Modeling the water isotopes in Greenland precipitation 1959–2001 with the meso-scale model REMO-iso

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research
• Main Authors: Sjolte, J., Hoffmann, G., Johnsen, S., Vinther, B., Masson-Delmotte, V., Sturm, C.
• Other Authors: Niels Bohr Institute Copenhagen (NBI), Faculty of Science Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (KU)-University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (KU), Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement Gif-sur-Yvette (LSCE), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), Glaces et Continents, Climats et Isotopes Stables (GLACCIOS), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht (IMAU), Utrecht University Utrecht, Stockholm University
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2011
• Subjects: [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean; Atmosphere; [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces; environment; Greenland; Remo; Svalbard; Greenland ice core; Greenland ice cores; ice core; Iceland; North Atlantic; North Atlantic oscillation
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03103349; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03103349/document; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03103349/file/2010JD015287.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JD015287

International audience Ice core studies have proved the d 18 O in Greenland precipitation to be correlated to the phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). This subject has also been investigated in modeling studies. However, these studies have either had severe biases in the d 18 O levels, or have not been designed to be compared directly with observations. In this study we nudge a meso-scale climate model fitted with stable water isotope diagnostics (REMO-iso) to follow the actual weather patterns for the period 1959-2001. We evaluate this simulation using meteorological observations from stations along the Greenland coast, and d 18 O from several Greenland ice core stacks and Global Network In Precipitation (GNIP) data from Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard. The REMO-iso output explains up to 40% of the interannual d 18 O variability observed in ice cores, which is comparable to the model performance for precipitation. In terms of reproducing the observed variability the global model, ECHAM4-iso performs on the same level as REMO-iso. However, REMO-iso has smaller biases in d 18 O and improved representation of the observed spatial d 18 O-temperature slope compared to ECHAM4-iso. Analysis of the main modes of winter variability of d 18 O shows a coherent signal in Central and Western Greenland similar to results from ice cores. The NAO explains 20% of the leading d 18 O pattern. Based on the model output we suggest that methods to reconstruct the NAO from Greenland ice cores employ both d 18 O and accumulation records.