Large-scale modeling of the Antarctic ice sheet using a massively-parallelized finite element model (CIELO).

We implemented a fully-three-dimensional, thermo-mechanical, finite element model of the Antarctic Ice Sheet with a spatial resolution varying from 10 km inland to 2 km along the coast on a massively-parallelized architecture named CIELO and developed at JPL. The model is based on a "Pattyn" type formulation for ice sheets, and a "MacAyeal shelf-stream" formulation for ice shelves. Both types of formulations are coupled using penalty methods, which enables a considerable reduction of the computational load. Using a simple law of basal friction (based on locally computed balanced velocities), the model is able to replicate the location and order-magnitude speed of major ice streams and ice shelves. We then coupled the model with observations of ice motion from SAR interferometry to refine the pattern of basal friction using an inverse control method (MacAyeal 1993). The result provides an excellent agreement with observations and a first complete mapping of the pattern of basal friction along the coast of Antarctica at a resolution compatible with the size of its glaciers and ice streams.