\",\"answer\":\"The workflow covers defining a physical process, translating it into mathematical equations, implementing and solving them in computer code, applying the model to real situations, then calibrating, validating, predicting, and performing sensitivity/uncertainty analysis.\"}]","Antarctic Ice Sheet Modelling - Overview | PDF",15]