The Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are core components of the cryosphere, storing more than two-thirds of the Earth's freshwater in solid form. Changes in polar ice sheets have significant impacts on global sea levels, water cycles, and atmospheric and oceanic circulation. Driven by climate warming, the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are undergoing continuous mass loss and have become one of the main contributors to the current global sea level rise. It is expected that this process will accelerate in the 21st century, posing a substantial challenge to the sustainable development of the world's coastal areas. Therefore, understanding the past, present and future mass balance of polar ice sheets remains a key focus for the global scientific community.

However, there is still considerable uncertainty in estimating the contributions of polar ice sheet changes to global sea level rise. This uncertainty is regarded as the greatest obstacle to accurate projections of future sea level change.  The key factors and dynamic mechanisms affecting variations in ice sheet mass balance are not fully understood. To address this, global scientists worldwide have made tremendous efforts, including establishing in-situ observation networks, integrating multi-source remote sensing data, developing three-dimensional ice sheet dynamic models, improving schemes for subglacial processes, and optimizing regional climate models for polar regions. These efforts have led to major advances in understanding polar ice sheet mass balance and its role in global sea level change. 

To promote interdisciplinary collaboration and share cutting-edge research, Advances in Polar Science (APS) is pleased to invite the following esteemed scholars to serve as guest editors for a Special Issue titled " Changes in Polar Ice Sheets and Global Sea Level ". 

● Professor Yetang Wang (Shandong Normal University, China)

● Professor Lei Zheng (Sun Yat-sen University)

● Associate Professor Baojuan Huai (Shandong Normal University)

● Associate Professor Liyun Zhao (Beijing Normal University).

    Among the seven research objectives established in the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the first objective is "Reduce uncertainty in the projections of the contribution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet to global mean sea level rise". Similarly, the Cryosphere Working Group under the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) continues to focus on the mass balance and dynamic mechanisms of Arctic glaciers and the Greenland Ice Sheet. This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances in understanding the changes in Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, enhance knowledge of ice sheet dynamics, and improve projections of their future contributions to sea level rise and broader climate impacts. As the United Nations General Assembly adopted a declaring 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, this special issue will make a contribution to these preservation activities.

Publication Details

This special issue will be published in December 2026, as part of the general issue (Vol. 37, No. 4) of APS. Please note the following deadlines: 

l January 31, 2026    Abstract submission deadline for potential  contributions

l August 15, 2026     Manuscript submission deadline for review

l November 15, 2026   Final manuscript submission deadline

l December 30, 2026   Publication date

Submission Instructions:

(1) Manuscripts must be original, unpublished works that adhere to the principles of academic integrity.

(2) Accepted article types include Research Articles, Reviews, Opinion-Editorials,

Trends & Letters, etc.

(3) Manuscripts should not exceed 15 pages (approximately 10,000 words).

(4) Please follow the submission guidelines provided by APS.

Topics of Interest include (but are not limited to):

l  Surface melting of ice sheets based on remote sensing and regional climate models

l Recent advances in ice sheet modeling

l Simulations of subglacial processes in the Antarctic or Greenland ice sheets

l Assessment of polar ice sheet mass loss and its contribution to sea level rise

l Surface mass balance of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets

l Projections of future ice sheet changes and their impacts on global sea level

l Climate impacts of polar ice sheet change

l In-situ observations of the polar ice sheet surface mass balance

We sincerely invite you to contribute to this Special Issue.

Editorial Office:

Contact to Dr. Sai Zhang, Dr. Luo Wang

Tel: 086-21-58713642, 58713650

Email: journal@pric.org.cn