How Does the Southern Annular Mode Control Surface Melt in East Antarctica?
Surface melt in East Antarctica is strongly correlated with the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) index, but the spatiotemporal variability of the relationship, and the physical processes responsible for it, have not been examined. Here, using melt flux estimates and climate variables from the RACMO2.3p3...
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ftunivutrecht:oai:dspace.library.uu.nl:1874/436987 2024-04-21T07:52:37+00:00 How Does the Southern Annular Mode Control Surface Melt in East Antarctica? Saunderson, Dominic Mackintosh, Andrew N. McCormack, Felicity S. Jones, Richard S. van Dalum, Christiaan T. Marine and Atmospheric Research Sub Dynamics Meteorology 2024-03-11 application/pdf https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/436987 en eng 1944-8007 https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/436987 info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess Antarctica Southern Annular Mode climate change climate variability surface energy balance surface melt Geophysics General Earth and Planetary Sciences Article 2024 ftunivutrecht 2024-03-27T15:03:51Z Surface melt in East Antarctica is strongly correlated with the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) index, but the spatiotemporal variability of the relationship, and the physical processes responsible for it, have not been examined. Here, using melt flux estimates and climate variables from the RACMO2.3p3 regional climate model, we show that a decreasing SAM index is associated with increased melt in Dronning Maud Land primarily owing to reduced precipitation and greater absorption of solar radiation. Conversely, in Wilkes Land, a decreasing SAM index corresponds to increased melt because of greater incoming longwave radiation from a warmer atmosphere. We also demonstrate that SAM-melt correlations are strongest in December as the melt season develops, and that the SAM’s influence on peak melt intensities in January occurs indirectly through the snowmelt-albedo feedback. Future work must account for such variability in the physical processes underlying the SAM-melt relationship to reduce uncertainty in surface melt projections. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Dronning Maud Land East Antarctica Wilkes Land Utrecht University Repository |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Utrecht University Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftunivutrecht |
language |
English |
topic |
Antarctica Southern Annular Mode climate change climate variability surface energy balance surface melt Geophysics General Earth and Planetary Sciences |
spellingShingle |
Antarctica Southern Annular Mode climate change climate variability surface energy balance surface melt Geophysics General Earth and Planetary Sciences Saunderson, Dominic Mackintosh, Andrew N. McCormack, Felicity S. Jones, Richard S. van Dalum, Christiaan T. How Does the Southern Annular Mode Control Surface Melt in East Antarctica? |
topic_facet |
Antarctica Southern Annular Mode climate change climate variability surface energy balance surface melt Geophysics General Earth and Planetary Sciences |
description |
Surface melt in East Antarctica is strongly correlated with the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) index, but the spatiotemporal variability of the relationship, and the physical processes responsible for it, have not been examined. Here, using melt flux estimates and climate variables from the RACMO2.3p3 regional climate model, we show that a decreasing SAM index is associated with increased melt in Dronning Maud Land primarily owing to reduced precipitation and greater absorption of solar radiation. Conversely, in Wilkes Land, a decreasing SAM index corresponds to increased melt because of greater incoming longwave radiation from a warmer atmosphere. We also demonstrate that SAM-melt correlations are strongest in December as the melt season develops, and that the SAM’s influence on peak melt intensities in January occurs indirectly through the snowmelt-albedo feedback. Future work must account for such variability in the physical processes underlying the SAM-melt relationship to reduce uncertainty in surface melt projections. |
author2 |
Marine and Atmospheric Research Sub Dynamics Meteorology |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Saunderson, Dominic Mackintosh, Andrew N. McCormack, Felicity S. Jones, Richard S. van Dalum, Christiaan T. |
author_facet |
Saunderson, Dominic Mackintosh, Andrew N. McCormack, Felicity S. Jones, Richard S. van Dalum, Christiaan T. |
author_sort |
Saunderson, Dominic |
title |
How Does the Southern Annular Mode Control Surface Melt in East Antarctica? |
title_short |
How Does the Southern Annular Mode Control Surface Melt in East Antarctica? |
title_full |
How Does the Southern Annular Mode Control Surface Melt in East Antarctica? |
title_fullStr |
How Does the Southern Annular Mode Control Surface Melt in East Antarctica? |
title_full_unstemmed |
How Does the Southern Annular Mode Control Surface Melt in East Antarctica? |
title_sort |
how does the southern annular mode control surface melt in east antarctica? |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/436987 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Dronning Maud Land East Antarctica Wilkes Land |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Dronning Maud Land East Antarctica Wilkes Land |
op_relation |
1944-8007 https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/436987 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
_version_ |
1796935833307054080 |