The natural fluctuations of firn densification and their effect on the geodetic determination of ice sheet mass balance
A one-dimensional, numerical model of time-evolving firn densification was used to simulate the response of the density profile through an ice sheet to changes in the temperature, density and accumulation rate at the surface. The equilibrium response of the model was compared with ice-core density p...
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1998
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ftucl:oai:eprints.ucl.ac.uk.OAI2:119595 2023-05-15T13:36:39+02:00 The natural fluctuations of firn densification and their effect on the geodetic determination of ice sheet mass balance Arthern, RJ Wingham, DJ 1998-12 http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/119595/ unknown KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBL CLIMATIC CHANGE , 40 (3-4) 605 - 624. (1998) DRONNING-MAUD-LAND SNOW-ACCUMULATION GREENLAND PRESSURE ANTARCTICA COMPACTION ALTIMETRY CREEP Article 1998 ftucl 2016-01-15T02:57:51Z A one-dimensional, numerical model of time-evolving firn densification was used to simulate the response of the density profile through an ice sheet to changes in the temperature, density and accumulation rate at the surface. The equilibrium response of the model was compared with ice-core density profiles from Byrd, Antarctica and Site 2, Greenland, and the model predicted the density to within 10% of both cores. The response of the model to step-wise changes and random fluctuations in the surface boundary conditions was investigated. The standard deviation of elevation changes as a function of observation interval was computed. These changes were found to be small in comparison with the magnitude of present uncertainties in the mass balances of the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets. It was concluded that, in the dry snow zones, natural variability in the densification will not prevent the geodetic determination of ice sheet mass balance from improving upon current estimates. Uncertainty in the constitutive equation for snow and firn is the dominant source of error in the calculations. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Dronning Maud Land Greenland ice core Ice Sheet University College London: UCL Discovery Antarctic Byrd Dronning Maud Land Greenland The Antarctic |
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Open Polar |
collection |
University College London: UCL Discovery |
op_collection_id |
ftucl |
language |
unknown |
topic |
DRONNING-MAUD-LAND SNOW-ACCUMULATION GREENLAND PRESSURE ANTARCTICA COMPACTION ALTIMETRY CREEP |
spellingShingle |
DRONNING-MAUD-LAND SNOW-ACCUMULATION GREENLAND PRESSURE ANTARCTICA COMPACTION ALTIMETRY CREEP Arthern, RJ Wingham, DJ The natural fluctuations of firn densification and their effect on the geodetic determination of ice sheet mass balance |
topic_facet |
DRONNING-MAUD-LAND SNOW-ACCUMULATION GREENLAND PRESSURE ANTARCTICA COMPACTION ALTIMETRY CREEP |
description |
A one-dimensional, numerical model of time-evolving firn densification was used to simulate the response of the density profile through an ice sheet to changes in the temperature, density and accumulation rate at the surface. The equilibrium response of the model was compared with ice-core density profiles from Byrd, Antarctica and Site 2, Greenland, and the model predicted the density to within 10% of both cores. The response of the model to step-wise changes and random fluctuations in the surface boundary conditions was investigated. The standard deviation of elevation changes as a function of observation interval was computed. These changes were found to be small in comparison with the magnitude of present uncertainties in the mass balances of the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets. It was concluded that, in the dry snow zones, natural variability in the densification will not prevent the geodetic determination of ice sheet mass balance from improving upon current estimates. Uncertainty in the constitutive equation for snow and firn is the dominant source of error in the calculations. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Arthern, RJ Wingham, DJ |
author_facet |
Arthern, RJ Wingham, DJ |
author_sort |
Arthern, RJ |
title |
The natural fluctuations of firn densification and their effect on the geodetic determination of ice sheet mass balance |
title_short |
The natural fluctuations of firn densification and their effect on the geodetic determination of ice sheet mass balance |
title_full |
The natural fluctuations of firn densification and their effect on the geodetic determination of ice sheet mass balance |
title_fullStr |
The natural fluctuations of firn densification and their effect on the geodetic determination of ice sheet mass balance |
title_full_unstemmed |
The natural fluctuations of firn densification and their effect on the geodetic determination of ice sheet mass balance |
title_sort |
natural fluctuations of firn densification and their effect on the geodetic determination of ice sheet mass balance |
publisher |
KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBL |
publishDate |
1998 |
url |
http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/119595/ |
geographic |
Antarctic Byrd Dronning Maud Land Greenland The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Byrd Dronning Maud Land Greenland The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Dronning Maud Land Greenland ice core Ice Sheet |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Dronning Maud Land Greenland ice core Ice Sheet |
op_source |
CLIMATIC CHANGE , 40 (3-4) 605 - 624. (1998) |
_version_ |
1766081988455825408 |