pdf FRISP Expert Group Report 2022

Forum for Research into Ice Shelf Processes (FRISP) 2020-22 Report

Expert Group of the Physical Sciences Group

Report Author: Adrian Jenkins (UK)

Summary of activities from 2020-22

FRISP exists to promote inter-disciplinary scientific research into the interactions between the Earth’s ice sheets and oceans. To achieve that, FRISP organises an annual international workshop that is open to anyone working on relevant topics.

That activity has been particularly badly affected by the global pandemic and the resulting restrictions on international travel and personal contact. In early 2020 plans were already in place for a workshop in Potsdam, Germany, to be held in June 2020. The initial response to the global lockdown was to postpone the in-person meeting until June 2021 and run a virtual event in June 2020. As it became clear that significant travel restrictions would likely still be in place in mid-2021, the in-person meeting was eventually cancelled altogether.

The 2020 virtual meeting was hosted by PIK, Potsdam, Germany, and consisted of four separate sessions over a two-week period. Sessions were scheduled on different days and at different times to accommodate differing time zones. There were over 50 presentations and a number of online discussion sessions.

Although the format worked well, by mid-2021 enthusiasm for online meetings was waning, so the decision was taken to wait until an in-person meeting could be organised. First steps have been taken to host the next workshop in the North-East of England in September 2022.