HIGH RESOLUTION NWP MODELLING OF THE ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS ACROSS VATNAJÖKULL (ICELAND)

• Main Authors: Laura Rontu, Friedrich Obleitner, Er Tijm, Christoph Zingerle, Stefan Gollvik
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: HIRLAM; parametrization; Vatnajökul Ice Cap; mass and energy balance; Vatnajökull; glacier; Ice cap; Ice Sheet; Iceland
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.618.8431; http://www.cnrm.meteo.fr/icam2007/ICAM2007/extended/manuscript_143.pdf

Abstract: We investigate the skill of an operational NWP model (HIRLAM) to reproduce the near-surface atmospheric conditions across the Vatnajökull Ice Sheet (Iceland). The study focuses on a mesoscale glaciometeorological observation campaign of summer 1996, which provided a wealth of meteorological and glaciological data. The modelling concept is based on nesting fine-scale (2.8km horizontal resolution) hydrostatic HIRLAM experiments into the downscaled ERA40 analyses. The results of a reference run are compared to a subset of observations following a height transect across Brei-damerkurjökull, a southern outlet glacier of Vatnajökull, which reveals some severe deficiencies regarding the treatment of the surface energy balance.