Modeling the Greenland englacial stratigraphy
Radar reflections from the interior of the Greenland ice sheet contain a comprehensive archive of past accumulation rates, ice dynamics, and basal melting. Combining these data with dynamic ice sheet models may greatly aid model calibration, improve past and future sea level estimates, and enable in...
Published in: | The Cryosphere |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2021
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4539-2021 https://doaj.org/article/4990dc537b2a4069a2282a8a634cfb35 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:4990dc537b2a4069a2282a8a634cfb35 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:4990dc537b2a4069a2282a8a634cfb35 2023-05-15T16:27:17+02:00 Modeling the Greenland englacial stratigraphy A. Born A. Robinson 2021-09-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4539-2021 https://doaj.org/article/4990dc537b2a4069a2282a8a634cfb35 EN eng Copernicus Publications https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/4539/2021/tc-15-4539-2021.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-15-4539-2021 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/4990dc537b2a4069a2282a8a634cfb35 The Cryosphere, Vol 15, Pp 4539-4556 (2021) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4539-2021 2022-12-31T06:53:33Z Radar reflections from the interior of the Greenland ice sheet contain a comprehensive archive of past accumulation rates, ice dynamics, and basal melting. Combining these data with dynamic ice sheet models may greatly aid model calibration, improve past and future sea level estimates, and enable insights into past ice sheet dynamics that neither models nor data could achieve alone. Unfortunately, simulating the continental-scale ice sheet stratigraphy represents a major challenge for current ice sheet models. In this study, we present the first three-dimensional ice sheet model that explicitly simulates the Greenland englacial stratigraphy. Individual layers of accumulation are represented on a grid whose vertical axis is time so that they do not exchange mass with each other as the flow of ice deforms them. This isochronal advection scheme does not influence the ice dynamics and only requires modest input data from a host thermomechanical ice sheet model, making it easy to transfer to a range of models. Using an ensemble of simulations, we show that direct comparison with the dated radiostratigraphy data yields notably more accurate results than calibrating simulations based on total ice thickness. We show that the isochronal scheme produces a more reliable simulation of the englacial age profile than traditional age tracers. The interpretation of ice dynamics at different times is possible but limited by uncertainties in the upper and lower boundary conditions, namely temporal variations in surface mass balance and basal friction. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland Ice Sheet The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Greenland The Cryosphere 15 9 4539 4556 |
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 A. Born A. Robinson Modeling the Greenland englacial stratigraphy |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Radar reflections from the interior of the Greenland ice sheet contain a comprehensive archive of past accumulation rates, ice dynamics, and basal melting. Combining these data with dynamic ice sheet models may greatly aid model calibration, improve past and future sea level estimates, and enable insights into past ice sheet dynamics that neither models nor data could achieve alone. Unfortunately, simulating the continental-scale ice sheet stratigraphy represents a major challenge for current ice sheet models. In this study, we present the first three-dimensional ice sheet model that explicitly simulates the Greenland englacial stratigraphy. Individual layers of accumulation are represented on a grid whose vertical axis is time so that they do not exchange mass with each other as the flow of ice deforms them. This isochronal advection scheme does not influence the ice dynamics and only requires modest input data from a host thermomechanical ice sheet model, making it easy to transfer to a range of models. Using an ensemble of simulations, we show that direct comparison with the dated radiostratigraphy data yields notably more accurate results than calibrating simulations based on total ice thickness. We show that the isochronal scheme produces a more reliable simulation of the englacial age profile than traditional age tracers. The interpretation of ice dynamics at different times is possible but limited by uncertainties in the upper and lower boundary conditions, namely temporal variations in surface mass balance and basal friction. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
A. Born A. Robinson |
author_facet |
A. Born A. Robinson |
author_sort |
A. Born |
title |
Modeling the Greenland englacial stratigraphy |
title_short |
Modeling the Greenland englacial stratigraphy |
title_full |
Modeling the Greenland englacial stratigraphy |
title_fullStr |
Modeling the Greenland englacial stratigraphy |
title_full_unstemmed |
Modeling the Greenland englacial stratigraphy |
title_sort |
modeling the greenland englacial stratigraphy |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4539-2021 https://doaj.org/article/4990dc537b2a4069a2282a8a634cfb35 |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
Greenland Ice Sheet The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
Greenland Ice Sheet The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 15, Pp 4539-4556 (2021) |
op_relation |
https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/4539/2021/tc-15-4539-2021.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-15-4539-2021 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/4990dc537b2a4069a2282a8a634cfb35 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4539-2021 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
15 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
4539 |
op_container_end_page |
4556 |
_version_ |
1766016405933654016 |