Temporal variability in snow accumulation and density at Summit Camp, Greenland ice sheet
Abstract A 3-year record of weekly snow water equivalent (SWE) accumulation at Summit Camp, central Greenland ice sheet, obtained by direct sampling, is presented. While the overall SWE accumulation of 24.2 cm w.e. a −1 matches long-term ice core estimates, variability increases at shorter timescale...
Published in: | Journal of Glaciology |
---|---|
Main Author: | |
Other Authors: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2022
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2022.21 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143022000211 |
id |
crcambridgeupr:10.1017/jog.2022.21 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crcambridgeupr:10.1017/jog.2022.21 2024-09-15T18:09:14+00:00 Temporal variability in snow accumulation and density at Summit Camp, Greenland ice sheet Howat, Ian M. National Aeronautics and Space Administration 2022 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2022.21 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143022000211 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Journal of Glaciology volume 68, issue 272, page 1076-1084 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 journal-article 2022 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2022.21 2024-08-21T04:02:54Z Abstract A 3-year record of weekly snow water equivalent (SWE) accumulation at Summit Camp, central Greenland ice sheet, obtained by direct sampling, is presented. While the overall SWE accumulation of 24.2 cm w.e. a −1 matches long-term ice core estimates, variability increases at shorter timescales. Half of the annual SWE accumulation occurs during a few large events, with the average accumulation rate decreasing 35% between the first and second halves of the record coinciding with exceptional anticyclonic conditions in the spring and summer of 2019. No seasonality in accumulation is detected. Rather, local accumulation rates appear to be significantly impacted by wind redistribution that obscures temporal patterns in snowfall. Surface snow density is consistent, on average, with previously measured values but does not correlate with near surface temperature or wind speed. Two surface mass balance reanalysis models significantly underestimate accumulation rates at Summit Camp. This is concerning because such models are often used to estimate ice-sheet mass loss. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland ice core Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology Cambridge University Press Journal of Glaciology 1 9 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract A 3-year record of weekly snow water equivalent (SWE) accumulation at Summit Camp, central Greenland ice sheet, obtained by direct sampling, is presented. While the overall SWE accumulation of 24.2 cm w.e. a −1 matches long-term ice core estimates, variability increases at shorter timescales. Half of the annual SWE accumulation occurs during a few large events, with the average accumulation rate decreasing 35% between the first and second halves of the record coinciding with exceptional anticyclonic conditions in the spring and summer of 2019. No seasonality in accumulation is detected. Rather, local accumulation rates appear to be significantly impacted by wind redistribution that obscures temporal patterns in snowfall. Surface snow density is consistent, on average, with previously measured values but does not correlate with near surface temperature or wind speed. Two surface mass balance reanalysis models significantly underestimate accumulation rates at Summit Camp. This is concerning because such models are often used to estimate ice-sheet mass loss. |
author2 |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Howat, Ian M. |
spellingShingle |
Howat, Ian M. Temporal variability in snow accumulation and density at Summit Camp, Greenland ice sheet |
author_facet |
Howat, Ian M. |
author_sort |
Howat, Ian M. |
title |
Temporal variability in snow accumulation and density at Summit Camp, Greenland ice sheet |
title_short |
Temporal variability in snow accumulation and density at Summit Camp, Greenland ice sheet |
title_full |
Temporal variability in snow accumulation and density at Summit Camp, Greenland ice sheet |
title_fullStr |
Temporal variability in snow accumulation and density at Summit Camp, Greenland ice sheet |
title_full_unstemmed |
Temporal variability in snow accumulation and density at Summit Camp, Greenland ice sheet |
title_sort |
temporal variability in snow accumulation and density at summit camp, greenland ice sheet |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jog.2022.21 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143022000211 |
genre |
Greenland ice core Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Greenland ice core Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology volume 68, issue 272, page 1076-1084 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2022.21 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_start_page |
1 |
op_container_end_page |
9 |
_version_ |
1810446661609062400 |