Melting over the northeast Antarctic Peninsula (1999–2009): evaluation of a high-resolution regional climate model
Surface melting over the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) may impact the stability of ice shelves and thus the rate at which grounded ice is discharged into the ocean. Energy and mass balance models are needed to understand how climatic change and atmospheric circulation variability drive current and future...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:bc9e79a23035497a980312dc330dbf7c 2023-05-15T13:55:17+02:00 Melting over the northeast Antarctic Peninsula (1999–2009): evaluation of a high-resolution regional climate model R. T. Datta M. Tedesco C. Agosta X. Fettweis P. Kuipers Munneke M. R. van den Broeke 2018-09-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2901-2018 https://doaj.org/article/bc9e79a23035497a980312dc330dbf7c EN eng Copernicus Publications https://www.the-cryosphere.net/12/2901/2018/tc-12-2901-2018.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-12-2901-2018 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/bc9e79a23035497a980312dc330dbf7c The Cryosphere, Vol 12, Pp 2901-2922 (2018) Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2018 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2901-2018 2023-01-08T01:26:53Z Surface melting over the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) may impact the stability of ice shelves and thus the rate at which grounded ice is discharged into the ocean. Energy and mass balance models are needed to understand how climatic change and atmospheric circulation variability drive current and future melting. In this study, we evaluate the regional climate model MAR over the AP at a 10 km spatial resolution between 1999 and 2009, a period when active microwave data from the QuikSCAT mission is available. This model has been validated extensively over Greenland, has is applied here to the AP at a high resolution and for a relatively long time period (full outputs are available to 2014). We find that melting in the northeastern AP, the focus area of this study, can be initiated both by sporadic westerly föhn flow over the AP mountains and by northerly winds advecting warm air from lower latitudes. A comparison of MAR with satellite and automatic weather station (AWS) data reveals that satellite estimates show greater melt frequency, a larger melt extent, and a quicker expansion to peak melt extent than MAR in the centre and east of the Larsen C ice shelf. These differences are reduced in the north and west of the ice shelf, where the comparison with satellite data suggests that MAR is accurately capturing melt produced by warm westerly winds. MAR shows an overall warm bias and a cool bias at temperatures above 0 °C as well as fewer warm, strong westerly winds than reported by AWS stations located on the eastern edge of the Larsen C ice shelf, suggesting that the underestimation of melt in this region may be the product of limited eastward flow. At higher resolutions (5 km), MAR shows a further increase in wind biases and a decrease in meltwater production. We conclude that non-hydrostatic models at spatial resolutions better than 5 km are needed to better-resolve the effects of föhn winds on the eastern edges of the Larsen C ice shelf. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Greenland Ice Shelf Ice Shelves The Cryosphere Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Greenland The Cryosphere 12 9 2901 2922 |
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 R. T. Datta M. Tedesco C. Agosta X. Fettweis P. Kuipers Munneke M. R. van den Broeke Melting over the northeast Antarctic Peninsula (1999–2009): evaluation of a high-resolution regional climate model |
topic_facet |
Environmental sciences GE1-350 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Surface melting over the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) may impact the stability of ice shelves and thus the rate at which grounded ice is discharged into the ocean. Energy and mass balance models are needed to understand how climatic change and atmospheric circulation variability drive current and future melting. In this study, we evaluate the regional climate model MAR over the AP at a 10 km spatial resolution between 1999 and 2009, a period when active microwave data from the QuikSCAT mission is available. This model has been validated extensively over Greenland, has is applied here to the AP at a high resolution and for a relatively long time period (full outputs are available to 2014). We find that melting in the northeastern AP, the focus area of this study, can be initiated both by sporadic westerly föhn flow over the AP mountains and by northerly winds advecting warm air from lower latitudes. A comparison of MAR with satellite and automatic weather station (AWS) data reveals that satellite estimates show greater melt frequency, a larger melt extent, and a quicker expansion to peak melt extent than MAR in the centre and east of the Larsen C ice shelf. These differences are reduced in the north and west of the ice shelf, where the comparison with satellite data suggests that MAR is accurately capturing melt produced by warm westerly winds. MAR shows an overall warm bias and a cool bias at temperatures above 0 °C as well as fewer warm, strong westerly winds than reported by AWS stations located on the eastern edge of the Larsen C ice shelf, suggesting that the underestimation of melt in this region may be the product of limited eastward flow. At higher resolutions (5 km), MAR shows a further increase in wind biases and a decrease in meltwater production. We conclude that non-hydrostatic models at spatial resolutions better than 5 km are needed to better-resolve the effects of föhn winds on the eastern edges of the Larsen C ice shelf. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
R. T. Datta M. Tedesco C. Agosta X. Fettweis P. Kuipers Munneke M. R. van den Broeke |
author_facet |
R. T. Datta M. Tedesco C. Agosta X. Fettweis P. Kuipers Munneke M. R. van den Broeke |
author_sort |
R. T. Datta |
title |
Melting over the northeast Antarctic Peninsula (1999–2009): evaluation of a high-resolution regional climate model |
title_short |
Melting over the northeast Antarctic Peninsula (1999–2009): evaluation of a high-resolution regional climate model |
title_full |
Melting over the northeast Antarctic Peninsula (1999–2009): evaluation of a high-resolution regional climate model |
title_fullStr |
Melting over the northeast Antarctic Peninsula (1999–2009): evaluation of a high-resolution regional climate model |
title_full_unstemmed |
Melting over the northeast Antarctic Peninsula (1999–2009): evaluation of a high-resolution regional climate model |
title_sort |
melting over the northeast antarctic peninsula (1999–2009): evaluation of a high-resolution regional climate model |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2901-2018 https://doaj.org/article/bc9e79a23035497a980312dc330dbf7c |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Greenland |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Greenland Ice Shelf Ice Shelves The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Greenland Ice Shelf Ice Shelves The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 12, Pp 2901-2922 (2018) |
op_relation |
https://www.the-cryosphere.net/12/2901/2018/tc-12-2901-2018.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0416 https://doaj.org/toc/1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-12-2901-2018 1994-0416 1994-0424 https://doaj.org/article/bc9e79a23035497a980312dc330dbf7c |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2901-2018 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
2901 |
op_container_end_page |
2922 |
_version_ |
1766261669289263104 |