How Does the Southern Annular Mode Control Surface Melt in East Antarctica?
Abstract Surface melt in East Antarctica is strongly correlated with the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) index, but the spatiotemporal variability of the relationship, and the physical processes responsible for it, have not been examined. Here, using melt flux estimates and climate variables from the RA...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105475 https://doaj.org/article/9470a2e3fd8c441b927c2041ebfbf966 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:9470a2e3fd8c441b927c2041ebfbf966 2024-09-15T17:48:11+00:00 How Does the Southern Annular Mode Control Surface Melt in East Antarctica? Dominic Saunderson Andrew N. Mackintosh Felicity S. McCormack Richard S. Jones Christiaan T. vanDalum 2024-03-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105475 https://doaj.org/article/9470a2e3fd8c441b927c2041ebfbf966 EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105475 https://doaj.org/toc/0094-8276 https://doaj.org/toc/1944-8007 1944-8007 0094-8276 doi:10.1029/2023GL105475 https://doaj.org/article/9470a2e3fd8c441b927c2041ebfbf966 Geophysical Research Letters, Vol 51, Iss 6, Pp n/a-n/a (2024) Antarctica Southern Annular Mode surface melt surface energy balance climate variability climate change Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 article 2024 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105475 2024-08-05T17:49:00Z Abstract Surface melt in East Antarctica is strongly correlated with the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) index, but the spatiotemporal variability of the relationship, and the physical processes responsible for it, have not been examined. Here, using melt flux estimates and climate variables from the RACMO2.3p3 regional climate model, we show that a decreasing SAM index is associated with increased melt in Dronning Maud Land primarily owing to reduced precipitation and greater absorption of solar radiation. Conversely, in Wilkes Land, a decreasing SAM index corresponds to increased melt because of greater incoming longwave radiation from a warmer atmosphere. We also demonstrate that SAM‐melt correlations are strongest in December as the melt season develops, and that the SAM’s influence on peak melt intensities in January occurs indirectly through the snowmelt‐albedo feedback. Future work must account for such variability in the physical processes underlying the SAM‐melt relationship to reduce uncertainty in surface melt projections. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Dronning Maud Land East Antarctica Wilkes Land Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Geophysical Research Letters 51 6 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Antarctica Southern Annular Mode surface melt surface energy balance climate variability climate change Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 |
spellingShingle |
Antarctica Southern Annular Mode surface melt surface energy balance climate variability climate change Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 Dominic Saunderson Andrew N. Mackintosh Felicity S. McCormack Richard S. Jones Christiaan T. vanDalum How Does the Southern Annular Mode Control Surface Melt in East Antarctica? |
topic_facet |
Antarctica Southern Annular Mode surface melt surface energy balance climate variability climate change Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 |
description |
Abstract Surface melt in East Antarctica is strongly correlated with the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) index, but the spatiotemporal variability of the relationship, and the physical processes responsible for it, have not been examined. Here, using melt flux estimates and climate variables from the RACMO2.3p3 regional climate model, we show that a decreasing SAM index is associated with increased melt in Dronning Maud Land primarily owing to reduced precipitation and greater absorption of solar radiation. Conversely, in Wilkes Land, a decreasing SAM index corresponds to increased melt because of greater incoming longwave radiation from a warmer atmosphere. We also demonstrate that SAM‐melt correlations are strongest in December as the melt season develops, and that the SAM’s influence on peak melt intensities in January occurs indirectly through the snowmelt‐albedo feedback. Future work must account for such variability in the physical processes underlying the SAM‐melt relationship to reduce uncertainty in surface melt projections. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Dominic Saunderson Andrew N. Mackintosh Felicity S. McCormack Richard S. Jones Christiaan T. vanDalum |
author_facet |
Dominic Saunderson Andrew N. Mackintosh Felicity S. McCormack Richard S. Jones Christiaan T. vanDalum |
author_sort |
Dominic Saunderson |
title |
How Does the Southern Annular Mode Control Surface Melt in East Antarctica? |
title_short |
How Does the Southern Annular Mode Control Surface Melt in East Antarctica? |
title_full |
How Does the Southern Annular Mode Control Surface Melt in East Antarctica? |
title_fullStr |
How Does the Southern Annular Mode Control Surface Melt in East Antarctica? |
title_full_unstemmed |
How Does the Southern Annular Mode Control Surface Melt in East Antarctica? |
title_sort |
how does the southern annular mode control surface melt in east antarctica? |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105475 https://doaj.org/article/9470a2e3fd8c441b927c2041ebfbf966 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Dronning Maud Land East Antarctica Wilkes Land |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Dronning Maud Land East Antarctica Wilkes Land |
op_source |
Geophysical Research Letters, Vol 51, Iss 6, Pp n/a-n/a (2024) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105475 https://doaj.org/toc/0094-8276 https://doaj.org/toc/1944-8007 1944-8007 0094-8276 doi:10.1029/2023GL105475 https://doaj.org/article/9470a2e3fd8c441b927c2041ebfbf966 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105475 |
container_title |
Geophysical Research Letters |
container_volume |
51 |
container_issue |
6 |
_version_ |
1810289327736881152 |