New estimations of precipitation and surface sublimation in East Antarctica from snow accumulation measurements

• Published in: Climate Dynamics
• Main Authors: Frezzotti, M., Pourchet, M., Flora, O., Gandolfi, S., Gay, M., Urbini, S., Vincent, C., Becagli, S., Gragnani, R., Proposito, M., Severi, M., Traversi, R., Udisti, R., Fily, M.
• Other Authors: Frezzotti, M.; Ente per le Nuove Tecnologie, l’Energia e l’Ambiente, ‘Progetto Clima Globale’, Rome, Italy, Pourchet, M.; Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l’Environnement, CNRS, Saint Martin d’Hères, France, Flora, O.; Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche, Ambientali e Marine, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy, Gandolfi, S.; Dipartimento di Ingegneria delle Strutture, dei Trasporti, delle Acque, del Rilevamento, del Territorio, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, Gay, M.; Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l’Environnement, CNRS, Saint Martin d’Hères, France, Urbini, S.; Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia, Vincent, C.; Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l’Environnement, CNRS, Saint Martin d’Hères, France, Becagli, S.; Dipartimento di Chimica, University of Florence, Florence, Italy, Gragnani, R.; Ente per le Nuove Tecnologie, l’Energia e l’Ambiente, ‘Progetto Clima Globale’, Rome, Italy, Proposito, M.; Ente per le Nuove Tecnologie, l’Energia e l’Ambiente, ‘Progetto Clima Globale’, Rome, Italy, Severi, M.; Dipartimento di Chimica, University of Florence, Florence, Italy, Traversi, R.; Dipartimento di Chimica, University of Florence, Florence, Italy, Udisti, R.; Dipartimento di Chimica, University of Florence, Florence, Italy, Fily, M.; Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l’Environnement, CNRS, Saint Martin d’Hères, France, Ente per le Nuove Tecnologie, l’Energia e l’Ambiente, ‘Progetto Clima Globale’, Rome, Italy, Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l’Environnement, CNRS, Saint Martin d’Hères, France, Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche, Ambientali e Marine, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy, Dipartimento di Ingegneria delle Strutture, dei Trasporti, delle Acque, del Rilevamento, del Territorio, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma2, Roma, Italia, Dipartimento di Chimica, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer - Verlag 2004
• Subjects: East Antarctica; Surface Mass Balance; Snow accumulation; GPR; GPS; 02. Cryosphere::02.02. Glaciers::02.02.02. Cryosphere/atmosphere Interaction; 02. Cryosphere::02.02. Glaciers::02.02.06. Mass balance; Terra Nova Bay; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2122/4045; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-004-0462-5

Surface mass balance (SMB) distribution and its temporal and spatial variability is an essential input parameter in mass balance studies. Different methods were used, compared and integrated (stake farms, ice cores, snow radar, surface morphology, remote sensing) at eight sites along a transect from Terra Nova Bay (TNB) to Dome C (DC) (East Antarctica), to provide detailed information on the SMB. Spatial variability measurements show that the measured maximum snow accumulation (SA) in a 15 km area is well correlated to firn temperature. Wind-driven sublimation processes, controlled by the surface slope in the wind direction, have a huge impact (up to 85% of snow precipitation) on SMB and are significant in terms of past, present and future SMB evaluations. The snow redistribution process is local and has a strong impact on the annual variability of accumulation. The spatial variability of SMB at the kilometre scale is one order of magnitude higher than its temporal variability (20–30%) at the centennial time scale. This high spatial variability is due to wind-driven sublimation. Compared with our SMB calculations, previous compilations generally over-estimate SMB, up to 65% in some areas. Published 803-813 3.8. Geofisica per l'ambiente JCR Journal reserved