Recent warming in Greenland in a long-term instrumental (1881-2012) climatic context: I. Evaluation of surface air temperature records
We present an updated analysis of monthly means of daily mean, minimum and maximum surface air temperature (SAT) data from Greenland coastal weather stations and from a long-running site on the Greenland ice sheet, and analyse these data for evidence of climate change, especially focusing on the las...
Published in: | Environmental Research Letters |
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Bristol, Iop Publishing Ltd
2013
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045404 http://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/185602 |
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ftinfoscience:oai:infoscience.tind.io:185602 2023-05-15T16:03:55+02:00 Recent warming in Greenland in a long-term instrumental (1881-2012) climatic context: I. Evaluation of surface air temperature records Hanna, Edward Mernild, Sebastian H. Cappelen, John Steffen, Konrad 2013-03-28T08:35:51Z https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045404 http://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/185602 unknown Bristol, Iop Publishing Ltd doi:10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045404 ISI:000312696400057 http://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/185602 http://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/185602 Text 2013 ftinfoscience https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045404 2023-02-13T22:13:42Z We present an updated analysis of monthly means of daily mean, minimum and maximum surface air temperature (SAT) data from Greenland coastal weather stations and from a long-running site on the Greenland ice sheet, and analyse these data for evidence of climate change, especially focusing on the last 20 years but using the whole periods of available records (some since 1873). We demonstrate very strong recent warming along the west coast of Greenland, especially during winter (locally > 10 degrees C since 1991), and rather weaker warming on the east Greenland coast, which is influenced by different oceanographic/sea-ice and meteorological synoptic forcing conditions to the rest of Greenland. Coastal Greenland seasonal mean SAT trends were generally 2-6 degrees C, strongest in winter (5.7 degrees C) and least in summer and autumn (both 2.2 degrees C), during 1981-2011/12. Since 2001 Greenland mean coastal SAT increased significantly by 2.9 degrees C in winter and 0.8 degrees C in summer but decreased insignificantly by 1.1 degrees C in autumn and 0.2 degrees C in spring, during a period when there was little net change (<=+/- 0.1 degrees C) in northern hemisphere temperatures. SAT means for the latest 2001-11/12 decade were significantly in excess of those for peak decadal periods during the Early Twentieth Century Warm Period only in summer and winter, and not significantly greater in spring and autumn. Summer SAT increases in southern Greenland for the last 20 years were generally greater for maximum than minimum temperatures. By contrast, in winter, the recent warming was greater for minimum than maximum temperatures. The greatest SAT changes in all seasons are seen on Greenland's west coast. SAT changes on the ice sheet and a key marginal glacier closely followed nearby coastal temperatures over the last 20 years. Text East Greenland glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Sea ice EPFL Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne) Greenland Environmental Research Letters 7 4 045404 |
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EPFL Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne) |
op_collection_id |
ftinfoscience |
language |
unknown |
description |
We present an updated analysis of monthly means of daily mean, minimum and maximum surface air temperature (SAT) data from Greenland coastal weather stations and from a long-running site on the Greenland ice sheet, and analyse these data for evidence of climate change, especially focusing on the last 20 years but using the whole periods of available records (some since 1873). We demonstrate very strong recent warming along the west coast of Greenland, especially during winter (locally > 10 degrees C since 1991), and rather weaker warming on the east Greenland coast, which is influenced by different oceanographic/sea-ice and meteorological synoptic forcing conditions to the rest of Greenland. Coastal Greenland seasonal mean SAT trends were generally 2-6 degrees C, strongest in winter (5.7 degrees C) and least in summer and autumn (both 2.2 degrees C), during 1981-2011/12. Since 2001 Greenland mean coastal SAT increased significantly by 2.9 degrees C in winter and 0.8 degrees C in summer but decreased insignificantly by 1.1 degrees C in autumn and 0.2 degrees C in spring, during a period when there was little net change (<=+/- 0.1 degrees C) in northern hemisphere temperatures. SAT means for the latest 2001-11/12 decade were significantly in excess of those for peak decadal periods during the Early Twentieth Century Warm Period only in summer and winter, and not significantly greater in spring and autumn. Summer SAT increases in southern Greenland for the last 20 years were generally greater for maximum than minimum temperatures. By contrast, in winter, the recent warming was greater for minimum than maximum temperatures. The greatest SAT changes in all seasons are seen on Greenland's west coast. SAT changes on the ice sheet and a key marginal glacier closely followed nearby coastal temperatures over the last 20 years. |
format |
Text |
author |
Hanna, Edward Mernild, Sebastian H. Cappelen, John Steffen, Konrad |
spellingShingle |
Hanna, Edward Mernild, Sebastian H. Cappelen, John Steffen, Konrad Recent warming in Greenland in a long-term instrumental (1881-2012) climatic context: I. Evaluation of surface air temperature records |
author_facet |
Hanna, Edward Mernild, Sebastian H. Cappelen, John Steffen, Konrad |
author_sort |
Hanna, Edward |
title |
Recent warming in Greenland in a long-term instrumental (1881-2012) climatic context: I. Evaluation of surface air temperature records |
title_short |
Recent warming in Greenland in a long-term instrumental (1881-2012) climatic context: I. Evaluation of surface air temperature records |
title_full |
Recent warming in Greenland in a long-term instrumental (1881-2012) climatic context: I. Evaluation of surface air temperature records |
title_fullStr |
Recent warming in Greenland in a long-term instrumental (1881-2012) climatic context: I. Evaluation of surface air temperature records |
title_full_unstemmed |
Recent warming in Greenland in a long-term instrumental (1881-2012) climatic context: I. Evaluation of surface air temperature records |
title_sort |
recent warming in greenland in a long-term instrumental (1881-2012) climatic context: i. evaluation of surface air temperature records |
publisher |
Bristol, Iop Publishing Ltd |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045404 http://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/185602 |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
East Greenland glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Sea ice |
genre_facet |
East Greenland glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Sea ice |
op_source |
http://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/185602 |
op_relation |
doi:10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045404 ISI:000312696400057 http://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/185602 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045404 |
container_title |
Environmental Research Letters |
container_volume |
7 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
045404 |
_version_ |
1766399606544924672 |