Applied Mathematics colloquium | Lev Tarasov, Flowing ice, meltwater floods, and climate: Some current issues Glacial Earth system dynamics and associated research opportunities for applied mathematicians and statisticians

MC 5158

Speaker

Lev Tarasov, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Title

Flowing ice, meltwater floods, and climate: Some current issues Glacial Earth system dynamics and associated research opportunities for applied mathematicians and statisticians

Abstract

Through examples invoking instabilities in ice and climate, I offer a glacially-slanted tour of some Earth systems science opportunities for those of a mathematical bent. Our complex non-linear climate system has dynamical spatio-temporal scales spanning the centimeter and second to thousands of kilometers and 100,000 years. For such a context, challenges abound in modelling and uncertainty estimation. How can we best represent an interacting climate for 100,000 year model integrations? How do we determine robust probability distributions for future climate change projections and past ice sheet evolution? What is needed to accurately represent the impacts of meltwater injection on ocean circulation and sub-glacial plumbing on ice flow using available computational resources? Maybe you can help provide the answers.

Light refreshments following presentation.