More snow than ever observed: Assessing the four-decade high in Antarctic Ice Sheet surface mass balance in 2022

In 2022, more snow fell across the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) than in any previous year over at least the last four decades. As a result, the AIS surface mass balance (SMB), which accounts for both mass gains and losses at the ice sheet surface, was also at 40+ year highs and likely led to a net nega...

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Main Authors: Trusel, L., Datta, R., Baiman, R., Bozkurt, D., Clem, K., Dunmire, D., Kromer, J., Maclennan, M., Wille, J., Yin, Z.
Format: Conference Object
Language:English
Published: 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_5021114
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spelling ftgfzpotsdam:oai:gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de:item_5021114 2023-07-30T03:59:28+02:00 More snow than ever observed: Assessing the four-decade high in Antarctic Ice Sheet surface mass balance in 2022 Trusel, L. Datta, R. Baiman, R. Bozkurt, D. Clem, K. Dunmire, D. Kromer, J. Maclennan, M. Wille, J. Yin, Z. 2023-07-11 https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_5021114 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.57757/IUGG23-4706 https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_5021114 XXVIII General Assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) info:eu-repo/semantics/conferenceObject 2023 ftgfzpotsdam https://doi.org/10.57757/IUGG23-4706 2023-07-16T23:40:28Z In 2022, more snow fell across the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) than in any previous year over at least the last four decades. As a result, the AIS surface mass balance (SMB), which accounts for both mass gains and losses at the ice sheet surface, was also at 40+ year highs and likely led to a net negative annual contribution of the ice sheet to global sea level. Here, we assess these SMB anomalies, calculated as total precipitation minus evaporation and sublimation, as well as their drivers using the ERA5 and MERRA2 global reanalyses. Both products indicate positive SMB anomalies of >300 Gt/yr in 2022 compared to the 1991-2020 climatological mean SMB, equating to 3.1 and 2.5 standard deviations above the respective long-term means. Annual anomalies were driven by positive monthly anomalies exceeding interannual variability in January, March, July, September, and November. In this presentation, we examine the spatial and temporal character of SMB variations and their linkages to concurrent anomalies in the atmosphere and Southern Ocean. We highlight the significant impacts of landfalling atmospheric rivers in specific sectors and months and assess the potential role of Southern Ocean surface forcing, which saw record low sea ice coverage for much of 2022. This work seeks to elucidate the drivers of SMB anomalies in 2022, which holds potential implications for understanding future AIS mass variations in a warming climate. Conference Object Antarc* Antarctic Ice Sheet Sea ice Southern Ocean GFZpublic (German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam) Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic
institution Open Polar
collection GFZpublic (German Research Centre for Geosciences, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam)
op_collection_id ftgfzpotsdam
language English
description In 2022, more snow fell across the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) than in any previous year over at least the last four decades. As a result, the AIS surface mass balance (SMB), which accounts for both mass gains and losses at the ice sheet surface, was also at 40+ year highs and likely led to a net negative annual contribution of the ice sheet to global sea level. Here, we assess these SMB anomalies, calculated as total precipitation minus evaporation and sublimation, as well as their drivers using the ERA5 and MERRA2 global reanalyses. Both products indicate positive SMB anomalies of >300 Gt/yr in 2022 compared to the 1991-2020 climatological mean SMB, equating to 3.1 and 2.5 standard deviations above the respective long-term means. Annual anomalies were driven by positive monthly anomalies exceeding interannual variability in January, March, July, September, and November. In this presentation, we examine the spatial and temporal character of SMB variations and their linkages to concurrent anomalies in the atmosphere and Southern Ocean. We highlight the significant impacts of landfalling atmospheric rivers in specific sectors and months and assess the potential role of Southern Ocean surface forcing, which saw record low sea ice coverage for much of 2022. This work seeks to elucidate the drivers of SMB anomalies in 2022, which holds potential implications for understanding future AIS mass variations in a warming climate.
format Conference Object
author Trusel, L.
Datta, R.
Baiman, R.
Bozkurt, D.
Clem, K.
Dunmire, D.
Kromer, J.
Maclennan, M.
Wille, J.
Yin, Z.
spellingShingle Trusel, L.
Datta, R.
Baiman, R.
Bozkurt, D.
Clem, K.
Dunmire, D.
Kromer, J.
Maclennan, M.
Wille, J.
Yin, Z.
More snow than ever observed: Assessing the four-decade high in Antarctic Ice Sheet surface mass balance in 2022
author_facet Trusel, L.
Datta, R.
Baiman, R.
Bozkurt, D.
Clem, K.
Dunmire, D.
Kromer, J.
Maclennan, M.
Wille, J.
Yin, Z.
author_sort Trusel, L.
title More snow than ever observed: Assessing the four-decade high in Antarctic Ice Sheet surface mass balance in 2022
title_short More snow than ever observed: Assessing the four-decade high in Antarctic Ice Sheet surface mass balance in 2022
title_full More snow than ever observed: Assessing the four-decade high in Antarctic Ice Sheet surface mass balance in 2022
title_fullStr More snow than ever observed: Assessing the four-decade high in Antarctic Ice Sheet surface mass balance in 2022
title_full_unstemmed More snow than ever observed: Assessing the four-decade high in Antarctic Ice Sheet surface mass balance in 2022
title_sort more snow than ever observed: assessing the four-decade high in antarctic ice sheet surface mass balance in 2022
publishDate 2023
url https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_5021114
geographic Antarctic
Southern Ocean
The Antarctic
geographic_facet Antarctic
Southern Ocean
The Antarctic
genre Antarc*
Antarctic
Ice Sheet
Sea ice
Southern Ocean
genre_facet Antarc*
Antarctic
Ice Sheet
Sea ice
Southern Ocean
op_source XXVIII General Assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG)
op_relation info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.57757/IUGG23-4706
https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_5021114
op_doi https://doi.org/10.57757/IUGG23-4706
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