Improving model-satellite comparisons of sea ice melt onset with a satellite simulator

Seasonal transitions in Arctic sea ice, such as the melt onset, have been found to be useful metrics for evaluating sea ice in climate models against observations. However, comparisons of melt onset dates between climate models and satellite observations are indirect. Satellite data products of melt...

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Published in:The Cryosphere
Main Authors: Smith, A., Jahn, A., Burgard, C., Notz, D.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-F6EF-4
http://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-F6F1-0
http://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-F6F2-F
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spelling ftpubman:oai:pure.mpg.de:item_3405298 2024-09-09T19:21:55+00:00 Improving model-satellite comparisons of sea ice melt onset with a satellite simulator Smith, A. Jahn, A. Burgard, C. Notz, D. 2022 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-F6EF-4 http://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-F6F1-0 http://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-F6F2-F eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.5194/tc-16-3235-2022 http://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-F6EF-4 http://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-F6F1-0 http://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-F6F2-F info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ The Cryosphere info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2022 ftpubman https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3235-2022 2024-06-18T14:12:31Z Seasonal transitions in Arctic sea ice, such as the melt onset, have been found to be useful metrics for evaluating sea ice in climate models against observations. However, comparisons of melt onset dates between climate models and satellite observations are indirect. Satellite data products of melt onset rely on observed brightness temperatures, while climate models do not currently simulate brightness temperatures, and must therefore define melt onset with other modeled variables. Here we adapt a passive microwave sea ice satellite simulator, the Arctic Ocean Observation Operator (ARC3O), to produce simulated brightness temperatures that can be used to diagnose the timing of the earliest snowmelt in climate models, as we show here using Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2) ocean-ice hindcasts. By producing simulated brightness temperatures and earliest snowmelt estimation dates using CESM2 and ARC3O, we facilitate new and previously impossible comparisons between the model and satellite observations by removing the uncertainty that arises due to definition differences. Direct comparisons between the model and satellite data allow us to identify an early bias across large areas of the Arctic at the beginning of the CESM2 ocean-ice hindcast melt season, as well as improve our understanding of the physical processes underlying seasonal changes in brightness temperatures. In particular, the ARC3O allows us to show that satellite algorithm-based melt onset dates likely occur after significant snowmelt has already taken place. © 2022 Authors Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Ocean Sea ice The Cryosphere Max Planck Society: MPG.PuRe Arctic Arctic Ocean The Cryosphere 16 8 3235 3248
institution Open Polar
collection Max Planck Society: MPG.PuRe
op_collection_id ftpubman
language English
description Seasonal transitions in Arctic sea ice, such as the melt onset, have been found to be useful metrics for evaluating sea ice in climate models against observations. However, comparisons of melt onset dates between climate models and satellite observations are indirect. Satellite data products of melt onset rely on observed brightness temperatures, while climate models do not currently simulate brightness temperatures, and must therefore define melt onset with other modeled variables. Here we adapt a passive microwave sea ice satellite simulator, the Arctic Ocean Observation Operator (ARC3O), to produce simulated brightness temperatures that can be used to diagnose the timing of the earliest snowmelt in climate models, as we show here using Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2) ocean-ice hindcasts. By producing simulated brightness temperatures and earliest snowmelt estimation dates using CESM2 and ARC3O, we facilitate new and previously impossible comparisons between the model and satellite observations by removing the uncertainty that arises due to definition differences. Direct comparisons between the model and satellite data allow us to identify an early bias across large areas of the Arctic at the beginning of the CESM2 ocean-ice hindcast melt season, as well as improve our understanding of the physical processes underlying seasonal changes in brightness temperatures. In particular, the ARC3O allows us to show that satellite algorithm-based melt onset dates likely occur after significant snowmelt has already taken place. © 2022 Authors
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Smith, A.
Jahn, A.
Burgard, C.
Notz, D.
spellingShingle Smith, A.
Jahn, A.
Burgard, C.
Notz, D.
Improving model-satellite comparisons of sea ice melt onset with a satellite simulator
author_facet Smith, A.
Jahn, A.
Burgard, C.
Notz, D.
author_sort Smith, A.
title Improving model-satellite comparisons of sea ice melt onset with a satellite simulator
title_short Improving model-satellite comparisons of sea ice melt onset with a satellite simulator
title_full Improving model-satellite comparisons of sea ice melt onset with a satellite simulator
title_fullStr Improving model-satellite comparisons of sea ice melt onset with a satellite simulator
title_full_unstemmed Improving model-satellite comparisons of sea ice melt onset with a satellite simulator
title_sort improving model-satellite comparisons of sea ice melt onset with a satellite simulator
publishDate 2022
url http://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-F6EF-4
http://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-F6F1-0
http://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-F6F2-F
geographic Arctic
Arctic Ocean
geographic_facet Arctic
Arctic Ocean
genre Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Sea ice
The Cryosphere
genre_facet Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Sea ice
The Cryosphere
op_source The Cryosphere
op_relation info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.5194/tc-16-3235-2022
http://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-F6EF-4
http://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-F6F1-0
http://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-F6F2-F
op_rights info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
op_doi https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3235-2022
container_title The Cryosphere
container_volume 16
container_issue 8
container_start_page 3235
op_container_end_page 3248
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