CRYOWRF-Model Evaluation and the Effect of Blowing Snow on the Antarctic Surface Mass Balance
The surface mass balance (SMB) of large polar ice sheets and of snow and ice surfaces in general are incompletely understood because of the complexity of processes involved. One such process, drifting and blowing snow, has only been considered in a very simplified way in current meteorological and c...
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ftinfoscience:oai:infoscience.epfl.ch:304112 2023-09-05T13:15:08+02:00 CRYOWRF-Model Evaluation and the Effect of Blowing Snow on the Antarctic Surface Mass Balance Gerber, Franziska Sharma, Varun Lehning, Michael 2023-08-14T00:44:44Z http://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/304112 https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JD037744 https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/304112/files/JGR%20Atmospheres%20-%202023%20-%20Gerber.pdf unknown Washington, AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION http://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/304112 isi:001022739100001 doi:10.1029/2022JD037744 https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/304112/files/JGR%20Atmospheres%20-%202023%20-%20Gerber.pdf http://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/304112 Text 2023 ftinfoscience https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JD037744 2023-08-20T23:47:33Z The surface mass balance (SMB) of large polar ice sheets and of snow and ice surfaces in general are incompletely understood because of the complexity of processes involved. One such process, drifting and blowing snow, has only been considered in a very simplified way in current meteorological and climatological models. To address this problem, the CRYOWRF model has been developed, a coupled model between the meteorological Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) and the snow model SNOWPACK, augmented by a detailed treatment of drifting and blowing snow. Applying CRYOWRF to the SMB of Antarctica, we find that the model reproduces measurements of SMB with similar errors than current models. Drifting and blowing snow and its sublimation play a particularly important role, especially in regions of strong katabatic winds. The CRYOWRF simulations are also in line with satellite estimates of blowing snow frequency. There is a need to further consolidate results by simulations with a higher grid resolution and by including more measurements of SMB contributions from snow fall to transport and sublimation. Plain Language Summary Assessing current and predicting future sea level rise in connection with the general fate of our snow and ice masses on Earth requires understanding snow precipitation in extreme environments and the dynamics of snow on the surface. Over large parts of Antarctica, drifting and blowing snow and sublimation, which is the phase change of ice back to atmospheric vapor, are the only surface ablation processes and need therefore to be well quantified. With a new model, that shows similar performance to other models, we find that drifting and blowing snow and its sublimation play an important role for the snow mass balance especially in regions with strong winds. This has consequences not only for the snow mass balance alone but for the whole ice sheet dynamics as well as for estimating precipitation in these extreme environments. Text Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet EPFL Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne) Antarctic The Antarctic Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 128 12 |
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EPFL Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne) |
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The surface mass balance (SMB) of large polar ice sheets and of snow and ice surfaces in general are incompletely understood because of the complexity of processes involved. One such process, drifting and blowing snow, has only been considered in a very simplified way in current meteorological and climatological models. To address this problem, the CRYOWRF model has been developed, a coupled model between the meteorological Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) and the snow model SNOWPACK, augmented by a detailed treatment of drifting and blowing snow. Applying CRYOWRF to the SMB of Antarctica, we find that the model reproduces measurements of SMB with similar errors than current models. Drifting and blowing snow and its sublimation play a particularly important role, especially in regions of strong katabatic winds. The CRYOWRF simulations are also in line with satellite estimates of blowing snow frequency. There is a need to further consolidate results by simulations with a higher grid resolution and by including more measurements of SMB contributions from snow fall to transport and sublimation. Plain Language Summary Assessing current and predicting future sea level rise in connection with the general fate of our snow and ice masses on Earth requires understanding snow precipitation in extreme environments and the dynamics of snow on the surface. Over large parts of Antarctica, drifting and blowing snow and sublimation, which is the phase change of ice back to atmospheric vapor, are the only surface ablation processes and need therefore to be well quantified. With a new model, that shows similar performance to other models, we find that drifting and blowing snow and its sublimation play an important role for the snow mass balance especially in regions with strong winds. This has consequences not only for the snow mass balance alone but for the whole ice sheet dynamics as well as for estimating precipitation in these extreme environments. |
format |
Text |
author |
Gerber, Franziska Sharma, Varun Lehning, Michael |
spellingShingle |
Gerber, Franziska Sharma, Varun Lehning, Michael CRYOWRF-Model Evaluation and the Effect of Blowing Snow on the Antarctic Surface Mass Balance |
author_facet |
Gerber, Franziska Sharma, Varun Lehning, Michael |
author_sort |
Gerber, Franziska |
title |
CRYOWRF-Model Evaluation and the Effect of Blowing Snow on the Antarctic Surface Mass Balance |
title_short |
CRYOWRF-Model Evaluation and the Effect of Blowing Snow on the Antarctic Surface Mass Balance |
title_full |
CRYOWRF-Model Evaluation and the Effect of Blowing Snow on the Antarctic Surface Mass Balance |
title_fullStr |
CRYOWRF-Model Evaluation and the Effect of Blowing Snow on the Antarctic Surface Mass Balance |
title_full_unstemmed |
CRYOWRF-Model Evaluation and the Effect of Blowing Snow on the Antarctic Surface Mass Balance |
title_sort |
cryowrf-model evaluation and the effect of blowing snow on the antarctic surface mass balance |
publisher |
Washington, AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/304112 https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JD037744 https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/304112/files/JGR%20Atmospheres%20-%202023%20-%20Gerber.pdf |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet |
op_source |
http://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/304112 |
op_relation |
http://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/304112 isi:001022739100001 doi:10.1029/2022JD037744 https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/304112/files/JGR%20Atmospheres%20-%202023%20-%20Gerber.pdf |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JD037744 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres |
container_volume |
128 |
container_issue |
12 |
_version_ |
1776196969383854080 |