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+1.0°C, +1.5°C, +2.0°C: Does it matter?
Climatic change is causing dramatic responses of Earth’s glaciers. After the Paris Agreement, discussions have focused on the impact of various warming scenarios. The goal of this thesis is to quantify the difference in global glacier evolution for temperature rises of 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0°C.
Keywords: Glaciology, global glacier modelling, climate change
Glacier retreat and mass loss across all glacierized regions on Earth is amongst the most prominent signal of ongoing climatic change. Such glacier changes can have profound implications, ranging from local water security to changes in global sea levels. Negotiated in 2015 and signed in 2016, the "Paris Agreement" was a historic step aimed at responding to threads caused by climate change. In particular, the Agreement aims at "holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit [it] to 1.5°C [...]". Since the Agreement's negotiation, discussions have also focused on the differences between the effect of global temperature changes of +1.5°C and +2°C.
Glacier retreat and mass loss across all glacierized regions on Earth is amongst the most prominent signal of ongoing climatic change. Such glacier changes can have profound implications, ranging from local water security to changes in global sea levels. Negotiated in 2015 and signed in 2016, the "Paris Agreement" was a historic step aimed at responding to threads caused by climate change. In particular, the Agreement aims at "holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit [it] to 1.5°C [...]". Since the Agreement's negotiation, discussions have also focused on the differences between the effect of global temperature changes of +1.5°C and +2°C.
The goal of this thesis is to assess the differences in global glacier evolution for scenarios that imply a global temperature rise of +1.0°C, +1.5°C, and +2.0°C above pre-industrial levels, respectively. The results will be based on simulations with the Global Glacier Evolution Model (GloGEM), forced by sub-sets of climate scenarios compliant with the different climate targets. The analyses will not only focus on global glacier changes, but also aim at identifying possible differences in regional-scale glacier response.
The goal of this thesis is to assess the differences in global glacier evolution for scenarios that imply a global temperature rise of +1.0°C, +1.5°C, and +2.0°C above pre-industrial levels, respectively. The results will be based on simulations with the Global Glacier Evolution Model (GloGEM), forced by sub-sets of climate scenarios compliant with the different climate targets. The analyses will not only focus on global glacier changes, but also aim at identifying possible differences in regional-scale glacier response.
For further information please contact Prof. Daniel Farinotti (daniel.farinotti@ethz.ch) or Dr. Matthias Huss (huss@vaw.baug.ethz.ch).
For further information please contact Prof. Daniel Farinotti (daniel.farinotti@ethz.ch) or Dr. Matthias Huss (huss@vaw.baug.ethz.ch).