What is the surface mass balance of Antarctica? An intercomparison of regional climate model estimates
peer reviewed We compare the performance of five different regional climate models (RCMs) (COSMO-CLM2, HIRHAM5, MAR3.10, MetUM, and RACMO2.3p2), forced by ERA-Interim reanalysis, in simulating the near-surface climate and surface mass balance (SMB) of Antarctica. All models simulate Antarctic climat...
Published in: | The Cryosphere |
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Language: | English |
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Copernicus
2021
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Online Access: | https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/262639 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/262639/1/tc-15-3751-2021.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3751-2021 |
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ftorbi:oai:orbi.ulg.ac.be:2268/262639 2024-04-21T07:48:46+00:00 What is the surface mass balance of Antarctica? An intercomparison of regional climate model estimates Mottram, R. Hansen, N. Kittel, Christoph van Wessem, M. Agosta, C. Amory, Charles Boberg, F. van de Berg, W.J. Fettweis, Xavier Gossart, A. van Lipzig, N. van Meijgaard, E. Orr, A. Phillips, T. Webster, S. Simonsen, S. Souverijns, N. Sphères - SPHERES 2021-08-17 https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/262639 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/262639/1/tc-15-3751-2021.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3751-2021 en eng Copernicus https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/3751/2021/tc-15-3751-2021.html urn:issn:1994-0416 urn:issn:1994-0424 https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/262639 info:hdl:2268/262639 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/262639/1/tc-15-3751-2021.pdf doi:10.5194/tc-15-3751-2021 scopus-id:2-s2.0-85113756201 open access http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess The Cryosphere, 15, 3751–3784 (2021-08-17) 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 2021 ftorbi https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3751-2021 2024-03-27T14:58:15Z peer reviewed We compare the performance of five different regional climate models (RCMs) (COSMO-CLM2, HIRHAM5, MAR3.10, MetUM, and RACMO2.3p2), forced by ERA-Interim reanalysis, in simulating the near-surface climate and surface mass balance (SMB) of Antarctica. All models simulate Antarctic climate well when compared with daily observed temperature and pressure, with nudged models matching daily observations slightly better than free-running models. The ensemble mean annual SMB over the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) including ice shelves is 2329±94 Gt yr−1 over the common 1987–2015 period covered by all models. There is large interannual variability, consistent between models due to variability in the driving ERA-Interim reanalysis. Mean annual SMB is sensitive to the chosen period; over our 30-year climatological mean period (1980 to 2010), the ensemble mean is 2483 Gt yr−1. However, individual model estimates vary from 1961±70 to 2519±118 Gt yr−1. The largest spatial differences between model SMB estimates are in West Antarctica, the Antarctic Peninsula, and around the Transantarctic Mountains. We find no significant trend in Antarctic SMB over either period. Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) mass loss is currently equivalent to around 0.5 mm yr−1 of global mean sea level rise (Shepherd et al., 2020), but our results indicate some uncertainty in the SMB contribution based on RCMs. We compare modelled SMB with a large dataset of observations, which, though biased by undersampling, indicates that many of the biases in SMB are common between models. A drifting-snow scheme improves modelled SMB on ice sheet surface slopes with an elevation between 1000 and 2000 m, where strong katabatic winds form. Different ice masks have a substantial impact on the integrated total SMB and along with model resolution are factored into our analysis. Targeting undersampled regions with high precipitation for observational campaigns will be key to improving future estimates of SMB in Antarctica. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelves The Cryosphere West Antarctica University of Liège: ORBi (Open Repository and Bibliography) The Cryosphere 15 8 3751 3784 |
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 Mottram, R. Hansen, N. Kittel, Christoph van Wessem, M. Agosta, C. Amory, Charles Boberg, F. van de Berg, W.J. Fettweis, Xavier Gossart, A. van Lipzig, N. van Meijgaard, E. Orr, A. Phillips, T. Webster, S. Simonsen, S. Souverijns, N. What is the surface mass balance of Antarctica? An intercomparison of regional climate model 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 We compare the performance of five different regional climate models (RCMs) (COSMO-CLM2, HIRHAM5, MAR3.10, MetUM, and RACMO2.3p2), forced by ERA-Interim reanalysis, in simulating the near-surface climate and surface mass balance (SMB) of Antarctica. All models simulate Antarctic climate well when compared with daily observed temperature and pressure, with nudged models matching daily observations slightly better than free-running models. The ensemble mean annual SMB over the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) including ice shelves is 2329±94 Gt yr−1 over the common 1987–2015 period covered by all models. There is large interannual variability, consistent between models due to variability in the driving ERA-Interim reanalysis. Mean annual SMB is sensitive to the chosen period; over our 30-year climatological mean period (1980 to 2010), the ensemble mean is 2483 Gt yr−1. However, individual model estimates vary from 1961±70 to 2519±118 Gt yr−1. The largest spatial differences between model SMB estimates are in West Antarctica, the Antarctic Peninsula, and around the Transantarctic Mountains. We find no significant trend in Antarctic SMB over either period. Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) mass loss is currently equivalent to around 0.5 mm yr−1 of global mean sea level rise (Shepherd et al., 2020), but our results indicate some uncertainty in the SMB contribution based on RCMs. We compare modelled SMB with a large dataset of observations, which, though biased by undersampling, indicates that many of the biases in SMB are common between models. A drifting-snow scheme improves modelled SMB on ice sheet surface slopes with an elevation between 1000 and 2000 m, where strong katabatic winds form. Different ice masks have a substantial impact on the integrated total SMB and along with model resolution are factored into our analysis. Targeting undersampled regions with high precipitation for observational campaigns will be key to improving future estimates of SMB in Antarctica. |
author2 |
Sphères - SPHERES |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mottram, R. Hansen, N. Kittel, Christoph van Wessem, M. Agosta, C. Amory, Charles Boberg, F. van de Berg, W.J. Fettweis, Xavier Gossart, A. van Lipzig, N. van Meijgaard, E. Orr, A. Phillips, T. Webster, S. Simonsen, S. Souverijns, N. |
author_facet |
Mottram, R. Hansen, N. Kittel, Christoph van Wessem, M. Agosta, C. Amory, Charles Boberg, F. van de Berg, W.J. Fettweis, Xavier Gossart, A. van Lipzig, N. van Meijgaard, E. Orr, A. Phillips, T. Webster, S. Simonsen, S. Souverijns, N. |
author_sort |
Mottram, R. |
title |
What is the surface mass balance of Antarctica? An intercomparison of regional climate model estimates |
title_short |
What is the surface mass balance of Antarctica? An intercomparison of regional climate model estimates |
title_full |
What is the surface mass balance of Antarctica? An intercomparison of regional climate model estimates |
title_fullStr |
What is the surface mass balance of Antarctica? An intercomparison of regional climate model estimates |
title_full_unstemmed |
What is the surface mass balance of Antarctica? An intercomparison of regional climate model estimates |
title_sort |
what is the surface mass balance of antarctica? an intercomparison of regional climate model estimates |
publisher |
Copernicus |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/262639 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/262639/1/tc-15-3751-2021.pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3751-2021 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelves The Cryosphere West Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelves The Cryosphere West Antarctica |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, 15, 3751–3784 (2021-08-17) |
op_relation |
https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/3751/2021/tc-15-3751-2021.html urn:issn:1994-0416 urn:issn:1994-0424 https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/262639 info:hdl:2268/262639 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/262639/1/tc-15-3751-2021.pdf doi:10.5194/tc-15-3751-2021 scopus-id:2-s2.0-85113756201 |
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-15-3751-2021 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
15 |
container_issue |
8 |
container_start_page |
3751 |
op_container_end_page |
3784 |
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1796951324304080896 |