As countries map out strategies to mitigate the devastating impact of climate change on coastlines, one question looms: how much will sea levels rise?
Could Hamdan Street be under a metre or three of water by the end of next century? And when sea levels rise, how quickly will it happen?
The answer lies in the interaction between ice sheets and oceans – yet at the moment, the impact on global sea levels is unknown. To understand what happens at the tumultuous boundary between ice and sea, answers can be found in the abstract.
More than 30 of the world’s top climate change mathematicians met this week at New York University Abu Dhabi Institute for a three-day workshop. Their goal was to develop models that explain how ice sheets and oceans interact at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet – this ice sheet drains into glaciers the size of small countries, like the Pine Island Glacier and the Thwaites Glacier, and its future will determine the future shape of our coastlines.
Over the course of three days, with today the last day, the scientists compared ice sheet models and ocean models with the goal of developing detailed models that combine the two.
“The single biggest uncertainty in future estimates of sea levels is to do with how the ice sheet responds to ocean water and the [majority] of climate models don’t consider that influence at all,” said Dr Ben Galton-Fenzi, a senior research scientist with the Australian Antarctic Division.
“Currently they just have some really simple ways of dealing with the influence of climate change on the ice sheet. So we’re trying to understand in greater detail how the ocean drives the melting of the ice, which is a massive problem.”
It is the joining, or coupling, of models that is the key. Current global climate models cannot simulate sea-level change because few models join the two systems. There are just six models of how oceans work, and another six models of how ice sheets work, and only two models that combine the two systems together.
“If you want to simulate or project sea level rise we need a system that is fully coupled to represent the reality, which doesn’t exist right now,” said Dr Diana Francis, an atmospheric scientist at NYUAD’s Centre for Sea Level Change.
It's not just warmer air but the ocean itself that melts ice sheets. Ice sheets are disintegrating from the bottom up as they come into contact with warm ocean currents. Normally, warm water from other parts of the ocean sinks and only comes into contact with ice sheets after it has cooled. But when there is a lot of meltwater, as is currently the case, then warm and cold water do not mix properly and warm water comes into contact with ice sheets before it has cooled. This creates a feedback loop.
That means if we don't know what the glaciers are doing, we don't know what the oceans will do, and vice versa.
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Read More:
Abu Dhabi scientists' study of shrinking glaciers is subject of new documentary
Special report: Abu Dhabi's dwindling water reserves charted in worrying Sorbonne research
How NYUAD research hopes to predict crucial changes to India's monsoons
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Ice sheet and ocean modelling require different set of physics and pairing the two is no simple task.
“An ice sheet model is something that evolves in a very long time scale, hundreds of years,” said Gustavo Marquez, a physical oceanographer with the US National Centre for Atmospheric Research. “While an ocean model is something that evolves much more quickly. So to have these two things talking to each other, it’s a big challenge and not just computationally."
Winds also must be taken into account. Each system affects the other.
Rising Coastal Seas on a Warm Earth is the third biannual workshop organised by Denise Holland of the Centre for Global Sea Level, led by its principal investigator David Holland.
Despite its evident importance, securing funding for such abstract studies remains a challenge.
“For model inter-comparison projects, people often have to latch it onto other projects in order to get funding for it,” said Ben Hills, a glaciologist and PhD student at Washington University. “To the public, doing some simple idealised tests seems silly but we need them in order to test the models so that we know the physics are working before we can move into real Antarctic simulation.”
It is also far less expensive than research on the ground in the remote polar regions.
More observational data will be gleaned from Dr Holland's upcoming research expedition to the Thwaites Glacier that he will led with Keith Nicholls of the British Antarctic Survey. Theirs was one of eight five-year research projects approval last week by International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration.
Much of the expeditions’s data analysis will take place at labs in Abu Dhabi. While the modelling analysis done from a lab on Saadiyat Island can feel a world removed from the Antarctic, the results will have a very real impact on all of us.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
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PFA Team of the Year: David de Gea, Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Alonso, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero
CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
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Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
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Under 19 Cricket World Cup, Asia Qualifier
Fixtures
Friday, April 12, Malaysia v UAE
Saturday, April 13, UAE v Nepal
Monday, April 15, UAE v Kuwait
Tuesday, April 16, UAE v Singapore
Thursday, April 18, UAE v Oman
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Aaron Benjamin, Akasha Mohammed, Alishan Sharafu, Anand Kumar, Ansh Tandon, Ashwanth Valthapa, Karthik Meiyappan, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Rishab Mukherjee, Niel Lobo, Osama Hassan, Vritya Aravind, Wasi Shah
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Levante v Real Mallorca (12am)
Leganes v Barcelona (4pm)
Real Betis v Valencia (7pm)
Granada v Atletico Madrid (9.30pm)
Sunday
Real Madrid v Real Sociedad (12am)
Espanyol v Getafe (3pm)
Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao (5pm)
Eibar v Alaves (7pm)
Villarreal v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Valladolid v Sevilla (12am)
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Poacher
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SQUADS
South Africa:
JP Duminy (capt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wkt), AB de Villiers, Robbie Frylinck, Beuran Hendricks, David Miller, Mangaliso Mosehle (wkt), Dane Paterson, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi
Bangladesh
Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Imrul Kayes, Liton Das (wkt), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (wkt), Nasir Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Taskin Ahmed
Fixtures
Oct 26: Bloemfontein
Oct 29: Potchefstroom
PFA Premier League team of 2018-19
Allison (Liverpool)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City)
Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
