A coordinated NASA observing system for monitoring the next decade of ice sheet-climate interactions
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Sea level rise is a global problem that is currently shrouded in uncertainty. The next decade of NASA research priorities must address key unknowns and monitor ongoing changes in the ice sheet-ocean system in order to improve sea level rise projections and equip government officials to legislate the appropriate policies. This will require a coordinated observing system that combines satellite remote sensing with suborbital approaches to extend the reach of satellite measurements. The fifth International Polar Year (IPY5) will take place in 2032 –2033; this international incentive provides an opportunity to leverage shared logistics between nations to collect valuable suborbital observations. The following effort summarizes four pertinent research questions that we believe should guide NASA's next decade of planning for cryosphere research, with specific recommendations as to how to address these questions.
DOI: 10.31223/x5xr4w
Authors: Peter Washam, Marianna Marquadt, Tasha Snow, Ken Zhao, Mattia Poinelli, Olga Sergienko, Kimberly Casey, Naomi Ochwat, Schmitty Thompson, Thomas Teisberg, Eric Rignot, Isabella Velicogna, Chad Greene, Alan Gaul, Elena Dworak, Andrew Thompson, Vanessa Hawkins, Catherine Walker, Joel Johnson, Sierra Streit, Helen Fricker
Institutions: Cornell University, Goddard Space Flight Center, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of California, Los Angeles, Princeton University, United States Geological Survey, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Universität Innsbruck, University of Oregon, Astera Institute, California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, University of California, Irvine, Oregon State University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, The Ohio State University, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204817299