Greenland Ice Sheet - Arctic Report Card: Update for 2011

• Main Authors: Box, J., Cappelen, J., Chen, C., Decker, D., Fettweis, Xavier, Hall, D., Hanna, E., Jorgensen, B., Lipscomb, W., Mernild, S., Mote, T., Steiner, N., Tedesco, M., van de Wal, R., Wahr, J.
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Physical; chemical; mathematical & earth Sciences; Earth sciences & physical geography; Physique; chimie; mathématiques & sciences de la terre; Sciences de la terre & géographie physique; albedo; glacier; Greenland; Ice Sheet; North Atlantic; North Atlantic oscillation
• Online Access: https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/107836; https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/107836/1/ArcticReportCard_Greenland.pdf

A persistent and strong negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index was responsible for southerly air flow along the west of Greenland, which caused anomalously warm weather in winter 2010-11 and summer 2011. The area and duration of melting at the surface of the ice sheet in summer 2011 were the third highest since 1979. The lowest surface albedo observed in 12 years of satellite observations (2000-2011) was a consequence of enhanced surface melting and below normal summer snowfall. The area of marine-terminating glaciers continued to decrease, though at less than half the rate of the previous 10 years. In situ measurements revealed near record-setting mass losses concentrated at higher elevations on the western slope of the ice sheet, and at an isolated glacier in southeastern Greenland. Total ice sheet mass loss in 2011 was 70% larger than the 2003-09 average annual loss rate of -250 Gt y-1. According to satellite gravity data obtained since 2002, ice sheet mass loss is accelerating.