Dr Chen Zhao, an ARC DECRA Fellow, is tackling one of the most pressing challenges of our time, predicting how much and how quickly sea levels will rise as Antarctica loses ice in a warming world. While scientific understanding has advanced, projections of future sea-level rise remain uncertain due to gaps in knowledge about the complex processes that control ice sheet behaviour, including ocean interactions and water flowing beneath the ice.
Dr Zhao develops advanced computer models that simulate how the Antarctic Ice Sheet responds to climate change, particularly to warming oceans and evolving subglacial water systems. By improving the physical realism of these models through processes such as subglacial hydrology, ice–ocean interactions, and basal sliding, her work delivers more accurate and regionally relevant projections.
Her research contributes to major international collaborations, including the ISMIP6 project, and directly informs national and global climate risk assessments, providing policymakers and communities with the knowledge needed to prepare for future coastal impacts.