Extent of low accumulation 'wind glaze' areas on the East Antarctic plateau: implications for continental ice mass balance
Persistent katabatic winds form widely distributed localized areas of near-zero net surface accumulation on the East Antarctic ice sheet (EAIS) plateau. These areas have been called ‘glaze’ surfaces due to their polished appearance. They are typically 2–200km2 in area and are found on leeward slopes...
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ftunivutrecht:oai:dspace.library.uu.nl:1874/257450 2023-07-23T04:15:35+02:00 Extent of low accumulation 'wind glaze' areas on the East Antarctic plateau: implications for continental ice mass balance Scambos, T. Frezzotti, M. Lenaerts, J.T.M. van den Broeke, M.R. Winther, J.G. Marine and Atmospheric Research Sub Dynamics Meteorology 2012 application/pdf https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/257450 en eng 0022-1430 https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/257450 info:eu-repo/semantics/EmbargoedAccess Article 2012 ftunivutrecht 2023-07-02T00:34:04Z Persistent katabatic winds form widely distributed localized areas of near-zero net surface accumulation on the East Antarctic ice sheet (EAIS) plateau. These areas have been called ‘glaze’ surfaces due to their polished appearance. They are typically 2–200km2 in area and are found on leeward slopes of ice-sheet undulations and megadunes. Adjacent, leeward high-accumulation regions (isolated dunes) are generally smaller and do not compensate for the local low in surface mass balance (SMB). We use a combination of satellite remote sensing and field-gathered datasets to map the extent of wind glaze in the EAIS above 1500m elevation. Mapping criteria are derived from distinctive surface and subsurface characteristics of glaze areas resulting from many years of intense annual temperature cycling without significant burial. Our results show that 11.2 1.7%, or 950 143 103 km2, of the EAIS above 1500m is wind glaze. Studies of SMB interpolate values across glaze regions, leading to overestimates of net mass input. Using our derived wind-glaze extent, we estimate this excess in three recent models of Antarctic SMB at 46–82 Gt. The lowest-input model appears to best match the mean in regions of extensive wind glaze. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Ice Sheet Utrecht University Repository Antarctic East Antarctic Ice Sheet |
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Open Polar |
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Utrecht University Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftunivutrecht |
language |
English |
description |
Persistent katabatic winds form widely distributed localized areas of near-zero net surface accumulation on the East Antarctic ice sheet (EAIS) plateau. These areas have been called ‘glaze’ surfaces due to their polished appearance. They are typically 2–200km2 in area and are found on leeward slopes of ice-sheet undulations and megadunes. Adjacent, leeward high-accumulation regions (isolated dunes) are generally smaller and do not compensate for the local low in surface mass balance (SMB). We use a combination of satellite remote sensing and field-gathered datasets to map the extent of wind glaze in the EAIS above 1500m elevation. Mapping criteria are derived from distinctive surface and subsurface characteristics of glaze areas resulting from many years of intense annual temperature cycling without significant burial. Our results show that 11.2 1.7%, or 950 143 103 km2, of the EAIS above 1500m is wind glaze. Studies of SMB interpolate values across glaze regions, leading to overestimates of net mass input. Using our derived wind-glaze extent, we estimate this excess in three recent models of Antarctic SMB at 46–82 Gt. The lowest-input model appears to best match the mean in regions of extensive wind glaze. |
author2 |
Marine and Atmospheric Research Sub Dynamics Meteorology |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Scambos, T. Frezzotti, M. Lenaerts, J.T.M. van den Broeke, M.R. Winther, J.G. |
spellingShingle |
Scambos, T. Frezzotti, M. Lenaerts, J.T.M. van den Broeke, M.R. Winther, J.G. Extent of low accumulation 'wind glaze' areas on the East Antarctic plateau: implications for continental ice mass balance |
author_facet |
Scambos, T. Frezzotti, M. Lenaerts, J.T.M. van den Broeke, M.R. Winther, J.G. |
author_sort |
Scambos, T. |
title |
Extent of low accumulation 'wind glaze' areas on the East Antarctic plateau: implications for continental ice mass balance |
title_short |
Extent of low accumulation 'wind glaze' areas on the East Antarctic plateau: implications for continental ice mass balance |
title_full |
Extent of low accumulation 'wind glaze' areas on the East Antarctic plateau: implications for continental ice mass balance |
title_fullStr |
Extent of low accumulation 'wind glaze' areas on the East Antarctic plateau: implications for continental ice mass balance |
title_full_unstemmed |
Extent of low accumulation 'wind glaze' areas on the East Antarctic plateau: implications for continental ice mass balance |
title_sort |
extent of low accumulation 'wind glaze' areas on the east antarctic plateau: implications for continental ice mass balance |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/257450 |
geographic |
Antarctic East Antarctic Ice Sheet |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic East Antarctic Ice Sheet |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Ice Sheet |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Ice Sheet |
op_relation |
0022-1430 https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/257450 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/EmbargoedAccess |
_version_ |
1772176464347660288 |