Articles | Volume 11, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-1683-2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-1683-2018
Development and technical paper
 | 
03 May 2018
Development and technical paper |  | 03 May 2018

Implementation of higher-order vertical finite elements in ISSM v4.13 for improved ice sheet flow modeling over paleoclimate timescales

Joshua K. Cuzzone, Mathieu Morlighem, Eric Larour, Nicole Schlegel, and Helene Seroussi

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Cited articles

Alley, R. B., Andrews, J. T., Miller, G. H., White, J. W. C., Brigham-Grette, J., Clarke, G. K. C., Cuffey, K. M., Fitzpatrick, J. J., Muhs, D. R., Funder, S., Marshall, S. J., Mitrovica, J. X., Otto-Bliesner, B. L., and Polyak, L.: History of the Greenland Ice Sheet: Paleoclimatic insights, Quatern. Sci. Rev., 29, 1728–1756, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.02.007, 2010. 
Applegate, P. J., Kirchner, N., Stone, E. J., Keller, K., and Greve, R.: An assessment of key model parametric uncertainties in projections of Greenland Ice Sheet behavior, The Cryosphere, 6, 589–606, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-589-2012, 2012. 
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Aschwanden, A., Fahnestock, M. A., and Truffer, M.: Complex Greenland outlet glacier flow captured, Nat. Commun., 7, 10524, https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10524, 2016. 
Blatter, H.: Velocity and stress-fields in grounded glaciers: A simple algorithm for including deviatoric stress gradients, J. Glaciol., 41, 333–344, https://doi.org/10.3189/S002214300001621X, 1995. 
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This paper details the implementation of higher-order vertical finite elements in the Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM). When using higher-order vertical finite elements, fewer vertical layers are needed to accurately capture the thermal structure in an ice sheet versus a conventional linear vertical interpolation, therefore greatly improving model runtime speeds, particularly in higher-order stress balance ice sheet models. The implications for paleoclimate ice sheet simulations are discussed.
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