Sensitivity of Greenland Ice Sheet surface mass balance to surface albedo parameterization: a study with a regional climate model

van Angelen, J.; Lenaerts, J.; Lhermitte, S.; Fettweis, Xavier; Kuipers Munneke, P.; van den Broeke, M.; van Meijgaard, E.

doi:10.5194/tc-6-1175-2012

Article (Scientific journals)

Sensitivity of Greenland Ice Sheet surface mass balance to surface albedo parameterization: a study with a regional climate model

van Angelen, J.; Lenaerts, J.; Lhermitte, S. et al.

2012 • In The Cryosphere, 6, p. 1175-1186

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2268/125388

DOI
10.5194/tc-6-1175-2012

Files (1)Send to Details Statistics Bibliography Similar publications

Files

Full Text

tc-6-1175-2012.pdf

Publisher postprint (11.2 MB)

Download

All documents in ORBi are protected by a user license.

Send to

RIS BibTex APA Chicago Permalink X Linkedin

Details

Abstract :

[en] We present a sensitivity study of the surface mass balance (SMB) of the Greenland Ice Sheet, as modeled using a regional atmospheric climate model, to various parameter settings in the albedo scheme. The snow albedo scheme uses grain size as a prognostic variable and further depends on cloud cover, solar zenith angle and black carbon concentration. For the control experiment the overestimation of absorbed shortwave radiation (+6%) at the K-transect (west Greenland) for the period 2004–2009 is considerably reduced compared to the previous density-dependent albedo scheme (+22%). To simulate realistic snow albedo values, a small concentration of black carbon is needed, which has strongest impact on melt in the accumulation area. A background ice albedo field derived from MODIS imagery improves the agreement between the modeled and observed SMB gradient along the K-transect. The effect of enhanced meltwater retention and refreezing is a decrease of the albedo due to an increase in snow grain size. As a secondary effect of refreezing the snowpack is heated, enhancing melt and further lowering the albedo. Especially in a warmer climate this process is important, since it reduces the refreezing potential of the firn layer that covers the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Disciplines :

Earth sciences & physical geography

Author, co-author :

van Angelen, J.

Lenaerts, J.

Lhermitte, S.

Fettweis, Xavier ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géographie > Topoclimatologie

Kuipers Munneke, P.

van den Broeke, M.

van Meijgaard, E.

Language :

English

Title :

Sensitivity of Greenland Ice Sheet surface mass balance to surface albedo parameterization: a study with a regional climate model

Publication date :

23 October 2012

Journal title :

The Cryosphere

ISSN :

1994-0416

eISSN :

1994-0424

Publisher :

Copernicus, Katlenberg-Lindau, Germany

Volume :

Pages :

1175-1186

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

http://www.the-cryosphere.net/6/1175/2012/tc-6-1175-2012.html

Available on ORBi :

since 17 June 2012

Statistics

Number of views

472 (3 by ULiège)

Number of downloads

443 (1 by ULiège)

More statistics

Scopus citations^®

104

Scopus citations^®
without self-citations

OpenCitations

109

OpenAlex citations

142

Bibliography

Abdalati, W. and Steffen, K.: Snowmelt on the Greenland ice sheet as derived from passive microwave satellite data, J. Climate, 10, 165-175, doi:10.1175/1520- 0442(1997)010<0165:SOTGIS>2.0.CO;2, 1997.
Abdalati, W. and Steffen, K.: Greenland ice sheet melt extent: 1979-1999, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 33983-33988, doi:10.1029/2001JD900181, 2001.
Armstrong, R. and Brodzik, M.: An earth-gridded SSM/I data set for cryospheric studies and global change monitoring, Adv. Space Res., 16, 155-163, doi:10.1016/0273-1177(95)00397-W, 1995.
Boggild, C., Brandt, R., Brown, K., and Warren, S.: The ablation zone in northeast Greenland: ice types, albedos and impurities, J. Glaciol., 56, 101-113, doi:10.3189/002214310791190776, 2010.
Bougamont, M. and Bamber, J. L.: A surface mass balance model for the Greenland Ice Sheet, J. Geophys. Res., 110, F04018, doi:10.1029/2005JF000348, 2005.
Bougamont, M., Bamber, J. L., Ridley, J. K., Gladston, R. M., Greuell, W., Hanna, E., Payne, A. J., and Rutt, I.: Impact of model physics on estimating the surface mass balance of the Greenland ice sheet, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L17501, doi:10.1029/2007GL030700, 2007. (Pubitemid 350065259)
Box, J. E., Fettweis, X., Stroeve, J. C., Tedesco, M., Hall, D. K., and Steffen, K.: Greenland ice sheet albedo feedback: thermodynamics and atmospheric drivers, The Cryosphere, 6, 821-839, doi:10.5194/tc-6-821-2012, 2012.
Brun, E., Martin, E., Simon, V., and Gendre, C.: An energy and mass model of snow cover suitable for operational avalanche forecasting, J. Glaciol., 35, 333-342, 1989.
Col'eou, C. and Lesaffre, B.: Irreducible water saturation in snow: experimental results in a cold laboratory, Ann. Glaciol., 26, 64- 68, 1998. (Pubitemid 28486227)
Ettema, J., Van den Broeke, M. R., Van Meijgaard, E., Van de Berg, W. J., Bamber, J. L., Box, J. E., and Bales, R. C.: Higher surface mass balance of the Greenland ice sheet revealed by highresolution climate modeling, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L12501, doi:10.1029/2009GL038110, 2009.
Ettema, J., van den Broeke, M. R., van Meijgaard, E., van de Berg, W. J., Box, J. E., and Steffen, K.: Climate of the Greenland ice sheet using a high-resolution climate model - Part 1: Evaluation, The Cryosphere, 4, 511-527, doi:10.5194/tc-4-511-2010, 2010a.
Ettema, J., van den Broeke, M. R., van Meijgaard, E., and van de Berg, W. J.: Climate of the Greenland ice sheet using a highresolution climate model - Part 2: Near-surface climate and energy balance, The Cryosphere, 4, 529-544, doi:10.5194/tc-4- 529-2010, 2010b.
Fettweis, X., Tedesco, M., van den Broeke, M., and Ettema, J.: Melting trends over the Greenland ice sheet (1958-2009) from spaceborne microwave data and regional climate models, The Cryosphere, 5, 359-375, doi:10.5194/tc-5-359- 2011, 2011.
Fitzgerald, P. W., Bamber, J. L., Ridley, J. K., and Rougier, J. C.: Exploration of parametric uncertainty in a surface mass balance model applied to the Greenland ice sheet, J. Geophys. Res., 117, F01021, doi:10.1029/ 2011JF002067, 2012.
Flanner, M. G. and Zender, C. S.: Linking snowpack microphysics and albedo evolution, J. Geophys. Res., 111, D12208, doi:10.1029/2005JD006834, 2006. (Pubitemid 44687632)
Flanner, M. G., Zender, C. S., Randerson, J. T., and Rasch, P. J.: Present-day climate forcing and response from black carbon in snow, J. Geophys. Res., 112, D11202, doi:10.1029/2006JD008003, 2007. (Pubitemid 47288010)
Gardner, A. S. and Sharp, M. J.: A review of snow and ice albedo and the development of a new physically based broadband albedo parameterization, J. Geophys. Res., 115, F01009, doi:10.1029/2009JF001444, 2010.
Grenfell, T. C.,Warren, S. G., and Mullen, P. C.: Reflection of solar radiation by the Antarctic snow surface at ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared wavelengths, J. Geophys. Res., 99, 18669-18684, doi:10.1029/94JD01484, 1994.
Greuell, W. and Konzelmann, T.: Numerical modeling of the energy balance and the englacial temperature of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Calculations for the ETH-Camp location (West Greenland, 1155m a.s.l.), Global Planet. Change, 9, 91-114, doi:10.1016/0921-8181(94)90010-8, 1994. (Pubitemid 24400769)
Hanna, E., Huybrechts, P., and Steffen, K.: Increased runoff from melt from the Greenland Ice Sheet: a response to global warming, J. Climate, 21, 331-341, doi:10.1175/2007JCLI1964.1, 2008. (Pubitemid 351395649)
Hansen, J. and Nazarenko, L.: Soot climate forcing via snow and ice albedos, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 101, 423-428, doi:10.1073/pnas.2237157100, 2004. (Pubitemid 38084653)
Kuipers Munneke, P., Van den Broeke, M. R., Lenaerts, J. T. M., Flanner, M. G., Gardner, A. S., and Van de Berg, W. J.: A new albedo parameterization for use in climate models over the Antarctic ice sheet, J. Geophys. Res., 116, D05114, doi:10.1029/2010JD015113, 2011.
Lenaerts, J. T. M., van den Broeke, M. R., D'ery, S. J., Konig- Langlo, G., Ettema, J., and Munneke, P. K.: Modelling snowdrift sublimation on an Antarctic ice shelf, The Cryosphere, 4, 179- 190, doi:10.5194/tc-4-179-2010, 2010.
Lenaerts, J. T. M, Van Den Broeke, M. R, D́ery, S. J, Van Meijgaard, E., Van De Berg,W. J., Palm, S. P., and Sanz Rodrigo, J.: Modeling drifting snow in Antarctica with a regional climate model: 1. Methods And Model Evaluation J. Geophys. Res 117, D05108, doi:10.1029/2011JD016145, 2012
Nick, F., Vieli, A., Howat, I. M., and Joughin, I.: Large-scale changes in Greenland outlet glacier dynamics triggered at the terminus, Nat. Geosci., 2, 110-114, doi:10.1038/NGEO394, 2009.
Rignot, E., Box, J. E., Burgess, E., and Hanna, E.: Mass balance of the Greenland ice sheet from 1958 to 2007, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L20502, doi:10.1029/2008GL035417, 2008.
Rignot, E., Velicogna, I., Van Den Broeke, M. R., Monaghan, A., and Lenaerts, J. T. M.: Acceleration of the contribution of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets to sea level rise, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L05503, doi:10.1029/2011GL046583, 2011.
Simmons, A. J., Uppala, S. M., Dee, D. P., and Kobayashi, S.: ERAInterim: new ECMWF reanalysis products from 1989 onwards, ECMWF Newl., 110, 29-35, 2007.
Steffen, K. and Box, J.: Surface climatology of the Greenland ice sheet: Greenland Climate Network 1995-1999, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 33951, doi:10.1029/2001JD900161, 2001.
Stroeve, J.: Assessment of Greenland albedo variability from the advanced very high resolution radiometer Polar Pathfinder data set, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 33989-34006, doi:10.1029/2001JD900072, 2007.
Stroeve, J., Box, J. E., Gao, F., Liang, S., Nolin, A., and Schaaf, C.: Accuracy assessment of the MODIS 16-day albedo product for snow: comparisons with Greenland in situ measurements, Remote Sens. Environ., 94, 46-60, doi:10.1016/j.rse.2004.09.001, 2005. (Pubitemid 39527198)
Tedesco, M., Fettweis, X., Van den Broeke, M. R., Van de Wal, R. S. W., Smeets, C. J. P. P., Van de Berg, W. J., Serreze, M. C., and Box, J. E.: The role of albedo and accumulation in the 2010 melting record in Greenland, Environ. Res. Lett., 6, 014005, doi:10.1088/1748-9326/6/1/014005, 2011.
Van Angelen, J., van den Broeke, M., and van de Berg,W.: Momentum budget of the atmospheric boundary layer over the Greenland ice sheet and its surrounding seas, J. Geophys. Res., 116, D10101, doi:10.1029/2010JD015485, 2011a.
Van Angelen, J. H., Van den Broeke, M. R., and Kwok, R.: The Greenland Sea Jet: a mechanism for wind-driven sea ice export through Fram Strait, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L12805, doi:10.1029/2011GL047837, 2011b.
Van de Wal, R. S. W., Greuell, W., Van den Broeke, M. R., Reijmer, C. H., and Oerlemans, J.: Surface mass-balance observations and automatic weather station data along a transect near Kangerlussuaq, West Greenland, Ann. Glaciol., 42, 311-316, doi:10.3189/172756405781812529, 2005. (Pubitemid 44322220)
Van den Broeke, M., Smeets, P., Ettema, J., van der Veen, C., van de Wal, R., and Oerlemans, J.: Partitioning of melt energy and meltwater fluxes in the ablation zone of the west Greenland ice sheet, The Cryosphere, 2, 179-189, doi:10.5194/tc-2-179-2008, 2008a.
Van den Broeke, M. R., Smeets, C. J. P. P., Ettema, J., and Kuipers Munneke, P.: Surface radiation balance in the ablation zone of the west Greenland ice sheet, J. Geophys. Res., 113, D13105, doi:10.1029/2007JD009283, 2008b.
Van den Broeke, M. R., Bamber, J. L., Ettema, J., Rignot, E., Schrama, E., Van de Berg, W. J., Van Meijgaard, E., Velicogna, I., andWouters, B.: Partitioning recent Greenland mass loss, Science, 326, 984-986, doi:10.1126/science.1178176, 2009.
Van Meijgaard, E., van Ulft, L. H., Van de Berg, W. J., Bosveld, F. C., Van den Hurk, B., Lenderink, G., and Siebesma, A. P.: The KNMI regional atmospheric climate model RACMO version 2.1, Tech. Rep. 302, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, De Bilt, 2008.
Warren, S. G. and Clarke, A. D.: Soot in the atmosphere and snow surface of Antarctica, J. Geophys. Res., 95, 1811-1816, doi:10.1029/JD095iD02p01811, 1990.
Wientjes, I. G. M., Van de Wal, R. S. W., Reichart, G. J., Sluijs, A., and Oerlemans, J.: Dust from the dark region in the western ablation zone of the Greenland ice sheet, The Cryosphere, 5, 589-601, doi:10.5194/tc-5-589-2011, 2011.
Wiscombe,W.J. andWarren, S. G.: A model for the spectral albedo of snow. I: Pure snow, J. Atmos. Sci., 37, 2712-2745, 1980.