Yao Lai

We're pleased to release DIFFICE-jax v1.0, the foundation of our Science paper and a #DIFFerentiable #NeuralNetwork solver for #DataAssimilation of ICE shelves written in #JAX:
🔗Docs: diffice-jax.readthedocs.io/en/latest/in...
📄Peer-reviewed by JOSS #OpenSource: joss.theoj.org/papers/10.21...

From #PhysicsInformedML to #MLInformedPhysics: We're excited about the "knowledge discovery" component of this project utilizing vast amount of Earth data. 🌎
There is much more out there to be discovered, as nature's imagination is far greater than that of humans. Don't stop searching.💡

How does Antarctic ice deform? A deep-learning model infers large-scale dynamics of Antarctic ice shelves

In Science, researchers report a physics-informed #DeepLearning model that can predict the deformation behavior of Antarctic ice shelves, revealing complexities of the process that extend beyond the traditional understanding.

Learn more in a new #SciencePerspective. scim.ag/3RgudLc

news.stanford.edu/stories/2025...
NASA Earth data + AI enable us to infer the constitutive models critical for ice dynamics. AI is useful, but no data = no discovery. Below is an example of the training data: a velocity map showing the dynamics of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Source: #NASA.

Looking forward to learning about recent advances in #AI4Climate at the @apsphysics.bsky.social #GlobalPhysicsSummit meeting. Come check out the back-to-back focus sessions, "AI Applications in Weather and Climate I & II," on Tuesday from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM!
summit.aps.org/schedule/?c=...

AI reveals new insights into the flow of Antarctic ice Stanford researchers have combined machine learning with high-resolution satellite and airplane observations to understand the physics behind large-scale ice movements in Antarctica. The results show ...

A first-of-its-kind analysis revealed gaps in our understanding of how Antarctic ice is moving and melting. The findings could improve predictions about the conditions we may face in the future.

Our open-source JAX package, DIFFICE.jax (DIFFerentiable neural-network solver data assimilation of ICE shelves) is released. We are actively expanding the code's applications to other datasets and welcome collaborations!
diffice-jax.readthedocs.io/en/latest/in...

How does Antarctic ice deform? A deep-learning model infers large-scale dynamics of Antarctic ice shelves

Special thanks to Bryan Riel for writing a beautiful perspective on our paper, summarizing the key nuances of both our scientific findings and algorithmic advances.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Result: We find the constitutive law of glacial ice near grounding zones follows power laws but with varying exponents, which can impact grounding line stability. We also develop a method to detect and infer ice's anisotropic viscosity—a long-hypothesized property of glacial ice.

Method: We inject only the physics that we believe are correct, e.g. conservation of momentum, into the ML training, and leaving the uncertain physics, e.g. the constitutive law, to be determined through optimization against observations.
Details documented in our 60-page SI.

Finally published @science.org:
Can AI help yield new insights from vast amounts of Earth data?
We use large-scale data and neural nets to find the constitutive laws of glacial ice, which differ from commonly assumed forms in conventional models. #ScienceResearch
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

DOGE’s Chaos Reaches Antarctica Daily life at US-run Antarctic stations has already been disrupted. Scientists worry that the long-term impacts could upend not only important research but the continent’s delicate geopolitics.

Great reporting from @wired.com about what DOGE is doing to Antarctica, affecting US science and national security. This is what we will lose.

We can't just leave our bases in Antarctica empty. South Pole! McMurdo! Palmer!

At some point we might need a GoFundMe.

The mass firing of both new hires and recently promoted senior staff within #NOAA, including mission-critical and life-saving roles at the National Weather Service (#NWS), is profoundly alarming.
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