ISSM is the result of a collaboration between the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and University of California at Irvine. Its purpose is to tackle the challenge of modeling the evolution of the polar ice caps in Greenland and Antarctica. ISSM is funded by the NASA Cryosphere and MAP (Modeling Analysis and Prediction) programs, JPL R&TD (Research, Technology and Developmnt) and NSF
As synthesized in the last Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report AR4, “future changes in the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheet mass, particularly due to changes in ice flow, are a major source of uncertainty that could increase sea level rise projections”.
To remedy this problem, large scale ice flow models are necessary that can accurately model the evolution of Greenland and Antarctica in a warming climate. In order to achieve this goal, and improve projections of future sea level rise, ISSM relies on state of the art technologies, developed in synergy with the Research and Technology Development (R&TD) at JPL.
For more details, go to http://issm.jpl.nasa.gov/