Validation of the summertime surface energy budget of Larsen C Ice Shelf (Antarctica) as represented in three high-resolution atmospheric models
We compare measurements of the turbulent and radiative surface energy fluxes from an automatic weather station (AWS) on Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctica with corresponding fluxes from three high-resolution atmospheric models over a 1 month period during austral summer. All three models produce a reaso...
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ftunivutrecht:oai:dspace.library.uu.nl:1874/314675 2023-07-23T04:15:02+02:00 Validation of the summertime surface energy budget of Larsen C Ice Shelf (Antarctica) as represented in three high-resolution atmospheric models King, J.C. Gadian, A. Kirchgaessner, A. Kuipers Munneke, P. Lachlan-Cope, T.A. Orr, A. Reijmer, C.H. van den Broeke, M.R. van Wessem, J. M. Weeks, M. Marine and Atmospheric Research Sub Dynamics Meteorology 2015-02-27 image/pdf https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/314675 en eng 2169-897X https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/314675 info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess Article 2015 ftunivutrecht 2023-07-02T01:23:41Z We compare measurements of the turbulent and radiative surface energy fluxes from an automatic weather station (AWS) on Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctica with corresponding fluxes from three high-resolution atmospheric models over a 1 month period during austral summer. All three models produce a reasonable simulation of the (relatively small) turbulent energy fluxes at the AWS site. However, biases in the modeled radiative fluxes, which dominate the surface energy budget, are significant. There is a significant positive bias in net shortwave radiation in all three models, together with a corresponding negative bias in net longwave radiation. In two of the models, the longwave bias only partially offsets the positive shortwave bias, leading to an excessive amount of energy available for heating and melting the surface, while, in the third, the negative longwave bias exceeds the positive shortwave bias, leading to a deficiency in calculated surface melt. Biases in shortwave and longwave radiation are anticorrelated, suggesting that they both result from the models simulating too little cloud (or clouds that are too optically thin). We conclude that, while these models may be able to provide some useful information on surface energy fluxes, absolute values of modeled melt rate are significantly biased and should be used with caution. Efforts to improve model simulation of melt should initially focus on the radiative fluxes and, in particular, on the simulation of the clouds that control these fluxes. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf Utrecht University Repository Austral |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Utrecht University Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftunivutrecht |
language |
English |
description |
We compare measurements of the turbulent and radiative surface energy fluxes from an automatic weather station (AWS) on Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctica with corresponding fluxes from three high-resolution atmospheric models over a 1 month period during austral summer. All three models produce a reasonable simulation of the (relatively small) turbulent energy fluxes at the AWS site. However, biases in the modeled radiative fluxes, which dominate the surface energy budget, are significant. There is a significant positive bias in net shortwave radiation in all three models, together with a corresponding negative bias in net longwave radiation. In two of the models, the longwave bias only partially offsets the positive shortwave bias, leading to an excessive amount of energy available for heating and melting the surface, while, in the third, the negative longwave bias exceeds the positive shortwave bias, leading to a deficiency in calculated surface melt. Biases in shortwave and longwave radiation are anticorrelated, suggesting that they both result from the models simulating too little cloud (or clouds that are too optically thin). We conclude that, while these models may be able to provide some useful information on surface energy fluxes, absolute values of modeled melt rate are significantly biased and should be used with caution. Efforts to improve model simulation of melt should initially focus on the radiative fluxes and, in particular, on the simulation of the clouds that control these fluxes. |
author2 |
Marine and Atmospheric Research Sub Dynamics Meteorology |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
King, J.C. Gadian, A. Kirchgaessner, A. Kuipers Munneke, P. Lachlan-Cope, T.A. Orr, A. Reijmer, C.H. van den Broeke, M.R. van Wessem, J. M. Weeks, M. |
spellingShingle |
King, J.C. Gadian, A. Kirchgaessner, A. Kuipers Munneke, P. Lachlan-Cope, T.A. Orr, A. Reijmer, C.H. van den Broeke, M.R. van Wessem, J. M. Weeks, M. Validation of the summertime surface energy budget of Larsen C Ice Shelf (Antarctica) as represented in three high-resolution atmospheric models |
author_facet |
King, J.C. Gadian, A. Kirchgaessner, A. Kuipers Munneke, P. Lachlan-Cope, T.A. Orr, A. Reijmer, C.H. van den Broeke, M.R. van Wessem, J. M. Weeks, M. |
author_sort |
King, J.C. |
title |
Validation of the summertime surface energy budget of Larsen C Ice Shelf (Antarctica) as represented in three high-resolution atmospheric models |
title_short |
Validation of the summertime surface energy budget of Larsen C Ice Shelf (Antarctica) as represented in three high-resolution atmospheric models |
title_full |
Validation of the summertime surface energy budget of Larsen C Ice Shelf (Antarctica) as represented in three high-resolution atmospheric models |
title_fullStr |
Validation of the summertime surface energy budget of Larsen C Ice Shelf (Antarctica) as represented in three high-resolution atmospheric models |
title_full_unstemmed |
Validation of the summertime surface energy budget of Larsen C Ice Shelf (Antarctica) as represented in three high-resolution atmospheric models |
title_sort |
validation of the summertime surface energy budget of larsen c ice shelf (antarctica) as represented in three high-resolution atmospheric models |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/314675 |
geographic |
Austral |
geographic_facet |
Austral |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf |
op_relation |
2169-897X https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/314675 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
_version_ |
1772189036564185088 |