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Science 21 October 2005:
Vol. 310. no. 5747, pp. 456 - 460
DOI: 10.1126/science.1114613
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Review

Ice-Sheet and Sea-Level Changes

Richard B. Alley,1*{dagger} Peter U. Clark,2* Philippe Huybrechts,3,4* Ian Joughin5*

Future sea-level rise is an important issue related to the continuing buildup of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, with the potential to raise sea level ~70 meters if completely melted, dominate uncertainties in projected sea-level change. Freshwater fluxes from these ice sheets also may affect oceanic circulation, contributing to climate change. Observational and modeling advances have reduced many uncertainties related to ice-sheet behavior, but recently detected, rapid ice-marginal changes contributing to sea-level rise may indicate greater ice-sheet sensitivity to warming than previously considered.

1 Department of Geosciences and Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, Pennsylvania State University, Deike Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
2 Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
3 Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Postfach 120161, D-27515 Bremerhaven, Germany.
4 Departement Geografie, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussel, Belgium.
5 Polar Science Center, Applied Physics Lab, University of Washington, 1013 NE 40th Street, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.

* These authors contributed equally to this work.

{dagger} To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: rba6{at}psu.edu

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