Evaluation of the regional climate model WRF over Svalbard

• Main Authors: Lang, Charlotte, Fettweis, Xavier, Doutreloup, Sébastien, Erpicum, Michel
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Svalbard; Modelling; Climate; Physical; chemical; mathematical & earth Sciences; Earth sciences & physical geography; Physique; chimie; mathématiques & sciences de la terre; Sciences de la terre & géographie physique; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/124137; https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/124137/1/C_lang_EGU_2012.pdf

It is well known that high latitude zones are very sensitive to climate change. As a result of global warming, ice sheet melting has increased which in turn has an influence on climate through modifications of the thermohaline circulation, feedback of ice albedo, sea level rise, … Svalbard is an archipelago between 74 and 81°lat N and 60 percent of its area (62 248 km2) is covered with glaciers and ice sheets. The impact of global warming on the Svalbard cryosphere can be estimated with climate models. However, we need to use regional climate models as they offer the possibility of a higher resolution than general circulation models. We have ran two regional climate models (MAR and WRF) at a 10-kilometre resolution between 2006 and 2010 over Svalbard and compared their simulated climate to near surface measurements at several weather stations through the archipelago in order to determine which one of them could best represent the Svalbard climate.