Variable temperature thresholds of melt pond formation on Antarctic ice shelves
It has been argued that the −5 °C annual mean 2 m air temperature isotherm defines a limit of ice shelf viability on the Antarctic Peninsula as melt ponding increases at higher temperatures. It is, however, presently unknown whether this threshold can also be applied to other Antarctic ice shelves....
Published in: | Nature Climate Change |
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2023
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Online Access: | http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:8b6dfc5e-de4a-45c0-8bc8-8b595193629e https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01577-1 |
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fttudelft:oai:tudelft.nl:uuid:8b6dfc5e-de4a-45c0-8bc8-8b595193629e 2024-04-28T07:56:54+00:00 Variable temperature thresholds of melt pond formation on Antarctic ice shelves van Wessem, J. Melchior (author) van den Broeke, Michiel R. (author) Wouters, B. (author) Lhermitte, S.L.M. (author) 2023 http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:8b6dfc5e-de4a-45c0-8bc8-8b595193629e https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01577-1 en eng http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85146887969&partnerID=8YFLogxK Nature Climate Change--1758-678X--b99b1ddb-147a-49a9-953b-d5fa815bd600 http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:8b6dfc5e-de4a-45c0-8bc8-8b595193629e https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01577-1 © 2023 J. Melchior van Wessem, Michiel R. van den Broeke, B. Wouters, S.L.M. Lhermitte journal article 2023 fttudelft https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01577-1 2024-04-10T00:12:34Z It has been argued that the −5 °C annual mean 2 m air temperature isotherm defines a limit of ice shelf viability on the Antarctic Peninsula as melt ponding increases at higher temperatures. It is, however, presently unknown whether this threshold can also be applied to other Antarctic ice shelves. Here we use two present-day and three future high-resolution Antarctic climate simulations to predict warming thresholds for Antarctic ice shelf melt pond formation on the basis of the melt-over-accumulation ratio. The associated warming thresholds match well with observed melt pond volumes and are found to be spatially highly variable and controlled by snow accumulation. For relatively wet ice shelves, the −5 °C temperature threshold was confirmed; but cold and dry ice shelves such as Amery, Ross and Filchner-Ronne are more vulnerable than previously thought, with threshold temperatures well below −15 °C. Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 models predict that towards the end of this century these thresholds can be reached on many ice shelves, even on cold ice shelves and under moderate warming scenarios. Physical and Space Geodesy Mathematical Geodesy and Positioning Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Delft University of Technology: Institutional Repository Nature Climate Change 13 2 161 166 |
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Open Polar |
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Delft University of Technology: Institutional Repository |
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fttudelft |
language |
English |
description |
It has been argued that the −5 °C annual mean 2 m air temperature isotherm defines a limit of ice shelf viability on the Antarctic Peninsula as melt ponding increases at higher temperatures. It is, however, presently unknown whether this threshold can also be applied to other Antarctic ice shelves. Here we use two present-day and three future high-resolution Antarctic climate simulations to predict warming thresholds for Antarctic ice shelf melt pond formation on the basis of the melt-over-accumulation ratio. The associated warming thresholds match well with observed melt pond volumes and are found to be spatially highly variable and controlled by snow accumulation. For relatively wet ice shelves, the −5 °C temperature threshold was confirmed; but cold and dry ice shelves such as Amery, Ross and Filchner-Ronne are more vulnerable than previously thought, with threshold temperatures well below −15 °C. Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 models predict that towards the end of this century these thresholds can be reached on many ice shelves, even on cold ice shelves and under moderate warming scenarios. Physical and Space Geodesy Mathematical Geodesy and Positioning |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
van Wessem, J. Melchior (author) van den Broeke, Michiel R. (author) Wouters, B. (author) Lhermitte, S.L.M. (author) |
spellingShingle |
van Wessem, J. Melchior (author) van den Broeke, Michiel R. (author) Wouters, B. (author) Lhermitte, S.L.M. (author) Variable temperature thresholds of melt pond formation on Antarctic ice shelves |
author_facet |
van Wessem, J. Melchior (author) van den Broeke, Michiel R. (author) Wouters, B. (author) Lhermitte, S.L.M. (author) |
author_sort |
van Wessem, J. Melchior (author) |
title |
Variable temperature thresholds of melt pond formation on Antarctic ice shelves |
title_short |
Variable temperature thresholds of melt pond formation on Antarctic ice shelves |
title_full |
Variable temperature thresholds of melt pond formation on Antarctic ice shelves |
title_fullStr |
Variable temperature thresholds of melt pond formation on Antarctic ice shelves |
title_full_unstemmed |
Variable temperature thresholds of melt pond formation on Antarctic ice shelves |
title_sort |
variable temperature thresholds of melt pond formation on antarctic ice shelves |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:8b6dfc5e-de4a-45c0-8bc8-8b595193629e https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01577-1 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Ice Shelf Ice Shelves |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Ice Shelf Ice Shelves |
op_relation |
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85146887969&partnerID=8YFLogxK Nature Climate Change--1758-678X--b99b1ddb-147a-49a9-953b-d5fa815bd600 http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:8b6dfc5e-de4a-45c0-8bc8-8b595193629e https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01577-1 |
op_rights |
© 2023 J. Melchior van Wessem, Michiel R. van den Broeke, B. Wouters, S.L.M. Lhermitte |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01577-1 |
container_title |
Nature Climate Change |
container_volume |
13 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
161 |
op_container_end_page |
166 |
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1797585528052252672 |