A 20‐year study of melt processes over Larsen C Ice Shelf using a high‐resolution regional atmospheric model: Part 2, Drivers of surface melting
Quantifying the relative importance of the atmospheric drivers of surface melting on the Larsen C ice shelf is critical in the context of recent and future climate change. Here, we present analysis of a new multi-decadal, high-resolution model hindcast using the Met Office Unified Model (MetUM), des...
Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
American Geophysical Union
2022
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532515/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532515/1/JGR%20Atmospheres%20-%202022%20-%20Gilbert%20-%20A%2020%E2%80%90Year%20Study%20of%20Melt%20Processes%20Over%20Larsen%20C%20Ice%20Shelf%20Using%20a%20High%E2%80%90Resolution_2.pdf https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021JD036012 |
id |
ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:532515 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:532515 2023-05-15T13:24:10+02:00 A 20‐year study of melt processes over Larsen C Ice Shelf using a high‐resolution regional atmospheric model: Part 2, Drivers of surface melting Gilbert, E. Orr, A. Renfrew, I.A. King, J.C. Lachlan-Cope, T. 2022-04-27 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532515/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532515/1/JGR%20Atmospheres%20-%202022%20-%20Gilbert%20-%20A%2020%E2%80%90Year%20Study%20of%20Melt%20Processes%20Over%20Larsen%20C%20Ice%20Shelf%20Using%20a%20High%E2%80%90Resolution_2.pdf https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021JD036012 en eng American Geophysical Union https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532515/1/JGR%20Atmospheres%20-%202022%20-%20Gilbert%20-%20A%2020%E2%80%90Year%20Study%20of%20Melt%20Processes%20Over%20Larsen%20C%20Ice%20Shelf%20Using%20a%20High%E2%80%90Resolution_2.pdf Gilbert, E. orcid:0000-0001-5272-8894 Orr, A. orcid:0000-0001-5111-8402 Renfrew, I.A.; King, J.C. orcid:0000-0003-3315-7568 Lachlan-Cope, T. orcid:0000-0002-0657-3235 . 2022 A 20‐year study of melt processes over Larsen C Ice Shelf using a high‐resolution regional atmospheric model: Part 2, Drivers of surface melting. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 127 (8), e2021JD036012. 19, pp. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD036012 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD036012> cc_by_4 CC-BY Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2022 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD036012 2023-02-04T19:53:14Z Quantifying the relative importance of the atmospheric drivers of surface melting on the Larsen C ice shelf is critical in the context of recent and future climate change. Here, we present analysis of a new multi-decadal, high-resolution model hindcast using the Met Office Unified Model (MetUM), described in part 1 of this study. We evaluate the contribution of various atmospheric conditions in order to identify and rank, for the first time, the most significant causes of melting over the recent past. We find the primary driver of surface melting on Larsen C is solar radiation. Foehn events are the second most important contributor to surface melting, especially in non-summer seasons when less solar radiation is received at the surface of the ice shelf. Thirdly, cloud influences surface melting via its impact on the surface energy balance (SEB); when the surface temperature is warm enough, cloud can initiate or prolong periods of melting. Lastly, large-scale circulation patterns such as the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Amundsen Sea Low (ASL) control surface melting on Larsen C by influencing the local meteorological conditions and SEB. These drivers of melting interact and overlap, for example, the SAM influences the frequency of foehn, commonly associated with leeside cloud clearances and sunnier conditions. Ultimately, these drivers matter because sustained surface melting on Larsen C could destabilise the ice shelf via hydrofracturing, which would have consequences for the fate of the ice shelf and sea levels worldwide. Article in Journal/Newspaper Amundsen Sea Ice Shelf Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Amundsen Sea Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 127 8 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
English |
description |
Quantifying the relative importance of the atmospheric drivers of surface melting on the Larsen C ice shelf is critical in the context of recent and future climate change. Here, we present analysis of a new multi-decadal, high-resolution model hindcast using the Met Office Unified Model (MetUM), described in part 1 of this study. We evaluate the contribution of various atmospheric conditions in order to identify and rank, for the first time, the most significant causes of melting over the recent past. We find the primary driver of surface melting on Larsen C is solar radiation. Foehn events are the second most important contributor to surface melting, especially in non-summer seasons when less solar radiation is received at the surface of the ice shelf. Thirdly, cloud influences surface melting via its impact on the surface energy balance (SEB); when the surface temperature is warm enough, cloud can initiate or prolong periods of melting. Lastly, large-scale circulation patterns such as the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Amundsen Sea Low (ASL) control surface melting on Larsen C by influencing the local meteorological conditions and SEB. These drivers of melting interact and overlap, for example, the SAM influences the frequency of foehn, commonly associated with leeside cloud clearances and sunnier conditions. Ultimately, these drivers matter because sustained surface melting on Larsen C could destabilise the ice shelf via hydrofracturing, which would have consequences for the fate of the ice shelf and sea levels worldwide. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Gilbert, E. Orr, A. Renfrew, I.A. King, J.C. Lachlan-Cope, T. |
spellingShingle |
Gilbert, E. Orr, A. Renfrew, I.A. King, J.C. Lachlan-Cope, T. A 20‐year study of melt processes over Larsen C Ice Shelf using a high‐resolution regional atmospheric model: Part 2, Drivers of surface melting |
author_facet |
Gilbert, E. Orr, A. Renfrew, I.A. King, J.C. Lachlan-Cope, T. |
author_sort |
Gilbert, E. |
title |
A 20‐year study of melt processes over Larsen C Ice Shelf using a high‐resolution regional atmospheric model: Part 2, Drivers of surface melting |
title_short |
A 20‐year study of melt processes over Larsen C Ice Shelf using a high‐resolution regional atmospheric model: Part 2, Drivers of surface melting |
title_full |
A 20‐year study of melt processes over Larsen C Ice Shelf using a high‐resolution regional atmospheric model: Part 2, Drivers of surface melting |
title_fullStr |
A 20‐year study of melt processes over Larsen C Ice Shelf using a high‐resolution regional atmospheric model: Part 2, Drivers of surface melting |
title_full_unstemmed |
A 20‐year study of melt processes over Larsen C Ice Shelf using a high‐resolution regional atmospheric model: Part 2, Drivers of surface melting |
title_sort |
20‐year study of melt processes over larsen c ice shelf using a high‐resolution regional atmospheric model: part 2, drivers of surface melting |
publisher |
American Geophysical Union |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532515/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532515/1/JGR%20Atmospheres%20-%202022%20-%20Gilbert%20-%20A%2020%E2%80%90Year%20Study%20of%20Melt%20Processes%20Over%20Larsen%20C%20Ice%20Shelf%20Using%20a%20High%E2%80%90Resolution_2.pdf https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021JD036012 |
geographic |
Amundsen Sea |
geographic_facet |
Amundsen Sea |
genre |
Amundsen Sea Ice Shelf |
genre_facet |
Amundsen Sea Ice Shelf |
op_relation |
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532515/1/JGR%20Atmospheres%20-%202022%20-%20Gilbert%20-%20A%2020%E2%80%90Year%20Study%20of%20Melt%20Processes%20Over%20Larsen%20C%20Ice%20Shelf%20Using%20a%20High%E2%80%90Resolution_2.pdf Gilbert, E. orcid:0000-0001-5272-8894 Orr, A. orcid:0000-0001-5111-8402 Renfrew, I.A.; King, J.C. orcid:0000-0003-3315-7568 Lachlan-Cope, T. orcid:0000-0002-0657-3235 . 2022 A 20‐year study of melt processes over Larsen C Ice Shelf using a high‐resolution regional atmospheric model: Part 2, Drivers of surface melting. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 127 (8), e2021JD036012. 19, pp. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD036012 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD036012> |
op_rights |
cc_by_4 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD036012 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres |
container_volume |
127 |
container_issue |
8 |
_version_ |
1766377814150348800 |