Henning Åkesson

• Åkesson, Henning Martin; Morlighem, Mathieu; Nilsson, Johan; Stranne, Christian & Jakobsson, Martin (2022). Petermann ice shelf may not recover after a future breakup. Nature Communications. ISSN 2041-1723. 13. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-29529-5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Floating ice shelves buttress inland ice and curtail grounded-ice discharge. Climate warming causes melting and ultimately breakup of ice shelves, which could escalate ocean-bound ice discharge and thereby sea-level rise. Should ice shelves collapse, it is unclear whether they could recover, even if we meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Here, we use a numerical ice-sheet model to determine if Petermann Ice Shelf in northwest Greenland can recover from a future breakup. Our experiments suggest that post-breakup recovery of confined ice shelves like Petermann’s is unlikely, unless iceberg calving is greatly reduced. Ice discharge from Petermann Glacier also remains up to 40% higher than today, even if the ocean cools below present-day temperatures. If this behaviour is not unique for Petermann, continued near-future ocean warming may push the ice shelves protecting Earth’s polar ice sheets into a new retreated high-discharge state which may be exceedingly difficult to recover from.

• Frank, Thomas; Åkesson, Henning; Fleurian, Basile de; Morlighem, M. & Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes (2022). Geometric controls of tidewater glacier dynamics. The Cryosphere. ISSN 1994-0416. 16(2), p. 581–601. doi: 10.5194/tc-16-581-2022.
• Åkesson, Henning; Morlighem, Mathieu; O'Regan, Matt & Jakobsson, Martin (2021). Future Projections of Petermann Glacier Under Ocean Warming Depend Strongly on Friction Law. Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR): Earth Surface. ISSN 2169-9003. 126. doi: 10.1029/2020JF005921. Show summary

  Basal friction heavily controls the dynamics of fast-flowing glaciers. However, the best approach to modeling friction is unclear, increasing uncertainties in projections of future mass loss and sea-level rise. Here, we compare six friction laws and evaluate them for Petermann Glacier in northern Greenland, using a higher order three-dimensional ice-sheet model. We model glacier retreat and mass loss under an ocean-only warming until year 2300, while not considering the effects of a future warmer atmosphere. Regardless of the friction law, we find that breakup of Petermann's ice shelf is likely to occur within the next decades. However, future grounding-line retreat differs by 10s of km and estimates of sea-level rise may quadruple, depending on the friction law employed. A bedrock ridge halts the retreat for four of the laws, and Petermann retreats furthest when applying a Budd or a Coulomb-type “till law.” Depending on the friction law, sea-level contributions differ by 133% and 282% by 2300 for 2°C and 5°C ocean warming scenarios, respectively.

• Jakobsson, Martin; Mayer, Larry; Nilsson, Johan; Stranne, Christian; Calder, Bryan & O'Regan, Matt [Show all 31 contributors for this article] (2020). Ryder Glacier in northwest Greenland is shielded from warm Atlantic water by a bathymetric sill. Communications Earth & Environment. ISSN 2662-4435. 1. doi: 10.1038/s43247-020-00043-0. Show summary

  The processes controlling advance and retreat of outlet glaciers in fjords draining the Greenland Ice Sheet remain poorly known, undermining assessments of their dynamics and associated sea-level rise in a warming climate. Mass loss of the Greenland Ice Sheet has increased six-fold over the last four decades, with discharge and melt from outlet glaciers comprising key components of this loss. Here we acquired oceanographic data and multibeam bathymetry in the previously uncharted Sherard Osborn Fjord in northwest Greenland where Ryder Glacier drains into the Arctic Ocean. Our data show that warmer subsurface water of Atlantic origin enters the fjord, but Ryder Glacier’s floating tongue at its present location is partly protected from the inflow by a bathymetric sill located in the innermost fjord. This reduces under-ice melting of the glacier, providing insight into Ryder Glacier’s dynamics and its vulnerability to inflow of Atlantic warmer water.

• Åkesson, Henning; Gyllencreutz, Richard; Mangerud, Jan; Svendsen, John-Inge; Nick, Faezeh M. & Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes (2020). Rapid retreat of a Scandinavian marine outlet glacier in response to warming at the last glacial termination. Quaternary Science Reviews. ISSN 0277-3791. 250. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106645. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Marine outlet glaciers on Greenland are retreating, yet it is unclear if the recent fast retreat will persist, and how atmosphere and ocean warming will impact future retreat. We show how a marine outlet glacier in Hardangerfjorden retreated rapidly in response to the abrupt warming following the Younger Dryas cold period (approximately 11,600 years before present). This almost 1000 m deep fjord, with several sills at 300–500 m depth, hosted a 175 km long outlet glacier at the western rim of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet. We use a dynamic ice-flow model constrained by well-dated terminal and lateral moraines to simulate the reconstructed 500-year retreat of Hardangerfjorden glacier. The model includes an idealized oceanic and atmospheric forcing based on reconstructions, but excludes the surface mass balance-elevation feedback. Our simulations show a highly episodic retreat driven by surface melt and warming fjord waters, paced by the fjord bathymetry. Warming air and ocean temperatures by 4–5 °C during the period of retreat result in a 125-km retreat of Hardangerfjorden glacier in 500 years. Retreat rates throughout the deglaciation vary by an order of magnitude from 50 to 2500 m a−1, generally close to 200 m a−1, punctuated by brief events of swift retreat exceeding 500 m a−1, each event lasting a few decades. We show that the fastest retreat rates occur in regions of the bed with the largest retrograde slopes; ice shelf length and fjord water depth is less important. Our results have implications for modern glacial fjord settings similar to Hardangerfjorden, where high retreat rates have been observed. Our findings imply that increasing air temperatures and warming subsurface waters in Greenland fjords will continue to drive extensive retreat of marine outlet glaciers. However, the recent high retreat rates are not expected to be sustained for longer than a few decades due to constraints by the fjord bathymetry.

• Reinardy, Benedict T.I.; Booth, Adam; Hughes, Anna; Boston, Clare M.; Åkesson, Henning & Bakke, Jostein [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Spatial distribution of cold-ice within a temperate glacier - implications for glacier dynamics, sediment transport and foreland geomorphology. . The Cryosphere. ISSN 1994-0416. 13, p. 827–843. doi: 10.5194/tc-13-827-2019.
• Åkesson, Henning; Morlighem, Mathieu; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Svendsen, John-Inge & Mangerud, Jan (2018). Atmosphere-driven ice sheet mass loss paced by topography: Insights from modelling the south-western Scandinavian Ice Sheet. Quaternary Science Reviews. ISSN 0277-3791. 195, p. 32–47. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.07.004. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Marine-terminating glaciers and ice streams are important controls of ice sheet mass balance. However, understanding of their long-term response to external forcing is limited by relatively short observational records of present-day glaciers and sparse geologic evidence for paleo-glaciers. Here we use a high-resolution ice sheet model with an accurate representation of grounding line dynamics to study the deglaciation of the marine-based south-western Norwegian sector of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet and its sensitivity to ocean and atmosphere forcing. We find that the regional response to a uniform climate change is highly dependent on the local bedrock topography, consistent with ice sheet reconstructions. Our simulations suggest that ocean warming is able to trigger initial retreat in several fjords, but is not sufficient to explain retreat everywhere. Widespread retreat requires additional ice thinning driven by surface melt. Once retreat is triggered, the underlying bedrock topography and fjord width control the rate and extent of retreat, while multi-millennial changes over the course of deglaciation are modulated by surface melt. We suggest that fjord geometry, ice-ocean interactions and grounding line dynamics are vital controls of decadal-to centennial scale ice sheet mass loss. However, we postulate that atmospheric changes are the most important drivers of widespread ice sheet demise, and will likely trump oceanic influence on future ice sheet mass loss and resulting sea level rise over centennial and longer time scales.

• Steiger, Nadine; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Åkesson, Henning; de Fleurian, Basile & Nick, Faezeh M. (2018). Simulated retreat of Jakobshavn Isbræ since the Little Ice Age controlled by geometry. The Cryosphere. ISSN 1994-0416. 12(7), p. 2249–2266. doi: 10.5194/tc-12-2249-2018. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Rapid retreat of Greenland's marine-terminating glaciers coincides with regional warming trends, which have broadly been used to explain these rapid changes. However, outlet glaciers within similar climate regimes experience widely contrasting retreat patterns, suggesting that the local fjord geometry could be an important additional factor. To assess the relative role of climate and fjord geometry, we use the retreat history of Jakobshavn Isbræ, West Greenland, since the Little Ice Age (LIA) maximum in 1850 as a baseline for the parameterization of a depth- and width-integrated ice flow model. The impact of fjord geometry is isolated by using a linearly increasing climate forcing since the LIA and testing a range of simplified geometries. We find that the total length of retreat is determined by external factors – such as hydrofracturing, submarine melt and buttressing by sea ice – whereas the retreat pattern is governed by the fjord geometry. Narrow and shallow areas provide pinning points and cause delayed but rapid retreat without additional climate warming, after decades of grounding line stability. We suggest that these geometric pinning points may be used to locate potential sites for moraine formation and to predict the long-term response of the glacier. As a consequence, to assess the impact of climate on the retreat history of a glacier, each system has to be analyzed with knowledge of its historic retreat and the local fjord geometry.

• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes & Nick, Faezeh M. (2018). Impact of fjord geometry on grounding line stability. Frontiers in Earth Science. ISSN 2296-6463. 6. doi: 10.3389/feart.2018.00071. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Recent and past retreat of marine-terminating glaciers are broadly consistent with observed ocean warming, yet responses vary significantly within regions experiencing similar ocean conditions. We assess how fjord geometry modulates glacier response to a regional ocean warming on decadal to millennial time scales, by using an idealized, numerical model of fast-flowing glaciers including a crevasse-depth calving criterion. Our simulations show that, given identical climate forcing, grounding line responses can differ by tens of kilometers due to variations in channel width. We identify fjord mouths and embayments as vulnerable geometries, showing that glaciers in these fjords are prone to rapid, irreversible retreat, independent of the presence of a fjord sill. This irreversible retreat has relevance for the potential future recovery of marine ice sheets, if the current anthropogenic warming is reduced, or reversed, as well as for the response of marine ice sheets to past climate states; including the warm Bølling-Allerød interstadial, the Younger Dryas cold reversal and the Little Ice Age.

• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Giesen, Rianne H. & Morlighem, Mathieu (2017). Simulating the evolution of Hardangerjøkulen ice cap in southern Norway since the mid-Holocene and its sensitivity to climate change. The Cryosphere. ISSN 1994-0416. 11, p. 281–302. doi: 10.5194/tc-11-281-2017. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Understanding of long-term dynamics of glaciers and ice caps is vital to assess their recent and future changes, yet few long-term reconstructions using ice flow models exist. Here we present simulations of the maritime Hardangerjøkulen ice cap in Norway from the mid-Holocene through the Little Ice Age (LIA) to the present day, using a numerical ice flow model combined with glacier and climate reconstructions. In our simulation, under a linear climate forcing, we find that Hardangerjøkulen grows from ice-free conditions in the mid-Holocene to its maximum extent during the LIA in a nonlinear, spatially asynchronous fashion. During its fastest stage of growth (2300–1300 BP), the ice cap triples its volume in less than 1000 years. The modeled ice cap extent and outlet glacier length changes from the LIA until today agree well with available observations. Volume and area for Hardangerjøkulen and several of its outlet glaciers vary out-of-phase for several centuries during the Holocene. This volume–area disequilibrium varies in time and from one outlet glacier to the next, illustrating that linear relations between ice extent, volume and glacier proxy records, as generally used in paleoclimatic reconstructions, have only limited validity. We also show that the present-day ice cap is highly sensitive to surface mass balance changes and that the effect of the ice cap hypsometry on the mass balance–altitude feedback is essential to this sensitivity. A mass balance shift by +0.5 m w.e. relative to the mass balance from the last decades almost doubles ice volume, while a decrease of 0.2 m w.e. or more induces a strong mass balance–altitude feedback and makes Hardangerjøkulen disappear entirely. Furthermore, once disappeared, an additional +0.1 m w.e. relative to the present mass balance is needed to regrow the ice cap to its present-day extent. We expect that other ice caps with comparable geometry in, for example, Norway, Iceland, Patagonia and peripheral Greenland may behave similarly, making them particularly vulnerable to climate change.

• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Giesen, Rianne H. & Morlighem, Mathieu (2016). Simulating asymmetric growth and retreat of Hardangerjøkulen ice cap in southern Norway since the mid-Holocene. The Cryosphere Discussions. ISSN 1994-0432. doi: 10.5194/tc-2016-62. Show summary

  Changes to the volume of glaciers and ice caps currently amount to half of the total cryospheric contribution to sea-level rise and are projected to remain substantial throughout the 21st century. To simulate glacier behavior on centennial and longer time scales, models rely on simplified dynamics and tunable parameters for processes not well understood. Model calibration is often done using present-day observations, even though the relationship between parameters and parametrized processes may be altered for significantly different glacier states. In this study, we simulate the evolution of the Hardangerjøkulen ice cap in southern Norway from the mid-Holocene through the Little Ice Age (LIA) to the present-day. For both the calibration and transient experiments, we run an ensemble using a two-dimensional ice flow model with local mesh refinement. For the Holocene, we apply a simple surface mass balance forcing based on climate reconstructions. For the LIA until 1962, we use geomorphological evidence and measured outlet glacier positions to find a mass balance history, while from 1963 until today we use direct mass balance measurements. Given a linear climate forcing, we find that Hardangerjøkulen grew from ice-free conditions in the mid-Holocene, to its maximum LIA extent in a highly non-linear fashion. During the fastest stage of growth (2200-1200 BP), the ice cap tripled its ice volume over only 1000 years. We also reveal an intriguing spatial asymmetry during advance and retreat; the western ice cap and the northern outlet glacier Midtdalsbreen grow first and disappear first. In contrast, the eastern part, including the northeastern outlet glacier Blåisen, grows last and disappears last. Furthermore, volume and area of several outlet glaciers, as well as of the entire ice cap, vary out-of-phase for multiple centuries during the late Holocene, before varying in-phase approaching the LIA. We relate this to bed topography and the mass balance-altitude feedback, and challenge canonical linear assumptions between ice cap extent and glacier proxy records. Thus, we provide new insight into long-term dynamical response of ice caps to climate change, relevant for paleoglaciological studies and future predictions. Our model simulates ice cap extent and outlet glacier length changes from the LIA until today that are close to observations. We show that present-day Hardangerjøkulen is extremely sensitive to surface mass balance changes, mainly due to a strong mass balance-altitude feedback for the gently sloping surface topography of the ice cap.

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• Tjoflot, Gunn Kristin; Åkesson, Henning & Kjellin, Simen (2024). Studietur i Jotunheimen ble til unik utstilling om oppdagelsen av istiden. [Internet]. Titan.uio.no.
• Etzelmüller, Bernd; Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Conrad, Clinton Phillips; Åkesson, Henning & Lund, Martin (2023). GeoOnsdag Spesial "Arven etter Esmark" - Sjå opptak frå foredraget. [Internet]. https://www.mn.uio.no/geo/om/organisasjon/geohyd/aktuelt/geo.
• Åkesson, Henning; Kjellin, Simen; Hirsti, Linn Katrine; Etzelmüller, Bernd & Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen (2023). Utstilling: Arven etter Esmark – Fra oppdagelsen av istiden til dens betydning for dagens forskning.
• Tjoflot, Gunn Kristin & Åkesson, Henning (2023). GeoOnsdag Spesial "Arven etter Esmark" - Sjå opptak frå foredraget. [Internet]. UiO.no.
• Åkesson, Henning (2023). Istiden i bilder - skolebesøk fra Nadderud VGS.
• Åkesson, Henning; Sjursen, Kamilla Hauknes; Andreassen, Liss Marie; Gillespie, Mette Kusk; Huss, Matthias & Schuler, Thomas [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). Glaciers and people around mainland Europe’s largest ice cap – the JOSTICE project. Show summary

  Here we present highlights from an ongoing multifaceted research project about mainland Europe's largest ice cap. The JOSTICE project (jostice.no) is funded by the Research Council of Norway and assesses present and future changes of glacier evolution and mass balance, runoff, and the local climate of the Jostedalsbreen ice cap in western Norway. The project works tightly with the local people and stakeholders to provide the scientific basis for sustainable adaptation strategies for future hydropower production, agriculture and tourism. Through this, we show how JOSTICE serves as inspiration for similar future interdisciplinary Arctic initiatives in Svalbard and beyond. Here we specifically highlight how we use coupled numerical simulations of glacier dynamics, surface mass balance and glacier evolution. Thereby we determine which glacier areas that are bound to disappear under projected future climate change. Finally, several hundred thousand guests visit Jostedalsbreen every year. In this light, we show how we work with the local tourism industry to plan and adapt to an ice cap in decline.

• Åkesson, Henning; Etzelmüller, Bernd; Lund, Erik Martin; Conrad, Clinton Phillips & Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen (2023). Arven etter Esmark - GeoOnsdag Spesial. Show summary

  Arven etter Esmark, Bernd Etzelmüller/Karianne Lilleøren Imagining Esmark’s Lost Scandinavian Ice, Clint Conrad Gårsdagens is - fremtidens fasit, Henning Åkesson Wind of change, Martin Lund

• Åkesson, Henning & Bogen, Annika Celin (2023). Hvordan kan Norge ha en av verdens lengste kystlinjer? [Internet]. Ung.forskning.no.
• Åkesson, Henning; Morlighem, Mathieu; Nilsson, Johan; Stranne, Christian & Jakobsson, Martin (2022). Petermann Ice Shelf may not recover from a future breakup.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). Nyheter från Vetenskapsradion. [Radio]. Sveriges Radio.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). Svårare än väntat for glaciärer att återhämta sig från klimatuppvärmningen. [Internet]. Aftonbladet.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). Istungor livsviktiga för glaciärers återhämtning. [Internet]. Forskning.se.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). Isbreer kan miste beskyttelsen for alltid hvis istungene forsvinner. [Internet]. Forsking.no.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). Vanskelig for isbreer å bygge seg opp igjen etter global oppvarming. [Internet]. Titan.uio.no.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). Kaum noch Hoffnung für Gletscher, etwas Hoffnung für Eisbären. [Internet]. Der Spiegel.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). More Damaging Than Previously Thought: Glaciers Might Not Be Able To Recover From Climate Change. [Internet]. Today UK News.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). More Damaging Than Previously Thought: Glaciers Might Not Be Able To Recover From Climate Change. [Internet]. SciTechDaily.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). Gletscher erholen sich langsamer als erwartet von der Klimaerwärmung. [Internet]. Climate-academy.org.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). Los glaciares lo tienen cada vez más difícil para recuperarse del cambio climático  . [Internet]. Eltiempo.es.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). Study illustrates irreversibility of ice shelf collapse. [Internet]. SAT PRWire.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). Une étude illustre l’irréversibilité d’un effondrement des plateformes de glace. [Internet]. Sciencepost.fr.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). Ice shelves will struggle to recover from global warming. [Internet]. Earth.com.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). More difficult than expected for glaciers to recover from climate warming. [Internet]. VerveTimes.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). Más difícil de lo esperado para que los glaciares se recuperen del calentamiento climático. [Internet]. F1 Mundial.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). More difficult than expected for glaciers to recover from climate warming . [Internet]. YubaNet.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). Glacier recovery from global warming is more difficult than previous estimates. [Internet]. News9.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). More difficult than expected for glaciers to recover from climate warming. [Internet]. Thinking Port.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). Recovery of Confined Ice Shelves Like Petermann's is Unlikely Post-Breakup. [Internet]. Azo Cleantech.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). Recovery of Broken ice Shelves More Difficult Than Expected. [Internet]. Newclick.in.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). More difficult than expected for glaciers to recover from climate warming. [Internet]. Scienmag.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). More Difficult Than Expected For Glaciers To Recover From Climate Warming. [Internet]. Newswise.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). More difficult than expected for glaciers to recover from climate warming. [Internet]. Phys.org.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). More Difficult Than Expected For Glaciers To Recover From Climate Warming. [Internet]. Sciencenewsnet.in.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). More difficult than expected for glaciers to recover from climate warming. [Internet]. Science Daily.
• Åkesson, Henning (2022). More difficult than expected for glaciers to recover from climate warming. [Internet]. Stockholm University website.
• Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes & Åkesson, Henning (2022). Hardangerjøkulen - fortidshistorien og fremtidsutsiktene.
• Åkesson, Henning; Morlighem, Mathieu; Jakobsson, Martin; Nilsson, Johan & Stranne, Christian (2021). Can Petermann recover from future collapse of its ice shelf?
• Åkesson, Henning (2021). Greenland's largest glacier through the year 2300. [Internet]. American Geophysical Union (AGU) YouTube Channel.
• Åkesson, Henning (2021). The rocky road to accurate sea-level predictions. [Internet]. ScienMag - Science Magazine.
• Åkesson, Henning (2021). We urgently need to reconsider the under-ice landscapes of glaciers. [Internet]. Labroots.
• Åkesson, Henning (2021). Demise of a glacier, uncovering a fjord. [Internet]. Stockholm University website.
• Åkesson, Henning (2021). The rocky road to accurate sea-level projections - dirt and water under Greenland control future sea-level rise. [Internet]. Bolin Centre for Climate Research website.
• Åkesson, Henning (2020). Snowhow - Vinteren kommer. [TV]. NRK TV.
• Åkesson, Henning (2020). Demise of a glacier, uncovering of a fjord. [Internet]. Phys.org.
• Åkesson, Henning (2020). Demise of a glacier, uncovering of the Hardangerfjord. [Internet]. Forskning.no/ScienceNorway.
• Åkesson, Henning (2020). This is how Hardanger melted at record speed from the last ice age. [Internet]. Alkhaleej Today.
• Åkesson, Henning (2020). Norsk isbre smeltet i rekordfart - gir en pekepinn om framtiden på Grønland. [Internet]. NRK.no.
• Frank, Thomas; Åkesson, Henning; de Fleurian, Basile & Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes (2020). Geometric Controls of Fjord Glacier Dynamics. Show summary

  Retreat of marine outlet glaciers and ice shelves may initiate depletion of inland ice and lead to ice loss that by far exceeds what would be expected from ocean and atmospheric warming alone. Many marine outlet glaciers draining large parts of past and present ice masses have shown non-linear and variable retreat rates, with adjacent glaciers sometimes showing a highly different response to the same large-scale climate forcing. This suggests that individual glacier characteristics play a dominant role in governing retreat. There is widespread evidence that the dynamic glacier adjustment to an external forcing is highly influenced by fjord topography. However, whether this stabilizes the glacier, or promotes enhanced retreat, depends on the shape of the fjord. So far, no rigorous, systematic assessment of the exact influence of certain geometric features such as overdeepenings or embayments has been undertaken in a model framework that incorporates all relevant processes in a 3D layout. Here, we analyze a multitude of topographic settings and scenarios using the Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM), which accounts for all relevant physics in a 3D framework. Using artificial fjord geometries, we investigate glacier-topography interaction and quantify the modeled glacier response directly in relation to topographic features. In light of our modeled topographic influence on glacier retreat, we consider whether we reliably can extrapolate observations from a few well-monitored glaciers to those less studied. Furthermore, we discuss implications for past and future ice sheet mass loss and associated sea-level rise. Finally, a deeper understanding of processes at the glacier front improves confidence in the climate signal derived from the deglacial landscape, as glacier-proximal landforms can more confidently be linked to climate.

• Paasche, Øyvind & Åkesson, Henning (2019). Let’s Start Teaching Scientists How to Withstand Attacks on Fact. EOS. ISSN 0096-3941.
• Åkesson, Henning (2018). I spotted this beautiful Norwegian ice cap from the air recently — and as it turns out, it’s doomed. [Internet]. Discover Magazine.
• Åkesson, Henning (2018). Brer over breen - Slik skal sveitserne bremse bresmeltingen. Dagens næringsliv. ISSN 0803-9372.
• Paasche, Øyvind & Åkesson, Henning (2018). Scientific Integrity in a Politically Challenged World (Session TM 6, Conveners).
• Åkesson, Henning (2018). Flere norske isbreer i ferd med å forsvinne. [TV]. TV2 Nyhetskanalen.
• Åkesson, Henning (2018). Isbreene forsvinner. [TV]. NRK Vestlandsrevyen.
• Åkesson, Henning (2018). Hardangerjøkulen kan bli helt borte. Bergens Tidende. ISSN 0804-8983.
• Åkesson, Henning (2018). – Vi er i ferd med å miste breene som i dag er en del av landskapet vårt. [Internet]. Bergens Tidende.
• Åkesson, Henning (2018). Full retrett for norske isbrear? [Internet]. Framtida.no.
• Åkesson, Henning; Gyllencreutz, Richard; Mangerud, Jan; Nick, Faezeh M. & Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes (2018). Fast retreat of a marine outlet glacier in western Norway at the last glacial termination. Show summary

  Observations of marine outlet glaciers covering the last few decades show speedup and accelerated retreat, and the geologic record testaments that catastrophic changes occurred also in the past. However, the time scales of rapid outlet glacier retreat and the underlying drivers are still unclear. Here, we study the collapse of Hardangerfjorden glacier, an outlet glacier of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet, during the transition from the Younger Dryas cold period to the warming in early Holocene. We use dated terminal and lateral moraines as constraints for a simple ice flow model including calving. Our experiments suggest a fast and highly variable retreat history driven by surface melt and warming fjord waters, paced by fjord bathymetry as well as ice shelf dynamics. Grounding line retreat in response to the rapid, large early Holocene warming is simulated at rates below 200 m/a, punctuated by brief spells of swift retreat exceeding 500 m/a. Our findings imply that warming subsurface waters will continue to drive retreat of marine outlet glaciers in Greenland and elsewhere, but that recent elevated retreat rates observed are not likely to be sustained longer than a few decades. On centennial scales, retreat will likely be increasingly driven by a warming atmosphere.

• Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Åkesson, Henning & Steiger, Nadine (2018). Rapid deglaciation of Norwegian and Greenland fjords.
• Åkesson, Henning (2017). - Ekspressversjonen er at det blir varmare og Hardangerjøkulen smeltar. [Internet]. Hardanger Folkeblad nett.
• Åkesson, Henning (2017). Isbre kan vera borte om 50 år. [Newspaper]. Hardanger Folkeblad.
• Åkesson, Henning (2017). Klima i endring - hva skjer, hva kan vi gjøre, og hvilke muligheter åpner seg opp?
• Åkesson, Henning (2017). Møt en forsker - hva skjer med isbreer og klima?
• Åkesson, Henning (2017). Hardangerjøkulen i endring: - hva kan fortiden lære oss, og hva vil framtiden bringe?
• Steiger, Nadine; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Åkesson, Henning & Nick, Faezeh M. (2017). Modeling the retreat of the Jakobshavn Glacier from the LIA and into the future.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Morlighem, Mathieu; Nick, Faezeh M.; Mangerud, Jan & Svendsen, John-Inge (2017). What controls changes of marine outlet glaciers?
• Åkesson, Henning; Morlighem, Mathieu & Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes (2017). Modelling grounding line retreat during deglaciation of Western Norway using ISSM.
• Åkesson, Henning (2017). 80 Graphs From 58 New (2017) Papers Invalidate Claims Of Unprecedented Global-Scale Modern Warming. [Internet]. Notrickzone.com.
• Åkesson, Henning (2017). Breitbart misrepresents research from 58 scientific papers to falsely claim that they disprove human-caused global warming. [Internet]. Climate Feedback.
• Åkesson, Henning (2017). DELINGPOLE: 'Global Warming' Is a Myth, Say 58 Scientific Papers in 2017. [Internet]. Breitbart.
• Åkesson, Henning (2017). En historisk økonomisk gamble. Finansavisen. ISSN 0803-9518. p. 42–42.
• Åkesson, Henning (2017). Kan smelte bort. Vi menn. ISSN 0042-4951.
• Åkesson, Henning; Morlighem, Mathieu; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Svendsen, John-Inge & Mangerud, Jan (2017). Modelling grounding line retreat during deglaciation of the Western Fennoscandian Ice Sheet using ISSM.
• Åkesson, Henning (2017). Hardangerjøkulen: The Real-Life Hoth is Disappearing. [Internet]. GlacierHub.org.
• Åkesson, Henning (2017). Low snow cover threatens Swiss ski resorts. [Internet]. Breaking Property News.
• Åkesson, Henning (2017). Low snow cover threatens Swiss ski resorts. [Internet]. Climate News Network.
• Åkesson, Henning; Paasche, Øyvind & Lysbakken, Audun (2017). Lysbakken: - Trump angriper sannheten og vitenskapen. Bergens Tidende. ISSN 0804-8983. p. 4–4.
• Åkesson, Henning & Engeset, Rune Verpe (2017). 300 meter tykk isbre kan være borte om 50 år. [Internet]. Kraftnytt.no.
• Åkesson, Henning (2017). Norwegian ice cap 'exceptionally sensitive' to climate change. [Internet]. ScienceDaily.com.
• Åkesson, Henning (2017). Norwegian ice cap 'exceptionally sensitive' to climate change. [Internet]. Phys.org.
• Åkesson, Henning & Engeset, Rune Verpe (2017). Nesten alle de norske isbreene kan smelte helt bort innen 100 år. [Internet]. NRK P3 Nyheter.
• Åkesson, Henning & Engeset, Rune Verpe (2017). Hardangerjøkulen kan forsvinne. [TV]. NRK Vestlandsrevyen.
• Åkesson, Henning & Karlsen, Ola (2017). Om 100 år kan de norske isbreene ha smeltet. [Internet]. ABC Nyheter.
• Åkesson, Henning; Engeset, Rune Verpe; Nyhammer Olsen, Adrian; Angell, Elise & Norheim Johansen, Even (2017). 300 meter tykk isbre kan være borte om 50 år. [Internet]. NRK.no.
• Åkesson, Henning (2017). Denne isbreen kan være borte om 50 år. [TV]. NRK Dagsrevyen.
• Åkesson, Henning & Engeset, Rune Verpe (2017). Isbreer kan forsvinne dette århundret. [Radio]. NRK Hordaland.
• Åkesson, Henning & Engeset, Rune Verpe (2017). Isbreer kan forsvinne dette århundret. [Radio]. NRK P2 Nyhetsmorgen.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes & Sylte, Gudrun (2017). Hardangerjøkulen kan smelte vekk i løpet av dette århundret. [Internet]. energiogklima.no.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Giesen, Rianne H. & Morlighem, Mathieu (2017). Simulating the history of Hardangerjøkulen ice cap and its sensitivity to climate change.
• Åkesson, Henning; Steiger, Nadine; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes & Nick, Faezeh M. (2017). How fjord geometry controls marine-terminating glacier stability.
• Åkesson, Henning; Paasche, Øyvind & Njåstad, Marthe (2017). Har startet støttekampanje for amerikansk forskning. [Internet]. På Høyden.
• Åkesson, Henning; Paasche, Øyvind & Sylte, Gudrun (2017). Sanker støtte for amerikansk forskning. [Internet]. energiogklima.no.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Giesen, Rianne H. & Morlighem, Mathieu (2017). Simulating the history of Hardangerjøkulen ice cap and its sensitivity to climate change.
• Paasche, Øyvind & Åkesson, Henning (2017). Nordic support for American climate science. UArctic website.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nick, Faezeh M.; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes & Steiger, Nadine (2017). How fjord geometry controls marine-terminating glacier stability.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nick, Faezeh M.; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes & Steiger, Nadine (2016). On the impact of fjord geometry on grounding line stability.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Nick, Faezeh M. & Steiger, Nadine (2016). Effect of fjord geometry on marine-terminating glacier stability.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nick, Faezeh M. & Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes (2016). Effect of fjord geometry on ice sheet stability.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Giesen, Rianne H. & Morlighem, Mathieu (2016). Simulating asymmetric growth and retreat of Hardangerjøkulen ice cap in southern Norway since the mid-Holocene.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes & Steiger, Nadine (2016). Marine ice sheet stability and climate interactions.
• Steiger, Nadine; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Nick, Faezeh M. & Åkesson, Henning (2016). Modelling marine-terminating glaciers in a warming climate.
• Åkesson, Henning & Steiger, Nadine (2016). Breer, klima og klimagassutslipp - hva er det som skjer?
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Giesen, Rianne H. & Morlighem, Mathieu (2016). Modelled non-linear response to climate of Hardangerjøkulen ice cap, southern Norway, since the mid-Holocene.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Steiger, Nadine & Nick, Faezeh M. (2016). Effect of fjord geometry on tidewater glacier stability.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes & Nick, Faezeh M. (2015). Fjord geometry and marine outlet glacier stability on centennial time scales.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes & Nick, Faezeh M. (2015). Fjord geometry and marine outlet glacier stability on centennial time scales.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes & Nick, Faezeh M. (2015). Fjord geometry and marine outlet glacier stability on deglaciation time scales.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Svendsen, John-Inge; Mangerud, Jan; Hughes, Anna L.C. & Vasskog, Kristian [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2015). Marine outlet glacier stability on centennial time scales.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Giesen, Rianne H. & Morlighem, Mathieu (2015). Modelling mass balance and dynamics of Hardangerjøkulen Ice Cap, Southern Norway.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Svendsen, John-Inge; Mangerud, Jan; Hughes, Anna L.C. & Vasskog, Kristian [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2015). Deglaciation of the Norwegian fjords.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Svendsen, John-Inge; Mangerud, Jan; Hughes, Anna L.C. & Vasskog, Kristian [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2015). Deglaciation of the Norwegian fjords.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Giesen, Rianne H. & Morlighem, Mathieu (2015). Simulating the climatic response of Hardangerjøkulen ice cap since the Little Ice Age.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Giesen, Rianne H. & Morlighem, Mathieu (2015). Simulating Hardangerjøkulen ice cap, southern Norway, since the Little Ice Age.
• Åkesson, Henning (2015). Breer og klima: hva er det som skjer? - og hvordan vi vet det.
• Jensen, Mari Fjalstad & Åkesson, Henning (2015). Hva gjør en klimaforsker? .
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Giesen, Rianne H. & Morlighem, Mathieu (2014). Simulating the climatic response of Hardangerjøkulen ice cap with ISSM.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Giesen, Rianne H. & Morlighem, Mathieu (2014). Simulating the climatic response of Hardangerjøkulen ice cap since the Little Ice Age.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes; Giesen, Rianne H. & Morlighem, Mathieu (2014). Simulating Hardangerjøkulen ice cap, southern Norway, since the Little Ice Age.
• Åkesson, Henning (2018). Deglaciation of the Norwegian fjords. Universitetet i Bergen.
• Åkesson, Henning; Nisancioglu, Kerim Hestnes & Svendsen, John-Inge (2018). Deglaciation of the Norwegian fjords . Universitetet i Bergen. ISSN 978-82-308-3854-9.

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