International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration

International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration
Name	International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration
Formation	2018
Type	International scientific partnership
Purpose	Multinational research on Thwaites Glacier and West Antarctic Ice Sheet dynamics
Headquarters	Antarctica field operations
Region served	Thwaites Glacier, Pine Island Bay, Amundsen Sea

International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration The International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration is a multinational research partnership focused on understanding the dynamics, stability, and contribution to sea-level rise of Thwaites Glacier and its surroundings in West Antarctica. The collaboration coordinates field campaigns, airborne surveys, ship-based observations, ice-penetrating radar, oceanographic measurements, and ice-sheet modeling to integrate data across disciplines and institutions. The effort links polar research programs, observatories, and modeling centers to inform climate science, coastal adaptation, and polar policy.

Background and objectives

Established to address rapid changes observed at Thwaites Glacier, the collaboration unites expertise to quantify ice-sheet processes that drive mass loss and to forecast future sea-level contribution. Primary objectives include mapping subglacial topography and bed conditions, characterizing grounding-line retreat, resolving ice-ocean interactions in Pine Island Bay and the Amundsen Sea, and improving coupled ice-sheet–ocean models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and national assessments. By coordinating efforts among programs such as the National Science Foundation (United States), Natural Environment Research Council, United Kingdom Antarctic Survey, National Institute of Polar Research (Japan), and National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (New Zealand), the collaboration aims to reduce uncertainty in projections that inform policy frameworks like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations and coastal resilience planning.

Participating institutions and governance

The collaboration is governed through steering committees and science working groups that include representatives from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, British Antarctic Survey, Alfred Wegener Institute, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Washington, Columbia University, and other universities and research institutes. Operational support and logistics link to polar platforms such as the RRS Sir David Attenborough, RV Polarstern, USCGC Polar Star, and the British Antarctic Survey Twin Otter. International coordination involves advisory input from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research and policy interfaces with agencies like the European Research Council and national research councils. Data stewardship follows community standards promoted by repositories including the National Snow and Ice Data Center and the UK Polar Data Centre.

Research program and methods

Field campaigns combine geophysical, oceanographic, and glaciological methods: ice-penetrating radar, seismic surveys, GPS networks, hot-water drilling for boreholes, autonomous underwater vehicles, and moored oceanographic instruments. Airborne programs deploy radar, gravimetry, and laser altimetry from platforms affiliated with NASA, NOAA, and the British Antarctic Survey. Ship-based expeditions measure water column properties, meltwater plumes, and sediment transport using instrumentation developed at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Numerical modeling groups at Pennsylvania State University, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Colorado Boulder, and University of Bristol run ice-sheet and coupled ocean-ice simulations that assimilate observations and participate in model intercomparisons with centers such as the Met Office Hadley Centre.

Key findings and discoveries

Research has revealed a retrograde bed slope beneath parts of Thwaites that predisposes the glacier to marine ice-sheet instability, evidence corroborated by radar surveys and borehole observations. Studies documented rapid grounding-line retreat and concentrated basal melting driven by warm circumpolar deep water intrusions tracked by moorings and autonomous vehicles. Subglacial sediments and basal hydrology mapped by seismic and radar campaigns indicate enhanced sliding and potential for episodic retreat. Satellite altimetry from ICESat-2 and gravimetric constraints from GRACE complement in situ discoveries, showing accelerating mass loss consistent with projections used by IPCC assessments. Interdisciplinary work produced the first borehole observations of ocean-driven melting at the Thwaites grounding zone and detailed maps of sub-ice channels that influence meltwater pathways.

Logistics, equipment, and field operations

Field operations require coordination of polar ships, aircraft, and field camps staged from bases like Rothera Research Station and McMurdo Station. Heavy equipment includes hot-water drill systems developed by teams at Columbia University and borehole winches from the British Antarctic Survey. Autonomous platforms such as Seagliders, REMUS AUVs, and Icefin ROVs have accessed cavities beneath the ice shelf. Airborne campaigns employ aircraft such as the P-3 Orion and Twin Otter equipped with radar and lidar payloads, while logistics use icebreakers coordinated with the United States Antarctic Program and national polar operators. Field safety and environmental protection align with the Antarctic Treaty System protocols and national permitting.

Funding and timeline

Funding streams combine national research grants, institutional contributions, and international programmatic support, with significant backing from the National Science Foundation (United States), Natural Environment Research Council (United Kingdom), and funding agencies in Australia, Japan, and Germany. The main coordinated program launched in 2018 with multi-year field seasons; phased campaigns extended through the early 2020s with targeted follow-on projects and sustained monitoring planned into the 2030s. Budget allocations support ship time, aircraft operations, instrumentation, data management, and modeling consortia across participating institutions.

Scientific and policy implications

Outcomes from the collaboration inform sea-level rise projections used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and national coastal planning by agencies in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and small island states. Improved process understanding of grounding-line dynamics and ice-ocean feedbacks constrains scenarios relevant to the Paris Agreement targets and adaptation investments by coastal municipalities. The program also advances polar technology, data-sharing practices endorsed by SCAR, and capacity-building through partnerships with universities and observatories that contribute to long-term monitoring networks addressing global climate risks.

Category:Antarctic research programs