Recognizing the central role played by snow, ice and permafrost in the global climate system, the LIQUIDICE project joins expert cryospheric observers and modelers to: i) comprehensively re-assess the past and future century-plus of climate-induced high impact changes to the Greenland ice sheet and climate vulnerable locations across the Alps, Norway, High Mountain Asia (HMA) and Svalbard, including permafrost areas and their ecosystems; ii) develop new, expanded and harmonized data from satellite Earth Observation (EO) and ground stations; iii) use these data to improve and test a hierarchy of ice sheet and glacier models with Earth System Models (ESMs);
iv) through these steps, yield new process understanding, and ultimately v) inform water resource, hydropower, and socio-economic strategies through clear and transparent communication of results and uncertainties. The project’s strengths lie in new multidisciplinary collaborations across 18 research institutions, from eight European countries (Poland, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Norway, United Kingdom) and India, encompassing expertise in field observations, satellite EO techniques, ESM development and application, and socio-economic analysis. Key deliverables include a) FAIR-principled new multi-decade data catalogues of multi-regional snow water equivalent and a 44-year EO-derived albedo record; b) assessments of impact of model resolution and degree of coupling on results;
c) refined past and future glacier, ice cap and Greenland ice sheet freshwater fluxes to oceans and global sea level rise with indirect constraint on Antarctica; d) new hydrological simulations for HMA; e) a new framework for a Water Discharge Impact Assessments;
f) socio-economic integrated risk and adaptation assessments; g) all with comprehensive dissemination and communication outputs.
Ultimately, by advancing snow and ice climate assessment, LIQUIDICE advances EU efforts toward resilience to high impact climate change.
48 months from 01/02/2025 to 31/01/2029
General aims
The LiquidIce project has three main goals: to comprehensively assess climate-induced changes in inland ice components, including snow cover, glaciers, ice sheets, and permafrost; Improve the tools necessary for accurately resolving these changes at appropriate scales; assess the impacts of these changes on water resources, examining their effects on hydropower, as well as other socio-economic consequences for local communities and stakeholders.
CMCC role
CMCC mainly contributes to
WP3 “Modelling and future projections: Global to Local and Integrated to Process-based”;
WP4 “Impact of change in water resources from the cryosphere to society”;
WP5 “Dissemination, communication and exploitation”
Activities
In WP3, FONDAZIONE CMCC enhances the realism of global coupled simulations by integrating the land ice component in the CMCC Earth System Modelling framework and analysing the effect of interacting ice sheets on the climate system. CMCC will incorporate the Community Ice Sheet Model (CISM) in the CMCC-ESM under various coupling configurations (one-way and two-way) to simulate both the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.
In WP4, FONDAZIONE CMCC conducts a comprehensive climatic analysis to access the hazards posed by climate change to the tourism sector in the Monte Rosa area. Through an in-depth evaliation of various climatic and environmental factors, the study will provide a risk assessment and propose adaptive strategies.
In WP5, FONDAZIONE CMCC is responsible for establishing, maintaining and strengthening polar networks through direct engagement with existing stakeholder communities and organisations.
Expected results
LiquidIce will deliver
* enhanced knowledge on the impacts of climate change and different natural and socio-economic drivers on inland ice and permafrost, and its global repercussions, including climate-ecosystem interactions
* improved climate and Earth System models that inform the international climate assessments (e.g. CMIP models, CORDEX)
* advanced provision and use of observations, including in-situ, of complex processes with focus on dynamic and vulnerable regions
* supported climate change adaptation strategies including, where relevant, the development of solutions to enhance the resilience of local communities
Partners
2) CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE (CNR-IT);
3) Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS-DK);
4) NORCE NORWEGIAN RESEARCH CENTRE AS (NORCE-NO);
5) DANMARKS METEOROLOGISKE INSTITUT (DMI-DK);
6) AALBORG UNIVERSITET (AAU-DK);
7) UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL (UNIVBRIS-UK);
8) UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION (UNESCO-ICTP-FR);
9) UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID (UPM-ES);
10) UNIWERSYTET SLASKI W KATOWICACH (USil -PL);
11) SIOS SV ALBARD AS (SIOS-KC NO);
12) UNIVERSITETET I OSLO (UiO – NO);
13) FONDAZIONE CENTRO EURO-MEDITERRANEO SUI CAMBIAMENTI CLIMATICI (FONDAZIONE CMCC -IT);
14) LFRED-WEGENER-INSTITUT HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM FUR POLAR- UND MEERESFORSCHUNG (AWI – DE);
15) GOETEBORGS UNIVERSITET (UGOT – SE);
16) Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal (IISER Bhopal – IN);
17) INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY BOMBAY (IITB – IN);
18) INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE (IISC – IN).