Surface mass balance model intercomparison for the Greenland ice sheet
peer reviewed A number of high resolution reconstructions of the surface mass balance (SMB) of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) have been produced using global re-analyses data extending back to 1958. These reconstructions have been used in a variety of applications but little is known about their con...
Published in: | The Cryosphere |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Copernicus
2013
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/131506 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/131506/1/tc-7-599-2013.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-599-2013 |
id |
ftorbi:oai:orbi.ulg.ac.be:2268/131506 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftorbi:oai:orbi.ulg.ac.be:2268/131506 2024-04-21T08:03:45+00:00 Surface mass balance model intercomparison for the Greenland ice sheet Vernon, C.L. Bamber, J.L. Box, J.E. van den Broeke, M.R. Fettweis, Xavier Hanna, E. Huybrechts, Ph. 2013-04-03 https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/131506 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/131506/1/tc-7-599-2013.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-599-2013 en eng Copernicus http://www.the-cryosphere.net/7/599/2013/tc-7-599-2013.html urn:issn:1994-0416 urn:issn:1994-0424 https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/131506 info:hdl:2268/131506 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/131506/1/tc-7-599-2013.pdf doi:10.5194/tc-7-599-2013 open access http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess The Cryosphere, 7, 599-614 (2013-04-03) Physical chemical mathematical & earth Sciences Earth sciences & physical geography Physique chimie mathématiques & sciences de la terre Sciences de la terre & géographie physique journal article http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 info:eu-repo/semantics/article peer reviewed 2013 ftorbi https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-599-2013 2024-03-27T14:58:15Z peer reviewed A number of high resolution reconstructions of the surface mass balance (SMB) of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) have been produced using global re-analyses data extending back to 1958. These reconstructions have been used in a variety of applications but little is known about their consistency with each other and the impact of the downscaling method on the result. Here, we compare four reconstructions for the period 1960–2008 to assess the consistency in regional, seasonal and integrated SMB components. Total SMB estimates for the GrIS are in agreement within 34% of the four model average when a common ice sheet mask is used. When models' native land/ice/sea masks are used this spread increases to 57%. Variation in the spread of components of SMB from their mean: runoff 42% (29% native masks), precipitation 20% (24% native masks), melt 38% (74% native masks), refreeze 83% (142% native masks) show, with the exception of refreeze, a similar level of agreement once a common mask is used. Previously noted differences in the models' estimates are partially explained by ice sheet mask differences. Regionally there is less agreement, suggesting spatially compensating errors improve the integrated estimates. Modelled SMB estimates are compared with in situ observations from the accumulation and ablation areas. Agreement is higher in the accumulation area than the ablation area suggesting relatively high uncertainty in the estimation of ablation processes. Since the mid-1990s each model estimates a decreasing annual SMB. A similar period of decreasing SMB is also estimated for the period 1960–1972. The earlier decrease is due to reduced precipitation with runoff remaining unchanged, however, the recent decrease is associated with increased precipitation, now more than compensated for by increased melt driven runoff. Additionally, in three of the four models the equilibrium line altitude has risen since the mid-1990s, reducing the accumulation area at a rate of approximately 60 000 km2 per decade due to ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland Ice Sheet The Cryosphere University of Liège: ORBi (Open Repository and Bibliography) The Cryosphere 7 2 599 614 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Liège: ORBi (Open Repository and Bibliography) |
op_collection_id |
ftorbi |
language |
English |
topic |
Physical chemical mathematical & earth Sciences Earth sciences & physical geography Physique chimie mathématiques & sciences de la terre Sciences de la terre & géographie physique |
spellingShingle |
Physical chemical mathematical & earth Sciences Earth sciences & physical geography Physique chimie mathématiques & sciences de la terre Sciences de la terre & géographie physique Vernon, C.L. Bamber, J.L. Box, J.E. van den Broeke, M.R. Fettweis, Xavier Hanna, E. Huybrechts, Ph. Surface mass balance model intercomparison for the Greenland ice sheet |
topic_facet |
Physical chemical mathematical & earth Sciences Earth sciences & physical geography Physique chimie mathématiques & sciences de la terre Sciences de la terre & géographie physique |
description |
peer reviewed A number of high resolution reconstructions of the surface mass balance (SMB) of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) have been produced using global re-analyses data extending back to 1958. These reconstructions have been used in a variety of applications but little is known about their consistency with each other and the impact of the downscaling method on the result. Here, we compare four reconstructions for the period 1960–2008 to assess the consistency in regional, seasonal and integrated SMB components. Total SMB estimates for the GrIS are in agreement within 34% of the four model average when a common ice sheet mask is used. When models' native land/ice/sea masks are used this spread increases to 57%. Variation in the spread of components of SMB from their mean: runoff 42% (29% native masks), precipitation 20% (24% native masks), melt 38% (74% native masks), refreeze 83% (142% native masks) show, with the exception of refreeze, a similar level of agreement once a common mask is used. Previously noted differences in the models' estimates are partially explained by ice sheet mask differences. Regionally there is less agreement, suggesting spatially compensating errors improve the integrated estimates. Modelled SMB estimates are compared with in situ observations from the accumulation and ablation areas. Agreement is higher in the accumulation area than the ablation area suggesting relatively high uncertainty in the estimation of ablation processes. Since the mid-1990s each model estimates a decreasing annual SMB. A similar period of decreasing SMB is also estimated for the period 1960–1972. The earlier decrease is due to reduced precipitation with runoff remaining unchanged, however, the recent decrease is associated with increased precipitation, now more than compensated for by increased melt driven runoff. Additionally, in three of the four models the equilibrium line altitude has risen since the mid-1990s, reducing the accumulation area at a rate of approximately 60 000 km2 per decade due to ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Vernon, C.L. Bamber, J.L. Box, J.E. van den Broeke, M.R. Fettweis, Xavier Hanna, E. Huybrechts, Ph. |
author_facet |
Vernon, C.L. Bamber, J.L. Box, J.E. van den Broeke, M.R. Fettweis, Xavier Hanna, E. Huybrechts, Ph. |
author_sort |
Vernon, C.L. |
title |
Surface mass balance model intercomparison for the Greenland ice sheet |
title_short |
Surface mass balance model intercomparison for the Greenland ice sheet |
title_full |
Surface mass balance model intercomparison for the Greenland ice sheet |
title_fullStr |
Surface mass balance model intercomparison for the Greenland ice sheet |
title_full_unstemmed |
Surface mass balance model intercomparison for the Greenland ice sheet |
title_sort |
surface mass balance model intercomparison for the greenland ice sheet |
publisher |
Copernicus |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/131506 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/131506/1/tc-7-599-2013.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-599-2013 |
genre |
Greenland Ice Sheet The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
Greenland Ice Sheet The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, 7, 599-614 (2013-04-03) |
op_relation |
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/7/599/2013/tc-7-599-2013.html urn:issn:1994-0416 urn:issn:1994-0424 https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/131506 info:hdl:2268/131506 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/131506/1/tc-7-599-2013.pdf doi:10.5194/tc-7-599-2013 |
op_rights |
open access http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-599-2013 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
7 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
599 |
op_container_end_page |
614 |
_version_ |
1796943477919973376 |