Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012)
peer reviewed We assess the runoff and surface mass balance (SMB) of the Greenland ice sheet in the Nuuk region (southwest) using output of two regional climate models (RCMs) evaluated by observations. The region encompasses six glaciers that drain into Godtha ̊bsfjord. RCM data (1960–2012) are resa...
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International Glaciological Society
2014
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Online Access: | https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/164524 https://doi.org/10.3189/2014JoG13J065 |
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ftorbi:oai:orbi.ulg.ac.be:2268/164524 2024-04-21T08:02:30+00:00 Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) Van As, D Andersen, ML Petersen, D Fettweis, Xavier Van Angelen, JH Lenaerts, JTM Van den Broeke, MR Lea, JM Bøggild, CE Ahlstrøm, AP Steffen, K 2014-04 https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/164524 https://doi.org/10.3189/2014JoG13J065 en eng International Glaciological Society urn:issn:0022-1430 urn:issn:1727-5652 https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/164524 info:hdl:2268/164524 doi:10.3189/2014JoG13J065 scopus-id:2-s2.0-84903220041 restricted access http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_16ec info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Journal of Glaciology, 60 (220), 314-322 (2014-04) 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 2014 ftorbi https://doi.org/10.3189/2014JoG13J065 2024-03-27T14:56:34Z peer reviewed We assess the runoff and surface mass balance (SMB) of the Greenland ice sheet in the Nuuk region (southwest) using output of two regional climate models (RCMs) evaluated by observations. The region encompasses six glaciers that drain into Godtha ̊bsfjord. RCM data (1960–2012) are resampled to a high spatial resolution to include the narrow (relative to the native grid spacing) glacier trunks in the ice mask. Comparing RCM gridded results with automatic weather station (AWS) point measurements reveals that locally models can underestimate ablation and overestimate accumulation by up to tens of per cent. However, comparison with lake discharge indicates that modelled regional runoff totals are more accurate. Model results show that melt and runoff in the Nuuk region have doubled over the past two decades. Regional SMB attained negative values in recent high-melt years. Taking into account frontal ablation of the marine-terminating glaciers, the region lost 10–20 km3 w.e. a–1 in 2010–12. If 2010 melting prevails during the remainder of this century, a low-end estimate of sea-level rise of 5 mm is expected by 2100 from this relatively small section (2.6%) of the ice sheet alone. Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology Nuuk University of Liège: ORBi (Open Repository and Bibliography) Journal of Glaciology 60 220 314 322 |
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 Van As, D Andersen, ML Petersen, D Fettweis, Xavier Van Angelen, JH Lenaerts, JTM Van den Broeke, MR Lea, JM Bøggild, CE Ahlstrøm, AP Steffen, K Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) |
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 We assess the runoff and surface mass balance (SMB) of the Greenland ice sheet in the Nuuk region (southwest) using output of two regional climate models (RCMs) evaluated by observations. The region encompasses six glaciers that drain into Godtha ̊bsfjord. RCM data (1960–2012) are resampled to a high spatial resolution to include the narrow (relative to the native grid spacing) glacier trunks in the ice mask. Comparing RCM gridded results with automatic weather station (AWS) point measurements reveals that locally models can underestimate ablation and overestimate accumulation by up to tens of per cent. However, comparison with lake discharge indicates that modelled regional runoff totals are more accurate. Model results show that melt and runoff in the Nuuk region have doubled over the past two decades. Regional SMB attained negative values in recent high-melt years. Taking into account frontal ablation of the marine-terminating glaciers, the region lost 10–20 km3 w.e. a–1 in 2010–12. If 2010 melting prevails during the remainder of this century, a low-end estimate of sea-level rise of 5 mm is expected by 2100 from this relatively small section (2.6%) of the ice sheet alone. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Van As, D Andersen, ML Petersen, D Fettweis, Xavier Van Angelen, JH Lenaerts, JTM Van den Broeke, MR Lea, JM Bøggild, CE Ahlstrøm, AP Steffen, K |
author_facet |
Van As, D Andersen, ML Petersen, D Fettweis, Xavier Van Angelen, JH Lenaerts, JTM Van den Broeke, MR Lea, JM Bøggild, CE Ahlstrøm, AP Steffen, K |
author_sort |
Van As, D |
title |
Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) |
title_short |
Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) |
title_full |
Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) |
title_fullStr |
Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Increasing meltwater discharge from the Nuuk region of the Greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) |
title_sort |
increasing meltwater discharge from the nuuk region of the greenland ice sheet and implications for mass balance (1960-2012) |
publisher |
International Glaciological Society |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/164524 https://doi.org/10.3189/2014JoG13J065 |
genre |
glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology Nuuk |
genre_facet |
glacier Greenland Ice Sheet Journal of Glaciology Nuuk |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology, 60 (220), 314-322 (2014-04) |
op_relation |
urn:issn:0022-1430 urn:issn:1727-5652 https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/164524 info:hdl:2268/164524 doi:10.3189/2014JoG13J065 scopus-id:2-s2.0-84903220041 |
op_rights |
restricted access http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_16ec info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3189/2014JoG13J065 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
60 |
container_issue |
220 |
container_start_page |
314 |
op_container_end_page |
322 |
_version_ |
1796942686427545600 |