Near‐surface‐temperature lapse rates on the Prince of Wales Icefield, Ellesmere Island, Canada: implications for regional downscaling of temperature
Abstract Screen temperatures were monitored from May 2001 to April 2003 in an array of 25 sites on the Prince of Wales Icefield, Ellesmere Island, Canada. The observational network covered an area of ca 15 650 km 2 and spanned an altitude ranging from 130 to 2010 m above sea level. The spatial array...
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crwiley:10.1002/joc.1396 2024-09-15T18:04:46+00:00 Near‐surface‐temperature lapse rates on the Prince of Wales Icefield, Ellesmere Island, Canada: implications for regional downscaling of temperature Marshall, Shawn J. Sharp, Martin J. Burgess, David O. Anslow, Faron S. 2006 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/joc.1396 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fjoc.1396 https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/joc.1396 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor International Journal of Climatology volume 27, issue 3, page 385-398 ISSN 0899-8418 1097-0088 journal-article 2006 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1396 2024-08-22T04:15:28Z Abstract Screen temperatures were monitored from May 2001 to April 2003 in an array of 25 sites on the Prince of Wales Icefield, Ellesmere Island, Canada. The observational network covered an area of ca 15 650 km 2 and spanned an altitude ranging from 130 to 2010 m above sea level. The spatial array provides a record of near‐surface‐temperature lapse rates and mesoscale temperature variability on the icefield. The mean daily lapse rate in the 2‐year record is − 4.1° C km −1 , with an average summer lapse rate of − 4.3° C km −1 . Surface‐temperature lapse rates in the region are therefore systematically less than the free‐air lapse rates that are typically adopted for extrapolations of sea‐level temperature to higher altitudes. Steep lapse rates, resembling moist adiabatic rates in the free air (−6 to − 7° C km −1 ), are more common in summer at our site and are associated with enhanced cyclonic activity (low‐pressure and high relative vorticity) and southerly flow aloft. In contrast, northerly, anticyclonic flow prevails when summer lapse rates are weak (above − 2° C km −1 ). The low surface‐temperature lapse rates and their systematic synoptic variability have important implications for applications that require downscaling or extrapolation of surface‐ or boundary‐layer temperatures, such as modelling of glacier mass balance. We illustrate this in an analysis of observed versus modelled snowmelt on the icefield. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ellesmere Island glacier* Wiley Online Library International Journal of Climatology 27 3 385 398 |
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Open Polar |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Screen temperatures were monitored from May 2001 to April 2003 in an array of 25 sites on the Prince of Wales Icefield, Ellesmere Island, Canada. The observational network covered an area of ca 15 650 km 2 and spanned an altitude ranging from 130 to 2010 m above sea level. The spatial array provides a record of near‐surface‐temperature lapse rates and mesoscale temperature variability on the icefield. The mean daily lapse rate in the 2‐year record is − 4.1° C km −1 , with an average summer lapse rate of − 4.3° C km −1 . Surface‐temperature lapse rates in the region are therefore systematically less than the free‐air lapse rates that are typically adopted for extrapolations of sea‐level temperature to higher altitudes. Steep lapse rates, resembling moist adiabatic rates in the free air (−6 to − 7° C km −1 ), are more common in summer at our site and are associated with enhanced cyclonic activity (low‐pressure and high relative vorticity) and southerly flow aloft. In contrast, northerly, anticyclonic flow prevails when summer lapse rates are weak (above − 2° C km −1 ). The low surface‐temperature lapse rates and their systematic synoptic variability have important implications for applications that require downscaling or extrapolation of surface‐ or boundary‐layer temperatures, such as modelling of glacier mass balance. We illustrate this in an analysis of observed versus modelled snowmelt on the icefield. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Marshall, Shawn J. Sharp, Martin J. Burgess, David O. Anslow, Faron S. |
spellingShingle |
Marshall, Shawn J. Sharp, Martin J. Burgess, David O. Anslow, Faron S. Near‐surface‐temperature lapse rates on the Prince of Wales Icefield, Ellesmere Island, Canada: implications for regional downscaling of temperature |
author_facet |
Marshall, Shawn J. Sharp, Martin J. Burgess, David O. Anslow, Faron S. |
author_sort |
Marshall, Shawn J. |
title |
Near‐surface‐temperature lapse rates on the Prince of Wales Icefield, Ellesmere Island, Canada: implications for regional downscaling of temperature |
title_short |
Near‐surface‐temperature lapse rates on the Prince of Wales Icefield, Ellesmere Island, Canada: implications for regional downscaling of temperature |
title_full |
Near‐surface‐temperature lapse rates on the Prince of Wales Icefield, Ellesmere Island, Canada: implications for regional downscaling of temperature |
title_fullStr |
Near‐surface‐temperature lapse rates on the Prince of Wales Icefield, Ellesmere Island, Canada: implications for regional downscaling of temperature |
title_full_unstemmed |
Near‐surface‐temperature lapse rates on the Prince of Wales Icefield, Ellesmere Island, Canada: implications for regional downscaling of temperature |
title_sort |
near‐surface‐temperature lapse rates on the prince of wales icefield, ellesmere island, canada: implications for regional downscaling of temperature |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/joc.1396 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fjoc.1396 https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/joc.1396 |
genre |
Ellesmere Island glacier* |
genre_facet |
Ellesmere Island glacier* |
op_source |
International Journal of Climatology volume 27, issue 3, page 385-398 ISSN 0899-8418 1097-0088 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1396 |
container_title |
International Journal of Climatology |
container_volume |
27 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
385 |
op_container_end_page |
398 |
_version_ |
1810442379608457216 |