Objective Sea-level rise as a consequence of climate change will have severe impacts on coastal populations and ecosystems. However, owing to the incomplete state of scientific knowledge, there is a large range of uncertainty in the predictions, of a factor of more than two for any given emissions scenario during the 21st century, and much larger for subsequent centuries. This is a serious obstacle to the assessment of impacts. Sea-level change is a diagnostic of a complex combination of Earth system processes operating over a wide range of timescales. Explaining the record of past sea-level change and predicting the future is therefore a fascinating interdisciplinary scientific challenge as well as one with practical implications. The aim of this project is to improve quantitative understanding and hence reduce uncertainty in predictive models of the two main climate-related contributions to sea-level change, namely ocean density change and changes in ice-sheets. The former is the most important term on timescales of years to centuries, and the latter is the principal influence over timescales of centuries to millennia. In both parts of the proposal, our focus is on analysis of changes simulated by 3D atmosphere-ocean climate models, which we compare with observational data. For ocean density change, the objectives are to analyse the physical processes responsible for global-mean and local sea-level change due to density change, in order to quantify and constrain the uncertainties in predictions. For ice-sheets, the objectives are to increase our understanding of and ability to model the coupled evolution of ice-sheets and climate on multi-millennial timescales, in particular regarding the last glacial cycle and the long-term future of the Greenland ice-sheet. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystemsnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changesnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesphysical geographyglaciology Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-AG-PE10 - ERC Advanced Grant - Earth system science Call for proposal ERC-2009-AdG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-AG - ERC Advanced Grant Coordinator THE UNIVERSITY OF READING EU contribution € 1 441 719,00 Address Whiteknights campus whiteknights house RG6 6AH Reading United Kingdom See on map Region South East (England) Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Berkshire Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Jonathan Michael Gregory (Prof.) Administrative Contact Tom Reynolds (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all THE UNIVERSITY OF READING United Kingdom EU contribution € 1 441 719,00 Address Whiteknights campus whiteknights house RG6 6AH Reading See on map Region South East (England) Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Berkshire Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Jonathan Michael Gregory (Prof.) Administrative Contact Tom Reynolds (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data