Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica
<jats:p>Abstract. The surface mass balance (SMB) of the Larsen C ice shelf (LCIS), Antarctica, is poorly constrained due to a dearth of in situ observations. Combining several geophysical techniques, we reconstruct spatial and temporal patterns of SMB over the LCIS. Continuous time series of s...
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Online Access: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3011754/ https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2411-2017 https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3011754/1/2017_kuipers_munneke_TC.pdf |
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ftunivliverpool:oai:livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk:3011754 2024-09-15T17:46:21+00:00 Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica Munneke, Peter Kuipers McGrath, Daniel Medley, Brooke Luckman, Adrian Bevan, Suzanne Kulessa, Bernd Jansen, Daniela Booth, Adam Smeets, Paul Hubbard, Bryn Ashmore, David Van den Broeke, Michiel Sevestre, Heidi Steffen, Konrad Shepherd, Andrew Gourmelen, Noel 2017 text https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3011754/ https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2411-2017 https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3011754/1/2017_kuipers_munneke_TC.pdf en eng Copernicus GmbH https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3011754/1/2017_kuipers_munneke_TC.pdf Collapse authors list. Munneke, Peter Kuipers, McGrath, Daniel, Medley, Brooke, Luckman, Adrian, Bevan, Suzanne, Kulessa, Bernd, Jansen, Daniela, Booth, Adam, Smeets, Paul, Hubbard, Bryn et al (show 6 more authors) , Ashmore, David, Van den Broeke, Michiel, Sevestre, Heidi, Steffen, Konrad, Shepherd, Andrew and Gourmelen, Noel (2017) Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica. CRYOSPHERE, 11 (6). pp. 2411-2426. Article NonPeerReviewed 2017 ftunivliverpool https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2411-2017 2024-07-08T14:17:39Z <jats:p>Abstract. The surface mass balance (SMB) of the Larsen C ice shelf (LCIS), Antarctica, is poorly constrained due to a dearth of in situ observations. Combining several geophysical techniques, we reconstruct spatial and temporal patterns of SMB over the LCIS. Continuous time series of snow height (2.5–6 years) at five locations allow for multi-year estimates of seasonal and annual SMB over the LCIS. There is high interannual variability in SMB as well as spatial variability: in the north, SMB is 0.40 ± 0.06 to 0.41 ± 0.04 m w.e. year−1, while farther south, SMB is up to 0.50 ± 0.05 m w.e. year−1. This difference between north and south is corroborated by winter snow accumulation derived from an airborne radar survey from 2009, which showed an average snow thickness of 0.34 m w.e. north of 66° S, and 0.40 m w.e. south of 68° S. Analysis of ground-penetrating radar from several field campaigns allows for a longer-term perspective of spatial variations in SMB: a particularly strong and coherent reflection horizon below 25–44 m of water-equivalent ice and firn is observed in radargrams collected across the shelf. We propose that this horizon was formed synchronously across the ice shelf. Combining snow height observations, ground and airborne radar, and SMB output from a regional climate model yields a gridded estimate of SMB over the LCIS. It confirms that SMB increases from north to south, overprinted by a gradient of increasing SMB to the west, modulated in the west by föhn-induced sublimation. Previous observations show a strong decrease in firn air content toward the west, which we attribute to spatial patterns of melt, refreezing, and densification rather than SMB. </jats:p> Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf The University of Liverpool Repository The Cryosphere 11 6 2411 2426 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
The University of Liverpool Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftunivliverpool |
language |
English |
description |
<jats:p>Abstract. The surface mass balance (SMB) of the Larsen C ice shelf (LCIS), Antarctica, is poorly constrained due to a dearth of in situ observations. Combining several geophysical techniques, we reconstruct spatial and temporal patterns of SMB over the LCIS. Continuous time series of snow height (2.5–6 years) at five locations allow for multi-year estimates of seasonal and annual SMB over the LCIS. There is high interannual variability in SMB as well as spatial variability: in the north, SMB is 0.40 ± 0.06 to 0.41 ± 0.04 m w.e. year−1, while farther south, SMB is up to 0.50 ± 0.05 m w.e. year−1. This difference between north and south is corroborated by winter snow accumulation derived from an airborne radar survey from 2009, which showed an average snow thickness of 0.34 m w.e. north of 66° S, and 0.40 m w.e. south of 68° S. Analysis of ground-penetrating radar from several field campaigns allows for a longer-term perspective of spatial variations in SMB: a particularly strong and coherent reflection horizon below 25–44 m of water-equivalent ice and firn is observed in radargrams collected across the shelf. We propose that this horizon was formed synchronously across the ice shelf. Combining snow height observations, ground and airborne radar, and SMB output from a regional climate model yields a gridded estimate of SMB over the LCIS. It confirms that SMB increases from north to south, overprinted by a gradient of increasing SMB to the west, modulated in the west by föhn-induced sublimation. Previous observations show a strong decrease in firn air content toward the west, which we attribute to spatial patterns of melt, refreezing, and densification rather than SMB. </jats:p> |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Munneke, Peter Kuipers McGrath, Daniel Medley, Brooke Luckman, Adrian Bevan, Suzanne Kulessa, Bernd Jansen, Daniela Booth, Adam Smeets, Paul Hubbard, Bryn Ashmore, David Van den Broeke, Michiel Sevestre, Heidi Steffen, Konrad Shepherd, Andrew Gourmelen, Noel |
spellingShingle |
Munneke, Peter Kuipers McGrath, Daniel Medley, Brooke Luckman, Adrian Bevan, Suzanne Kulessa, Bernd Jansen, Daniela Booth, Adam Smeets, Paul Hubbard, Bryn Ashmore, David Van den Broeke, Michiel Sevestre, Heidi Steffen, Konrad Shepherd, Andrew Gourmelen, Noel Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica |
author_facet |
Munneke, Peter Kuipers McGrath, Daniel Medley, Brooke Luckman, Adrian Bevan, Suzanne Kulessa, Bernd Jansen, Daniela Booth, Adam Smeets, Paul Hubbard, Bryn Ashmore, David Van den Broeke, Michiel Sevestre, Heidi Steffen, Konrad Shepherd, Andrew Gourmelen, Noel |
author_sort |
Munneke, Peter Kuipers |
title |
Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica |
title_short |
Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica |
title_full |
Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica |
title_sort |
observationally constrained surface mass balance of larsen c ice shelf, antarctica |
publisher |
Copernicus GmbH |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3011754/ https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2411-2017 https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3011754/1/2017_kuipers_munneke_TC.pdf |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf |
op_relation |
https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3011754/1/2017_kuipers_munneke_TC.pdf Collapse authors list. Munneke, Peter Kuipers, McGrath, Daniel, Medley, Brooke, Luckman, Adrian, Bevan, Suzanne, Kulessa, Bernd, Jansen, Daniela, Booth, Adam, Smeets, Paul, Hubbard, Bryn et al (show 6 more authors) , Ashmore, David, Van den Broeke, Michiel, Sevestre, Heidi, Steffen, Konrad, Shepherd, Andrew and Gourmelen, Noel (2017) Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica. CRYOSPHERE, 11 (6). pp. 2411-2426. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2411-2017 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
2411 |
op_container_end_page |
2426 |
_version_ |
1810494394171654144 |