Dr Steve Rintoul on thermal expansion and melting Antarctic ice shelves [video]

Five of the world's leading scientists on Antarctica and the Southern Ocean present recent findings on the changing Antarctic Ice Sheets and the impact on global sea levels. A presentation from World Science Week, during the 6th Open Science Conference of the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research. 'Melting Ice, Rising Seas' was generously hosted by AUT University, New Zealand.   

In part two of 'Melting Ice, Rising Seas', Dr Steve Rintoul explains the part ocean thermal expansion has to play in rising sea levels, the interaction between oceans and the Antarctic ice shelves, and how Antarctic Bottom Water is warming, freshening, and shrinking.

Video: World Science Week, Dr Steve Rintoul, Research Team Leader, CSIRO

Background

World Science Week New Zealand brought together more than 2,000 of the world’s leading scientists, researchers and government science advisors for a series of international science summits in Auckland during August and September 2014. These included the 31st triennial General Assembly of the International Council for Science (ICSU) and  the 6th biennial Open Science Conference of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). 

Many of the scientists took part in a series of public lectures supported by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Royal Society of New Zealand, and hosted at the University of Auckland and AUT University.  

'Melting Ice, Rising Sea' was a presentation by five of the world's leading experts on the current state of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and surrounding Southern Ocean, how climate change is impacting upon them, and the consequences for Planet Earth as the 21st century progresses. (The video recording of the seminar is presented here in four separate parts) 

Speakers: 

• Bryan Storey, Vice President of SCAR, Director, Gateway Antarctica, the Centre for Antarctic Studies at University of Canterbury, NZ (Convenor)
• Jonathan Bamber, Professor of Physical Geography, University of Bristol, UK
• Tim Naish, Director of Victoria University of Wellington’s Antarctic Research Centre, NZ
• Rob DeConto, Professor of Geosciences at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, USA
• Steve Rintoul, Research Team Leader, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia

Dr Steve Rintoul, Research Team Leader, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia

Dr Stephen Rintoul is a physical oceanographer and climate scientist with a long-standing interest in the Southern Ocean and its role in the earth system. His research has contributed to a deeper appreciation of the influence of the Southern Ocean on global climate, biogeochemical cycles and biological productivity. He uses ships, satellites, floats and instrumented seals to explore the Southern Ocean and has led fourteen oceanographic expeditions to the Southern, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Dr Rintoul was a Coordinating Lead Author of the Oceans chapter in the 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). His scientific achievements have been recognised by several national and international awards, including the Martha T. Muse Prize for Antarctic Science and Policy, the Australian Antarctic Medal and election as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.