Evaluation of the updated regional climate model RACMO2.3: summer snowfall impact on the Greenland Ice Sheet
We discuss Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) surface mass balance (SMB) differences between the updated polar version of the RACMO climate model (RACMO2.3) and the previous version (RACMO2.1). Among other revisions, the updated model includes an adjusted rainfall-to-snowfall conversion that produces exclus...
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Copernicus Publications
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1831-2015 http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/1831/2015/tc-9-1831-2015.pdf https://doaj.org/article/59680bc34f3f474e8b558653d9a6ebbe |
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fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:59680bc34f3f474e8b558653d9a6ebbe 2023-05-15T16:27:53+02:00 Evaluation of the updated regional climate model RACMO2.3: summer snowfall impact on the Greenland Ice Sheet B. Noël W. J. van de Berg E. van Meijgaard P. Kuipers Munneke R. S. W. van de Wal M. R. van den Broeke 2015-09-01 https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1831-2015 http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/1831/2015/tc-9-1831-2015.pdf https://doaj.org/article/59680bc34f3f474e8b558653d9a6ebbe en eng Copernicus Publications 1994-0416 1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-9-1831-2015 http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/1831/2015/tc-9-1831-2015.pdf https://doaj.org/article/59680bc34f3f474e8b558653d9a6ebbe undefined The Cryosphere, Vol 9, Iss 5, Pp 1831-1844 (2015) geo envir Journal Article https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/ 2015 fttriple https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1831-2015 2023-01-22T17:52:59Z We discuss Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) surface mass balance (SMB) differences between the updated polar version of the RACMO climate model (RACMO2.3) and the previous version (RACMO2.1). Among other revisions, the updated model includes an adjusted rainfall-to-snowfall conversion that produces exclusively snowfall under freezing conditions; this especially favours snowfall in summer. Summer snowfall in the ablation zone of the GrIS has a pronounced effect on melt rates, affecting modelled GrIS SMB in two ways. By covering relatively dark ice with highly reflective fresh snow, these summer snowfalls have the potential to locally reduce melt rates in the ablation zone of the GrIS through the snow-albedo-melt feedback. At larger scales, SMB changes are driven by differences in orographic precipitation following a shift in large-scale circulation, in combination with enhanced moisture to precipitation conversion for warm to moderately cold conditions. A detailed comparison of model output with observations from automatic weather stations, ice cores and ablation stakes shows that the model update generally improves the simulated SMB-elevation gradient as well as the representation of the surface energy balance, although significant biases remain. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland Ice Sheet The Cryosphere Unknown Greenland The Cryosphere 9 5 1831 1844 |
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geo envir B. Noël W. J. van de Berg E. van Meijgaard P. Kuipers Munneke R. S. W. van de Wal M. R. van den Broeke Evaluation of the updated regional climate model RACMO2.3: summer snowfall impact on the Greenland Ice Sheet |
topic_facet |
geo envir |
description |
We discuss Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) surface mass balance (SMB) differences between the updated polar version of the RACMO climate model (RACMO2.3) and the previous version (RACMO2.1). Among other revisions, the updated model includes an adjusted rainfall-to-snowfall conversion that produces exclusively snowfall under freezing conditions; this especially favours snowfall in summer. Summer snowfall in the ablation zone of the GrIS has a pronounced effect on melt rates, affecting modelled GrIS SMB in two ways. By covering relatively dark ice with highly reflective fresh snow, these summer snowfalls have the potential to locally reduce melt rates in the ablation zone of the GrIS through the snow-albedo-melt feedback. At larger scales, SMB changes are driven by differences in orographic precipitation following a shift in large-scale circulation, in combination with enhanced moisture to precipitation conversion for warm to moderately cold conditions. A detailed comparison of model output with observations from automatic weather stations, ice cores and ablation stakes shows that the model update generally improves the simulated SMB-elevation gradient as well as the representation of the surface energy balance, although significant biases remain. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
B. Noël W. J. van de Berg E. van Meijgaard P. Kuipers Munneke R. S. W. van de Wal M. R. van den Broeke |
author_facet |
B. Noël W. J. van de Berg E. van Meijgaard P. Kuipers Munneke R. S. W. van de Wal M. R. van den Broeke |
author_sort |
B. Noël |
title |
Evaluation of the updated regional climate model RACMO2.3: summer snowfall impact on the Greenland Ice Sheet |
title_short |
Evaluation of the updated regional climate model RACMO2.3: summer snowfall impact on the Greenland Ice Sheet |
title_full |
Evaluation of the updated regional climate model RACMO2.3: summer snowfall impact on the Greenland Ice Sheet |
title_fullStr |
Evaluation of the updated regional climate model RACMO2.3: summer snowfall impact on the Greenland Ice Sheet |
title_full_unstemmed |
Evaluation of the updated regional climate model RACMO2.3: summer snowfall impact on the Greenland Ice Sheet |
title_sort |
evaluation of the updated regional climate model racmo2.3: summer snowfall impact on the greenland ice sheet |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1831-2015 http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/1831/2015/tc-9-1831-2015.pdf https://doaj.org/article/59680bc34f3f474e8b558653d9a6ebbe |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
Greenland Ice Sheet The Cryosphere |
genre_facet |
Greenland Ice Sheet The Cryosphere |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, Vol 9, Iss 5, Pp 1831-1844 (2015) |
op_relation |
1994-0416 1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-9-1831-2015 http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/1831/2015/tc-9-1831-2015.pdf https://doaj.org/article/59680bc34f3f474e8b558653d9a6ebbe |
op_rights |
undefined |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1831-2015 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
1831 |
op_container_end_page |
1844 |
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1766017451454103552 |