Increased variability in Greenland Ice Sheet runoff from satellite observations.
peer reviewed Runoff from the Greenland Ice Sheet has increased over recent decades affecting global sea level, regional ocean circulation, and coastal marine ecosystems, and it now accounts for most of the contemporary mass imbalance. Estimates of runoff are typically derived from regional climate...
Published in: | Nature Communications |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
Other Authors: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Nature Research
2021
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/296872 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/296872/1/s41467-021-26229-4.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26229-4 |
id |
ftorbi:oai:orbi.ulg.ac.be:2268/296872 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftorbi:oai:orbi.ulg.ac.be:2268/296872 2024-04-21T08:03:36+00:00 Increased variability in Greenland Ice Sheet runoff from satellite observations. Slater, Thomas Shepherd, Andrew McMillan, Malcolm Leeson, Amber Gilbert, Lin Muir, Alan Munneke, Peter Kuipers Noël, Brice Fettweis, Xavier van den Broeke, Michiel Briggs, Kate SPHERES - ULiège 2021-11-01 https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/296872 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/296872/1/s41467-021-26229-4.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26229-4 en eng Nature Research https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-26229-4.pdf urn:issn:2041-1723 https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/296872 info:hdl:2268/296872 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/296872/1/s41467-021-26229-4.pdf doi:10.1038/s41467-021-26229-4 scopus-id:2-s2.0-85118453221 info:pmid:34725324 open access http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Nature Communications, 12 (1), 6069 (2021-11-01) Chemistry (all) Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology (all) Multidisciplinary Physics and Astronomy (all) General Physics and Astronomy General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology General Chemistry 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/10.1038/s41467-021-26229-4 2024-03-27T14:57:58Z peer reviewed Runoff from the Greenland Ice Sheet has increased over recent decades affecting global sea level, regional ocean circulation, and coastal marine ecosystems, and it now accounts for most of the contemporary mass imbalance. Estimates of runoff are typically derived from regional climate models because satellite records have been limited to assessments of melting extent. Here, we use CryoSat-2 satellite altimetry to produce direct measurements of Greenland's runoff variability, based on seasonal changes in the ice sheet's surface elevation. Between 2011 and 2020, Greenland's ablation zone thinned on average by 1.4 ± 0.4 m each summer and thickened by 0.9 ± 0.4 m each winter. By adjusting for the steady-state divergence of ice, we estimate that runoff was 357 ± 58 Gt/yr on average - in close agreement with regional climate model simulations (root mean square difference of 47 to 60 Gt/yr). As well as being 21 % higher between 2011 and 2020 than over the preceding three decades, runoff is now also 60 % more variable from year-to-year as a consequence of large-scale fluctuations in atmospheric circulation. Because this variability is not captured in global climate model simulations, our satellite record of runoff should help to refine them and improve confidence in their projections. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland Ice Sheet University of Liège: ORBi (Open Repository and Bibliography) Nature Communications 12 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Liège: ORBi (Open Repository and Bibliography) |
op_collection_id |
ftorbi |
language |
English |
topic |
Chemistry (all) Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology (all) Multidisciplinary Physics and Astronomy (all) General Physics and Astronomy General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology General Chemistry Physical chemical mathematical & earth Sciences Earth sciences & physical geography Physique chimie mathématiques & sciences de la terre Sciences de la terre & géographie physique |
spellingShingle |
Chemistry (all) Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology (all) Multidisciplinary Physics and Astronomy (all) General Physics and Astronomy General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology General Chemistry Physical chemical mathematical & earth Sciences Earth sciences & physical geography Physique chimie mathématiques & sciences de la terre Sciences de la terre & géographie physique Slater, Thomas Shepherd, Andrew McMillan, Malcolm Leeson, Amber Gilbert, Lin Muir, Alan Munneke, Peter Kuipers Noël, Brice Fettweis, Xavier van den Broeke, Michiel Briggs, Kate Increased variability in Greenland Ice Sheet runoff from satellite observations. |
topic_facet |
Chemistry (all) Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology (all) Multidisciplinary Physics and Astronomy (all) General Physics and Astronomy General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology General Chemistry 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 Runoff from the Greenland Ice Sheet has increased over recent decades affecting global sea level, regional ocean circulation, and coastal marine ecosystems, and it now accounts for most of the contemporary mass imbalance. Estimates of runoff are typically derived from regional climate models because satellite records have been limited to assessments of melting extent. Here, we use CryoSat-2 satellite altimetry to produce direct measurements of Greenland's runoff variability, based on seasonal changes in the ice sheet's surface elevation. Between 2011 and 2020, Greenland's ablation zone thinned on average by 1.4 ± 0.4 m each summer and thickened by 0.9 ± 0.4 m each winter. By adjusting for the steady-state divergence of ice, we estimate that runoff was 357 ± 58 Gt/yr on average - in close agreement with regional climate model simulations (root mean square difference of 47 to 60 Gt/yr). As well as being 21 % higher between 2011 and 2020 than over the preceding three decades, runoff is now also 60 % more variable from year-to-year as a consequence of large-scale fluctuations in atmospheric circulation. Because this variability is not captured in global climate model simulations, our satellite record of runoff should help to refine them and improve confidence in their projections. |
author2 |
SPHERES - ULiège |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Slater, Thomas Shepherd, Andrew McMillan, Malcolm Leeson, Amber Gilbert, Lin Muir, Alan Munneke, Peter Kuipers Noël, Brice Fettweis, Xavier van den Broeke, Michiel Briggs, Kate |
author_facet |
Slater, Thomas Shepherd, Andrew McMillan, Malcolm Leeson, Amber Gilbert, Lin Muir, Alan Munneke, Peter Kuipers Noël, Brice Fettweis, Xavier van den Broeke, Michiel Briggs, Kate |
author_sort |
Slater, Thomas |
title |
Increased variability in Greenland Ice Sheet runoff from satellite observations. |
title_short |
Increased variability in Greenland Ice Sheet runoff from satellite observations. |
title_full |
Increased variability in Greenland Ice Sheet runoff from satellite observations. |
title_fullStr |
Increased variability in Greenland Ice Sheet runoff from satellite observations. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Increased variability in Greenland Ice Sheet runoff from satellite observations. |
title_sort |
increased variability in greenland ice sheet runoff from satellite observations. |
publisher |
Nature Research |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/296872 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/296872/1/s41467-021-26229-4.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26229-4 |
genre |
Greenland Ice Sheet |
genre_facet |
Greenland Ice Sheet |
op_source |
Nature Communications, 12 (1), 6069 (2021-11-01) |
op_relation |
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-26229-4.pdf urn:issn:2041-1723 https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/296872 info:hdl:2268/296872 https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/296872/1/s41467-021-26229-4.pdf doi:10.1038/s41467-021-26229-4 scopus-id:2-s2.0-85118453221 info:pmid:34725324 |
op_rights |
open access http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26229-4 |
container_title |
Nature Communications |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1796943384027332608 |