"Timescales and Processes of Glacier Dynamics": An International Glaciological Society (IGS) Symposium in Buffalo, New York, June 2018

THIS PROPOSAL SEEKS FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE ATTENDANCE OF PARTICIPANTS TO THE INTERNATIONAL GLACIOLOGICAL SOCIETY (IGS) INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON "TIMESCALES AND PROCESSES OF GLACIER DYNAMICS" TO BE HELD IN BUFFALO NEW YORK ON 3-8 JUNE 2018. THE SYMPOSIUM WILL FOCUS ON THE STABILITY OF ICE SHEETS AND GLACIERS ACROSS A BROAD SET OF TIMESCALES FROM DAILY TO MILLENNIAL. THE SYMPOSIUM TOPIC IS A CENTRAL UNDERLYING THEME OF CURRENT GLACIOLOGICAL STUDIES: ON WHAT TIMES SCALES AND BY WHAT PROCESSES CAN EARTH'S LAND ICE LOSE MASS? AN IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING OF THE PAST PRESENT AND POSSIBLE FUTURE CHANGES IN EARTH'S GLACIERS AND ICE SHEETS IS ESSENTIAL TO IMPROVE PREDICTIONS OF GLOBAL SEA LEVEL CHANGE AND THE ROLE OF LAND ICE IN THE EARTH SYSTEM. THE GOALS OF THIS SYMPOSIUM ARE TO (I) ASSESS THE STATE OF OUR KNOWLEDGE OF GLACIER AND ICE-SHEET PROCESSES AND HOW THEY MANIFEST IN OBSERVATIONS; (II) EXAMINE THE RANGE OF TIMESCALES OVER WHICH THESE PROCESSES MAY ACT AND INTERACT; (III) IDENTIFY WHAT IS NEEDED WITHIN ICE-SHEET MODELS AND/OR COUPLED CLIMATE-SYSTEM MODELS TO RESOLVE IMPORTANT PROCESSES AND (IV) IDENTIFY TECHNIQUES TO BETTER UTILIZE THE PALEOCLIMATE OBSERVATIONAL RECORD TOWARD (I-III). WE EXPECT THIS SYMPOSIUM TO ATTRACT A WIDE RANGE OF EXPERTS IN ICE SHEET GLACIER AND PALEOCLIMATE STUDIES WHOSE RESEARCH TOOLS INCLUDE FIELD OBSERVATIONS REMOTE SENSING AND MODELS. WE EXPECT MOST CONTRIBUTIONS WILL BE RELATED TO THE GREENLAND AND ANTARCTIC ICE SHEETS BUT WE WILL ALSO ENCOURAGE CONTRIBUTIONS ON ALPINE GLACIERS AND PALEO-ICE SHEETS. WE PLAN TO USE THIS AWARD TO OFFER SUPPORT TO APPROXIMATELY 20 INDIVIDUALS INCLUDING EARLY-CAREER SCIENTISTS AND KEYNOTE SPEAKERS TO ATTEND THE SYMPOSIUM. THIS PROPOSAL IS SUBMITTED THROUGH APPENDIX E.2: "TOPICAL WORKSHOPS SYMPOSIA AND CONFERENCES (TWSC17)".