Evaluating a regional climate model simulation of Greenland ice sheet snow and firn density for improved surface mass balance estimates

peer reviewed Modeling vertical profiles of snow and firn density near the surface of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) is key to estimating GrIS mass balance, and by extension, global sea level change. To understand sources of error in simulated GrIS density, we compare GrIS density profiles from a le...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical Research Letters
Main Authors: Alexander, P., Tedesco, M., Koening, L., Fettweis, Xavier
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/240310
https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/240310/1/Alexander_et_al-2019-Geophysical_Research_Letters.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084101
id ftorbi:oai:orbi.ulg.ac.be:2268/240310
record_format openpolar
spelling ftorbi:oai:orbi.ulg.ac.be:2268/240310 2024-04-21T08:03:28+00:00 Evaluating a regional climate model simulation of Greenland ice sheet snow and firn density for improved surface mass balance estimates Alexander, P. Tedesco, M. Koening, L. Fettweis, Xavier 2019-10-11 https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/240310 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/240310/1/Alexander_et_al-2019-Geophysical_Research_Letters.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084101 en eng Wiley https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2019GL084101 urn:issn:0094-8276 urn:issn:1944-8007 https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/240310 info:hdl:2268/240310 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/240310/1/Alexander_et_al-2019-Geophysical_Research_Letters.pdf doi:10.1029/2019GL084101 scopus-id:2-s2.0-85074770586 open access http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Geophysical Research Letters (2019-10-11) 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 2019 ftorbi https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084101 2024-03-27T14:53:59Z peer reviewed Modeling vertical profiles of snow and firn density near the surface of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) is key to estimating GrIS mass balance, and by extension, global sea level change. To understand sources of error in simulated GrIS density, we compare GrIS density profiles from a leading regional climate model with coincident in situ measurements. We identify key contributors to model density and mass balance biases, including underestimated simulated fresh snow density (which leads to underestimation of density in the top 1 m of snow by ~10%). In areas undergoing frequent melting, positive density biases (of 7% in the top 1 m, and 10% between 1 and 10 m) are likely associated with errors in representing meltwater production, retention and refreezing. The results highlight the importance of accurately capturing fresh snow density and meltwater processes in models used to estimate GrIS mass balance change. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland Ice Sheet University of Liège: ORBi (Open Repository and Bibliography) Geophysical Research Letters 46 21 12073 12082
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
Alexander, P.
Tedesco, M.
Koening, L.
Fettweis, Xavier
Evaluating a regional climate model simulation of Greenland ice sheet snow and firn density for improved surface mass balance estimates
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 Modeling vertical profiles of snow and firn density near the surface of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) is key to estimating GrIS mass balance, and by extension, global sea level change. To understand sources of error in simulated GrIS density, we compare GrIS density profiles from a leading regional climate model with coincident in situ measurements. We identify key contributors to model density and mass balance biases, including underestimated simulated fresh snow density (which leads to underestimation of density in the top 1 m of snow by ~10%). In areas undergoing frequent melting, positive density biases (of 7% in the top 1 m, and 10% between 1 and 10 m) are likely associated with errors in representing meltwater production, retention and refreezing. The results highlight the importance of accurately capturing fresh snow density and meltwater processes in models used to estimate GrIS mass balance change.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Alexander, P.
Tedesco, M.
Koening, L.
Fettweis, Xavier
author_facet Alexander, P.
Tedesco, M.
Koening, L.
Fettweis, Xavier
author_sort Alexander, P.
title Evaluating a regional climate model simulation of Greenland ice sheet snow and firn density for improved surface mass balance estimates
title_short Evaluating a regional climate model simulation of Greenland ice sheet snow and firn density for improved surface mass balance estimates
title_full Evaluating a regional climate model simulation of Greenland ice sheet snow and firn density for improved surface mass balance estimates
title_fullStr Evaluating a regional climate model simulation of Greenland ice sheet snow and firn density for improved surface mass balance estimates
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating a regional climate model simulation of Greenland ice sheet snow and firn density for improved surface mass balance estimates
title_sort evaluating a regional climate model simulation of greenland ice sheet snow and firn density for improved surface mass balance estimates
publisher Wiley
publishDate 2019
url https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/240310
https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/240310/1/Alexander_et_al-2019-Geophysical_Research_Letters.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084101
genre Greenland
Ice Sheet
genre_facet Greenland
Ice Sheet
op_source Geophysical Research Letters (2019-10-11)
op_relation https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2019GL084101
urn:issn:0094-8276
urn:issn:1944-8007
https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/240310
info:hdl:2268/240310
https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/240310/1/Alexander_et_al-2019-Geophysical_Research_Letters.pdf
doi:10.1029/2019GL084101
scopus-id:2-s2.0-85074770586
op_rights open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084101
container_title Geophysical Research Letters
container_volume 46
container_issue 21
container_start_page 12073
op_container_end_page 12082
_version_ 1796943307693096960