Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012)
We assess the runoff and surface mass balance (SMB) of the Greenland ice sheet in the Nuuk region (southwest) using output of two regional climate models (RCMs) evaluated by observations. The region encompasses six glaciers that drain into Godthåbsfjord. RCM data (1960-2012) are resampled to a high...
Published in: | Journal of Glaciology |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2014
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Online Access: | https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/53daed5d-0715-4c5c-b783-932709563e02 https://doi.org/10.3189/2014jog13j065 |
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ftdtupubl:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/53daed5d-0715-4c5c-b783-932709563e02 2024-09-15T18:07:38+00:00 Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) van As, Dirk Langer Andersen, Morten Petersen, Dorthe Fettweis, Xavier van Angelen, Jan H. Lenaerts, Jan T. M. van den Broeke, Michiel R. M. Lea, James Bøggild, Carl Egede Ahlstrøm, Andreas P. Steffen, Konrad 2014 https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/53daed5d-0715-4c5c-b783-932709563e02 https://doi.org/10.3189/2014jog13j065 eng eng https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/53daed5d-0715-4c5c-b783-932709563e02 info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess van As , D , Langer Andersen , M , Petersen , D , Fettweis , X , van Angelen , J H , Lenaerts , J T M , van den Broeke , M R , M. Lea , J , Bøggild , C E , Ahlstrøm , A P & Steffen , K 2014 , ' Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) ' , Journal of Glaciology , vol. 60 , no. 220 , pp. 314-322 . https://doi.org/10.3189/2014jog13j065 Earth-Surface Processes Glacier meteorology Ice-sheet mass balance Ice/atmosphere interactions Surface melt ablation air-ice interaction atmosphere-ice-ocean system geoaccumulation glacier dynamics glacier mass balance ice core ice sheet melting meltwater runoff sea ice sea level change Arctic Greenland Greenland Ice Sheet Nuuk /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action name=SDG 13 - Climate Action /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water name=SDG 14 - Life Below Water article 2014 ftdtupubl https://doi.org/10.3189/2014jog13j065 2024-07-15T23:49:10Z We assess the runoff and surface mass balance (SMB) of the Greenland ice sheet in the Nuuk region (southwest) using output of two regional climate models (RCMs) evaluated by observations. The region encompasses six glaciers that drain into Godthåbsfjord. RCM data (1960-2012) are resampled to a high spatial resolution to include the narrow (relative to the native grid spacing) glacier trunks in the ice mask. Comparing RCM gridded results with automaticweather station (AWS) point measurements reveals that locally models can underestimate ablation andoverestimate accumulation by up to tens of per cent. However, comparison with lake discharge indicates that modelled regional runoff totals are more accurate. Model results show that melt and runoff in the Nuuk region have doubled over the past wo decades. Regional SMB attained negative values in recent high-melt years. Taking into account frontal ablation of the marine-terminating glaciers, the region lost 10-20km3w.e. a-1 in 2010-12. If 2010 melting prevails during the remainder of this century, a low-end estimate of sea-level rise of 5mm is expected by 2100 from this relatively small section (2.6%) of the ice sheet alone. Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier Godthåbsfjord Greenland ice core Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology Nuuk Sea ice Technical University of Denmark: DTU Orbit Journal of Glaciology 60 220 314 322 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Technical University of Denmark: DTU Orbit |
op_collection_id |
ftdtupubl |
language |
English |
topic |
Earth-Surface Processes Glacier meteorology Ice-sheet mass balance Ice/atmosphere interactions Surface melt ablation air-ice interaction atmosphere-ice-ocean system geoaccumulation glacier dynamics glacier mass balance ice core ice sheet melting meltwater runoff sea ice sea level change Arctic Greenland Greenland Ice Sheet Nuuk /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action name=SDG 13 - Climate Action /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water name=SDG 14 - Life Below Water |
spellingShingle |
Earth-Surface Processes Glacier meteorology Ice-sheet mass balance Ice/atmosphere interactions Surface melt ablation air-ice interaction atmosphere-ice-ocean system geoaccumulation glacier dynamics glacier mass balance ice core ice sheet melting meltwater runoff sea ice sea level change Arctic Greenland Greenland Ice Sheet Nuuk /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action name=SDG 13 - Climate Action /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water name=SDG 14 - Life Below Water van As, Dirk Langer Andersen, Morten Petersen, Dorthe Fettweis, Xavier van Angelen, Jan H. Lenaerts, Jan T. M. van den Broeke, Michiel R. M. Lea, James Bøggild, Carl Egede Ahlstrøm, Andreas P. Steffen, Konrad Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) |
topic_facet |
Earth-Surface Processes Glacier meteorology Ice-sheet mass balance Ice/atmosphere interactions Surface melt ablation air-ice interaction atmosphere-ice-ocean system geoaccumulation glacier dynamics glacier mass balance ice core ice sheet melting meltwater runoff sea ice sea level change Arctic Greenland Greenland Ice Sheet Nuuk /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action name=SDG 13 - Climate Action /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water name=SDG 14 - Life Below Water |
description |
We assess the runoff and surface mass balance (SMB) of the Greenland ice sheet in the Nuuk region (southwest) using output of two regional climate models (RCMs) evaluated by observations. The region encompasses six glaciers that drain into Godthåbsfjord. RCM data (1960-2012) are resampled to a high spatial resolution to include the narrow (relative to the native grid spacing) glacier trunks in the ice mask. Comparing RCM gridded results with automaticweather station (AWS) point measurements reveals that locally models can underestimate ablation andoverestimate accumulation by up to tens of per cent. However, comparison with lake discharge indicates that modelled regional runoff totals are more accurate. Model results show that melt and runoff in the Nuuk region have doubled over the past wo decades. Regional SMB attained negative values in recent high-melt years. Taking into account frontal ablation of the marine-terminating glaciers, the region lost 10-20km3w.e. a-1 in 2010-12. If 2010 melting prevails during the remainder of this century, a low-end estimate of sea-level rise of 5mm is expected by 2100 from this relatively small section (2.6%) of the ice sheet alone. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
van As, Dirk Langer Andersen, Morten Petersen, Dorthe Fettweis, Xavier van Angelen, Jan H. Lenaerts, Jan T. M. van den Broeke, Michiel R. M. Lea, James Bøggild, Carl Egede Ahlstrøm, Andreas P. Steffen, Konrad |
author_facet |
van As, Dirk Langer Andersen, Morten Petersen, Dorthe Fettweis, Xavier van Angelen, Jan H. Lenaerts, Jan T. M. van den Broeke, Michiel R. M. Lea, James Bøggild, Carl Egede Ahlstrøm, Andreas P. Steffen, Konrad |
author_sort |
van As, Dirk |
title |
Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) |
title_short |
Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) |
title_full |
Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) |
title_fullStr |
Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) |
title_sort |
increasing meltwater discharge from the nuuk region of the greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/53daed5d-0715-4c5c-b783-932709563e02 https://doi.org/10.3189/2014jog13j065 |
genre |
glacier Godthåbsfjord Greenland ice core Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology Nuuk Sea ice |
genre_facet |
glacier Godthåbsfjord Greenland ice core Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology Nuuk Sea ice |
op_source |
van As , D , Langer Andersen , M , Petersen , D , Fettweis , X , van Angelen , J H , Lenaerts , J T M , van den Broeke , M R , M. Lea , J , Bøggild , C E , Ahlstrøm , A P & Steffen , K 2014 , ' Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) ' , Journal of Glaciology , vol. 60 , no. 220 , pp. 314-322 . https://doi.org/10.3189/2014jog13j065 |
op_relation |
https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/53daed5d-0715-4c5c-b783-932709563e02 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3189/2014jog13j065 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
60 |
container_issue |
220 |
container_start_page |
314 |
op_container_end_page |
322 |
_version_ |
1810445022632345600 |