The modelled surface mass balance of the Antarctic Peninsula at 5.5 km horizontal resolution
This study presents a high-resolution (∼ 5.5 km) estimate of surface mass balance (SMB) over the period 1979–2014 for the Antarctic Peninsula (AP), generated by the regional atmospheric climate model RACMO2.3 and a firn densification model (FDM). RACMO2.3 is used to force the FDM, which calculates...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2016-02-01
|
Series: | The Cryosphere |
Online Access: | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/10/271/2016/tc-10-271-2016.pdf |
id |
doaj-bd12a9005d684869a359e96b75b6c7c6 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-bd12a9005d684869a359e96b75b6c7c62020-11-24T23:05:08ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe Cryosphere1994-04161994-04242016-02-0110127128510.5194/tc-10-271-2016The modelled surface mass balance of the Antarctic Peninsula at 5.5 km horizontal resolutionJ. M. van Wessem0S. R. M. Ligtenberg1C. H. Reijmer2W. J. van de Berg3M. R. van den Broeke4N. E. Barrand5E. R. Thomas6J. Turner7J. Wuite8T. A. Scambos9E. van Meijgaard10Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the NetherlandsInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the NetherlandsInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the NetherlandsInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the NetherlandsInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the NetherlandsSchool of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UKBritish Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UKBritish Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UKENVEO IT GmbH, Innsbruck, AustriaNational Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USARoyal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, De Bilt, the NetherlandsThis study presents a high-resolution (∼ 5.5 km) estimate of surface mass balance (SMB) over the period 1979–2014 for the Antarctic Peninsula (AP), generated by the regional atmospheric climate model RACMO2.3 and a firn densification model (FDM). RACMO2.3 is used to force the FDM, which calculates processes in the snowpack, such as meltwater percolation, refreezing and runoff. We evaluate model output with 132 in situ SMB observations and discharge rates from six glacier drainage basins, and find that the model realistically simulates the strong spatial variability in precipitation, but that significant biases remain as a result of the highly complex topography of the AP. It is also clear that the observations significantly underrepresent the high-accumulation regimes, complicating a full model evaluation.<br><br> The SMB map reveals large accumulation gradients, with precipitation values above 3000 mm we yr<sup>−1</sup> in the western AP (WAP) and below 500 mm we yr<sup>−1</sup> in the eastern AP (EAP), not resolved by coarser data sets such as ERA-Interim. The average AP ice-sheet-integrated SMB, including ice shelves (an area of 4.1 × 10<sup>5</sup> km<sup>2</sup>), is estimated at 351 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup> with an interannual variability of 58 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup>, which is dominated by precipitation (PR) (365 ± 57 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup>). The WAP (2.4 × 10<sup>5</sup> km<sup>2</sup>) SMB (276 ± 47 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup>), where PR is large (276 ± 47 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup>), dominates over the EAP (1.7 × 10<sup>5</sup> km<sup>2</sup>) SMB (75 ± 11 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup>) and PR (84 ± 11 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup>). Total sublimation is 11 ± 2 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup> and meltwater runoff into the ocean is 4 ± 4 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup>. There are no significant trends in any of the modelled AP SMB components, except for snowmelt that shows a significant decrease over the last 36 years (−0.36 Gt yr<sup>−2</sup>).http://www.the-cryosphere.net/10/271/2016/tc-10-271-2016.pdf |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
J. M. van Wessem S. R. M. Ligtenberg C. H. Reijmer W. J. van de Berg M. R. van den Broeke N. E. Barrand E. R. Thomas J. Turner J. Wuite T. A. Scambos E. van Meijgaard |
spellingShingle |
J. M. van Wessem S. R. M. Ligtenberg C. H. Reijmer W. J. van de Berg M. R. van den Broeke N. E. Barrand E. R. Thomas J. Turner J. Wuite T. A. Scambos E. van Meijgaard The modelled surface mass balance of the Antarctic Peninsula at 5.5 km horizontal resolution The Cryosphere |
author_facet |
J. M. van Wessem S. R. M. Ligtenberg C. H. Reijmer W. J. van de Berg M. R. van den Broeke N. E. Barrand E. R. Thomas J. Turner J. Wuite T. A. Scambos E. van Meijgaard |
author_sort |
J. M. van Wessem |
title |
The modelled surface mass balance of the Antarctic Peninsula at 5.5 km horizontal resolution |
title_short |
The modelled surface mass balance of the Antarctic Peninsula at 5.5 km horizontal resolution |
title_full |
The modelled surface mass balance of the Antarctic Peninsula at 5.5 km horizontal resolution |
title_fullStr |
The modelled surface mass balance of the Antarctic Peninsula at 5.5 km horizontal resolution |
title_full_unstemmed |
The modelled surface mass balance of the Antarctic Peninsula at 5.5 km horizontal resolution |
title_sort |
modelled surface mass balance of the antarctic peninsula at 5.5 km horizontal resolution |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
series |
The Cryosphere |
issn |
1994-0416 1994-0424 |
publishDate |
2016-02-01 |
description |
This study presents a high-resolution (∼ 5.5 km) estimate of surface mass balance (SMB) over the period 1979–2014 for the Antarctic Peninsula
(AP), generated by the regional atmospheric climate model RACMO2.3 and a firn
densification model (FDM). RACMO2.3 is used to force the FDM, which
calculates processes in the snowpack, such as meltwater percolation,
refreezing and runoff. We evaluate model output with 132 in situ SMB
observations and discharge rates from six glacier drainage basins, and find
that the model realistically simulates the strong spatial variability in
precipitation, but that significant biases remain as a result of the highly
complex topography of the AP. It is also clear that the observations
significantly underrepresent the high-accumulation regimes, complicating a
full model evaluation.<br><br>
The SMB map reveals large accumulation gradients, with precipitation values
above 3000 mm we yr<sup>−1</sup> in the western AP (WAP) and below
500 mm we yr<sup>−1</sup> in the eastern AP (EAP), not resolved by coarser
data sets such as ERA-Interim. The average AP ice-sheet-integrated SMB,
including ice shelves (an area of 4.1 × 10<sup>5</sup> km<sup>2</sup>), is
estimated at 351 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup> with an interannual variability of
58 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup>, which is dominated by precipitation (PR)
(365 ± 57 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup>). The WAP (2.4 × 10<sup>5</sup> km<sup>2</sup>)
SMB (276 ± 47 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup>), where PR is large
(276 ± 47 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup>), dominates over the EAP
(1.7 × 10<sup>5</sup> km<sup>2</sup>) SMB (75 ± 11 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup>) and PR
(84 ± 11 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup>). Total sublimation is
11 ± 2 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup> and meltwater runoff into the ocean is
4 ± 4 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup>. There are no significant trends in any of the
modelled AP SMB components, except for snowmelt that shows a significant
decrease over the last 36 years (−0.36 Gt yr<sup>−2</sup>). |
url |
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/10/271/2016/tc-10-271-2016.pdf |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT jmvanwessem themodelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT srmligtenberg themodelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT chreijmer themodelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT wjvandeberg themodelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT mrvandenbroeke themodelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT nebarrand themodelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT erthomas themodelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT jturner themodelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT jwuite themodelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT tascambos themodelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT evanmeijgaard themodelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT jmvanwessem modelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT srmligtenberg modelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT chreijmer modelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT wjvandeberg modelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT mrvandenbroeke modelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT nebarrand modelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT erthomas modelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT jturner modelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT jwuite modelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT tascambos modelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution AT evanmeijgaard modelledsurfacemassbalanceoftheantarcticpeninsulaat55kmhorizontalresolution |
_version_ |
1725627323015757824 |