Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica
The surface mass balance (SMB) of the Larsen C ice shelf (LCIS), Antarctica, is poorly constrained due to a dearth of in situ observations. Combining several geophysical techniques, we reconstruct spatial and temporal patterns of SMB over the LCIS. Continuous time series of snow height (2.5–6 years)...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:366403229db24ae79a671a877e94c16c 2023-05-15T13:30:32+02:00 Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica P. Kuipers Munneke D. McGrath B. Medley A. Luckman S. Bevan B. Kulessa D. Jansen A. Booth P. Smeets B. Hubbard D. Ashmore M. Van den Broeke H. Sevestre K. Steffen A. Shepherd N. Gourmelen 2017-11-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2411-2017 https://doaj.org/article/366403229db24ae79a671a877e94c16c EN eng Copernicus Publications https://www.the-cryosphere.net/11/2411/2017/tc-11-2411-2017.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-11-2411-2017 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/366403229db24ae79a671a877e94c16c The Cryosphere, Vol 11, Pp 2411-2426 (2017) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2017 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2411-2017 2022-12-31T04:40:34Z The surface mass balance (SMB) of the Larsen C ice shelf (LCIS), Antarctica, is poorly constrained due to a dearth of in situ observations. Combining several geophysical techniques, we reconstruct spatial and temporal patterns of SMB over the LCIS. Continuous time series of snow height (2.5–6 years) at five locations allow for multi-year estimates of seasonal and annual SMB over the LCIS. There is high interannual variability in SMB as well as spatial variability: in the north, SMB is 0.40 ± 0.06 to 0.41 ± 0.04 m w.e. year −1 , while farther south, SMB is up to 0.50 ± 0.05 m w.e. year −1 . This difference between north and south is corroborated by winter snow accumulation derived from an airborne radar survey from 2009, which showed an average snow thickness of 0.34 m w.e. north of 66° S, and 0.40 m w.e. south of 68° S. Analysis of ground-penetrating radar from several field campaigns allows for a longer-term perspective of spatial variations in SMB: a particularly strong and coherent reflection horizon below 25–44 m of water-equivalent ice and firn is observed in radargrams collected across the shelf. We propose that this horizon was formed synchronously across the ice shelf. Combining snow height observations, ground and airborne radar, and SMB output from a regional climate model yields a gridded estimate of SMB over the LCIS. It confirms that SMB increases from north to south, overprinted by a gradient of increasing SMB to the west, modulated in the west by föhn-induced sublimation. Previous observations show a strong decrease in firn air content toward the west, which we attribute to spatial patterns of melt, refreezing, and densification rather than SMB. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles The Cryosphere 11 6 2411 2426 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 P. Kuipers Munneke D. McGrath B. Medley A. Luckman S. Bevan B. Kulessa D. Jansen A. Booth P. Smeets B. Hubbard D. Ashmore M. Van den Broeke H. Sevestre K. Steffen A. Shepherd N. Gourmelen Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
The surface mass balance (SMB) of the Larsen C ice shelf (LCIS), Antarctica, is poorly constrained due to a dearth of in situ observations. Combining several geophysical techniques, we reconstruct spatial and temporal patterns of SMB over the LCIS. Continuous time series of snow height (2.5–6 years) at five locations allow for multi-year estimates of seasonal and annual SMB over the LCIS. There is high interannual variability in SMB as well as spatial variability: in the north, SMB is 0.40 ± 0.06 to 0.41 ± 0.04 m w.e. year −1 , while farther south, SMB is up to 0.50 ± 0.05 m w.e. year −1 . This difference between north and south is corroborated by winter snow accumulation derived from an airborne radar survey from 2009, which showed an average snow thickness of 0.34 m w.e. north of 66° S, and 0.40 m w.e. south of 68° S. Analysis of ground-penetrating radar from several field campaigns allows for a longer-term perspective of spatial variations in SMB: a particularly strong and coherent reflection horizon below 25–44 m of water-equivalent ice and firn is observed in radargrams collected across the shelf. We propose that this horizon was formed synchronously across the ice shelf. Combining snow height observations, ground and airborne radar, and SMB output from a regional climate model yields a gridded estimate of SMB over the LCIS. It confirms that SMB increases from north to south, overprinted by a gradient of increasing SMB to the west, modulated in the west by föhn-induced sublimation. Previous observations show a strong decrease in firn air content toward the west, which we attribute to spatial patterns of melt, refreezing, and densification rather than SMB. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
P. Kuipers Munneke D. McGrath B. Medley A. Luckman S. Bevan B. Kulessa D. Jansen A. Booth P. Smeets B. Hubbard D. Ashmore M. Van den Broeke H. Sevestre K. Steffen A. Shepherd N. Gourmelen |
author_facet |
P. Kuipers Munneke D. McGrath B. Medley A. Luckman S. Bevan B. Kulessa D. Jansen A. Booth P. Smeets B. Hubbard D. Ashmore M. Van den Broeke H. Sevestre K. Steffen A. Shepherd N. Gourmelen |
author_sort |
P. Kuipers Munneke |
title |
Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica |
title_short |
Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica |
title_full |
Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica |
title_sort |
observationally constrained surface mass balance of larsen c ice shelf, antarctica |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2411-2017 https://doaj.org/article/366403229db24ae79a671a877e94c16c |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 11, Pp 2411-2426 (2017) |
op_relation |
https://www.the-cryosphere.net/11/2411/2017/tc-11-2411-2017.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-11-2411-2017 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/366403229db24ae79a671a877e94c16c |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2411-2017 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
2411 |
op_container_end_page |
2426 |
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1766009723062059008 |