Articles | Volume 19, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-4031-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-4031-2026
Development and technical paper
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18 May 2026
Development and technical paper | Highlight paper |  | 18 May 2026

Love number computation within the Ice-sheet and Sea-level System Model (ISSM v4.24)

Lambert Caron, Erik Ivins, Eric Larour, Surendra Adhikari, and Laurent Métivier

Model code and software

ISSM Love number core: Initial release. Lambert Caron https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13984073

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Editorial statement
The viscoelastic Love Numbers underlie our ability to simulate spatially variable sea-level change. They are indeed the "secret sauce" in any such modeling effort. This paper, while technical, takes us to the back of the kitchen to share how the next-generation sauce is made. The resultant Love Numbers will be used to predict sea-level changes and glacial isostatic adjustment with more realistic mantle rheologies.
Short summary
Presented here is a new model of the solid-Earth response to tides and mass changes in ice sheets, oceans, and groundwater, in of terms of gravity change and bedrock motion. The model is capable simulating mantle deformation including elasticity, transient and steady-state viscous flow. We detail our approach to numerical optimization, and report the accuracy of results with respect to community benchmarks. The resulting coupled system features kilometer-scale resolution and fast computation.
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