Water Science and Technology; Earth-Surface Processes
Abstract :
[en] We discuss Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) surface mass balance (SMB) differences between the updated polar version of the RACMO climate model (RACMO2.3) and the previous version (RACMO2.1). Among other revisions, the updated model includes an adjusted rainfall-to-snowfall conversion that produces exclusively snowfall under freezing conditions; this especially favours snowfall in summer. Summer snowfall in the ablation zone of the GrIS has a pronounced effect on melt rates, affecting modelled GrIS SMB in two ways. By covering relatively dark ice with highly reflective fresh snow, these summer snowfalls have the potential to locally reduce melt rates in the ablation zone of the GrIS through the snow-albedo-melt feedback. At larger scales, SMB changes are driven by differences in orographic precipitation following a shift in large-scale circulation, in combination with enhanced moisture to precipitation conversion for warm to moderately cold conditions. A detailed comparison of model output with observations from automatic weather stations, ice cores and ablation stakes shows that the model update generally improves the simulated SMB-elevation gradient as well as the representation of the surface energy balance, although significant biases remain.
Disciplines :
Earth sciences & physical geography
Author, co-author :
Noël, Brice ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géographie > Climatologie et Topoclimatologie ; Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
Van De Berg, W.J. ; Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
Van Meijgaard, E. ; Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, De Bilt, Netherlands
Kuipers Munneke, P. ; Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
Van De Wal, R.S.W.; Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
Van Den Broeke, M.R. ; Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
Language :
English
Title :
Evaluation of the updated regional climate model RACMO2.3: Summer snowfall impact on the Greenland Ice Sheet
scite shows how a scientific paper has been cited by providing the context of the citation, a classification describing whether it supports, mentions, or contrasts the cited claim, and a label indicating in which section the citation was made.
Bibliography
Bales, R. C., McConnell, J. R., Mosley-Thompson, E., and Csatho, B.: Accumulation over the Greenland ice sheet from historcal and recent records, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 33813-33825, doi:10.1029/2001JD900153, 2001.
Bales, R. C., Guo, Q., Shen, D., McConnell, J. R., Du, G., Burkhart, J. F., Spikes, V. B., Hanna, E., and Cappelen, J.: Annual accumulation for Greenland updated using ice core data developed during 2000-2006 and analysis of daily coastal meteorological data, J. Geophys. Res., 114, D06116, doi:10.1029/2008JD011208, 2009.
Barker, H. W., Cole, J. N. S., Morcrette, J.-J., Pincus, R., Räisänen, P., von Salzenf, K., and Vaillancourtg, P. A.: The Monte Carlo Independent Column Approximation: An assessment using several global atmospheric models, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 134, 1463-1478, doi:10.1002/qj.303, 2008.
Beljaars, A. C. M., Brown, A. R., and Wood, N.: A new parametrization of turbulent orographic form drag, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 130, 1327-1347, doi:10.1256/qj.03.73, 2004.
Bougamont, M., Bamber, J. L., and Greuell, W.: A surface mass balance model for the Greenland Ice Sheet, J. Geophys. Res., 110, F04018, doi:10.1029/2005JF000348, 2005.
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.
Dee, D. P., Uppala, S. M., Simmons, A. J., Berrisford, P., Poli, P., Kobayashi, S., Andrae, U., Balmaseda, M. A., Balsamo, G., Bauer, P., Bechtold, P., Beljaars, A. C. M., van de Berg, L., Bidlot, J., Bormann, N., Delsol, C., Dragani, R., Fuentes, M., Geer, A. J., Haimberger, L., Healy, S. B., Hersbach, H., Hólm, E. V., Isaksen, L., Kållberg, P., Köhler, M., Matricardi, M., McNally, A. P., Monge-Sanz, B. M., Morcrette, J.-J., Park, B.-K., Peubey, C., de Rosnay, P., Tavolato, C., Thépaut, J.-N., and Vitart, F.: The ERA-Interim reanalysis: configuration and performance of the data assimilation system, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 137, 553-597, doi:10.1002/qj.828, 2011.
ECMWF-IFS: Part IV : PHYSICAL PROCESSES (CY33R1), Technical Report, 2008.
Enderlin, E. M. and Howat, I. M.: Submarine melt rate estimates for floating termini of Greenland outlet glaciers (2000-2010), Journal of Glaciology, 59, 67-75, doi:10.3189/2013JoG12J049, 2013.
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, 2010.
Fettweis, X., Gallée, H., Lefebre, F., and van Ypersele, J.-P.: Greenland surface mass balance simulated by a regional climate model and comparison with satellite-derived data in 1990-1991, Clim. Dynam., 24, 623-640, doi:10.1007/s00382-005-0010-y, 2005.
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.
Fettweis, X., Hanna, E., Lang, C., Belleflamme, A., Erpicum, M., and Gallée, H.: Brief communication "Important role of the mid-tropospheric atmospheric circulation in the recent surface melt increase over the Greenland ice sheet", The Cryosphere, 7, 241-248, doi:10.5194/tc-7-241-2013, 2013.
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.
Greuell, W. and Oerlemans, J.: Sensitivity studies with a mass balance model including temperature profile calculations inside the glacier, Zeitschrift für Gletscherkunde und Glazialgeologie, 22, 101-124, 1986.
Hanna, E., Cappelen, J., Fettweis, X., Huybrechts, P., Luckman, A., and Ribergaard, M. H.: Hydrologic response of the Greenland ice sheet: the role of oceanographic warming, Hydrol. Process., 23, 7-30, doi:10.1002/hyp.7090, 2009.
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., van Angelen, J. H., van Meijgaard, E., and Déry, S. J.: Drifting snow climate of the Greenland ice sheet: a study with a regional climate model, The Cryosphere, 6, 891-899, doi:10.5194/tc-6-891-2012, 2012.
Lin, Y.-L., Farley, R. D., and Orville, H. D.: Bulk Parameterization of the Snow Field in a Cloud Model, J. Appl. Meteorol., 22, 1065-1092, doi:10.1175/1520-0450(1983)022〈1065:BPOTSF〉2.0.CO;2, 1983.
Morcrette, J.-J., Barker, H. W., Cole, J. N. S., Iacono, M. J., and Pincus, R.: Impact of a new radiation package, McRad, in the ECMWF integrated forecast system, Mon. Weather Rev., 136, 4773-4798, doi:10.1175/2008MWR2363.1, 2008.
Nick, F. M., 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.
Noël, B., Fettweis, X., van de Berg, W. J., van den Broeke, M. R., and Erpicum, M.: Sensitivity of Greenland Ice Sheet surface mass balance to perturbations in sea surface temperature and sea ice cover: a study with the regional climate model MAR, The Cryosphere, 8, 1871-1883, doi:10.5194/tc-8-1871-2014, 2014.
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.: Acceleration of the contribution of the Greenland and Antarctic ice, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L05503/1-L05503/5, doi:10.1029/2011GL046583, 2011.
Siebesma, A. P., Soares, P. M. M., and Teixeira, J.: A Combined Eddy-Diffusivity Mass-Flux Approach for the Convective Boundary Layer, J. Atmos. Sci., 64, 1230-1248, doi:10.1175/JAS3888.1, 2007.
Smeets, C. and van den Broeke, M.: Temporal and Spatial Variations of the Aerodynamic Roughness Length in the Ablation Zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet, Bound.-Lay. Meteorol., 128, 315-338, doi:10.1007/s10546-008-9291-0, 2008.
Stark, J. D., Office, E. M., Donlon, C. J., Martin, M. J., and McCulloch, M. E.: OSTIA: An operational, high resolution, real time, global sea surface temperature analysis system, OCEANS 2007 - Europe, 1-4, doi:10.1109/OCEANSE.2007.4302251, Conference Publications, 2007.
Stroeve, J., Box, J. E., Gao, F., Liang, S. L., 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.2004.09.011, 2005.
Stroeve, J., Box, J. E., Wang, Z., Schaafc, C., and Barretta, A.: Re-evaluation of MODIS MCD43 Greenland albedo accuracy and trends, Remote Sens. Environ., 138, 199-214, doi:10.1016/j.rse.2013.07.023, 2013.
Stroeve, J. C.: Assessment of Greenland albedo variability from the advanced very high resolution radiometer Polar Pathfinder data set, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 360-374, doi:10.1016/S0034-4257(00)00179-6, 2001.
Sundqvist, H.: A parameterization scheme for non-convective condensation including prediction of cloud water content, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 104, 677-690, doi:10.1002/qj.49710444110, 1978.
Tedesco, M., Serreze, M., and Fettweis, X.: Diagnosing the extreme surface melt event over southwestern Greenland in 2007, The Cryosphere, 2, 159-166, doi:10.5194/tc-2-159-2008, 2008.
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.
Tompkins, A. M., Gierens, K., and Rädel, G.: Ice supersaturation in the ECMWF integrated forecast system, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 133, 53-63, doi:10.1002/qj.14, 2007.
Undèn, P., Rontu, L., Järvinen, H., Lynch, P., Calvo, J., Cats, G., Cuxart, J., Eerola, K., Fortelius, C., Garcia-Moya, J. A., Jones, C., Lenderlink, G., Mcdonald, A., Mcgrath, R., Navascues, B., Nielsen, N. W., Degaard, V., Rodriguez, E., Rummukainen, M., Sattler, K., Sass, B. H., Savijarvi, H., Schreur, B. W., Sigg, R., and The, H.: HIRLAM-5, Scientific Documentation, Technical Report, 2002.
Uppala, S. M., Kållberg, P. W., Simmons, A. J., Andrae, U., Bechtold, V. D. C., Fiorino, M., Gibson, J. K., Haseler, J., Hernandez, A., Kelly, G. A., Li, X., Onogi, K., Saarinen, S., Sokka, N., Allan, R. P., Andersson, E., Arpe, K., Balmaseda, M. A., Beljaars, A. C. M., Berg, L. V. D., Bidlot, J., Bormann, N., Caires, S., Chevallier, F., Dethof, A., Dragosavac, M., Fisher, M., Fuentes, M., Hagemann, S., Hólm, E., Hoskins, B. J., Isaksen, L., Janssen, P. A. E. M., Jenne, R., Mcnally, A. P., Mahfouf, J.-F., Morcrette, J.-J., Rayner, N. A., Saunders, R. W., Simon, P., Ster, A., Trenberth, K. E., Untch, A., Vasiljevic, D., Viterbo, P., and Woollen, J.: The ERA-40 re-analysis, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 131, 2961-3012, 2005.
van Angelen, J. H., Lenaerts, J. T. M., Lhermitte, S., Fettweis, X., Kuipers Munneke, P., van den Broeke, M. R., van Meijgaard, E., and Smeets, C. J. P. P.: Sensitivity of Greenland Ice Sheet surface mass balance to surface albedo parameterization: a study with a regional climate model, The Cryosphere, 6, 1175-1186, doi:10.5194/tc-6-1175-2012, 2012.
Van Angelen, J. H., van den Broeke, M. R., Wouters, B., and Lenaerts, J. T. M.: Contemporary (1969-2012) evolution of the climate and surface mass balance of the Greenland ice sheet, Surv. Geophys., doi:10.1007/s10712-013-9261-z, 2013.
Van de Berg, W., van den Broeke, M., Reijmer, C., and van Meijgaard, E.: Reassessment of the Antarctic surface mass balance using calibrated output of a regional atmospheric climate model, J. Geophys. Res., 111, D11104, doi:10.1029/2005JD006495, 2006.
Van de Wal, R., 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.
van de Wal, R. S. W., Boot, W., Smeets, C. J. P. P., Snellen, H., van den Broeke, M. R., and Oerlemans, J.: Twenty-one years of mass balance observations along the K-transect, West Greenland, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 4, 31-35, doi:10.5194/essd-4-31-2012, 2012.
Van den Broeke, M. R., Smeets, P., Ettema, J., and Munneke, P. K.: Surface radiation balance in the ablation zone of the west Greenland ice sheet, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 113, D13105, doi:10.1029/2007JD009283, 2008.
Van den Broeke, M. R., Smeets, P., and Ettema, J.: Surface layer climate and turbulent exchange in the ablation zone of the west Greenland ice sheet, Int. J. Climatol., 29, 2309-2323, doi:10.1002/joc.1815, 2009.
van den Broeke, M. R., Smeets, C. J. P. P., and van deWal, R. S.W.: The seasonal cycle and interannual variability of surface energy balance and melt in the ablation zone of the west Greenland ice sheet, The Cryosphere, 5, 377-390, doi:10.5194/tc-5-377-2011, 2011.
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.: Technical Report 302: The KNMI regional atmospheric climate model RACMO version 2.1, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, De Bilt, 2008.
Van Meijgaard, E., van Ulft, L., Lenderink, G., de Roode, S., Wipfler, L., Boers, R., and Timmermans, R. M. A.: Refinement and application of a regional atmospheric model for climate scenario calculations of Western Europe, Climate Change Spatial Planning Publication, KvR 054/12, 2012.
van Wessem, J. M., Reijmer, C. H., M. Lenaerts, J. T., van de Berg, W. J., van den Broeke, M. R., and van Meijgaard, E.: Updated cloud physics in a regional atmospheric climate model improves the modelled surface energy balance of Antarctica, The Cryosphere, 8, 125-135, doi:10.5194/tc-8-125-2014, 2014.
White, P.W.: Part IV : PHYSICAL PROCESSES (CY23R4), Technical Report, 2001.
Wouters, B., Bamber, J. L., van den Broeke, M. R., Lenaerts, J. T. M., and Sasgen, I.: Limits in detecting acceleration of ice sheet mass loss due to climate variability, Nat. Geosci., 6, 613-616, doi:10.1038/ngeo1874, 2013.
Similar publications
Sorry the service is unavailable at the moment. Please try again later.
This website uses cookies to improve user experience. Read more
Save & Close
Accept all
Decline all
Show detailsHide details
Cookie declaration
About cookies
Strictly necessary
Performance
Strictly necessary cookies allow core website functionality such as user login and account management. The website cannot be used properly without strictly necessary cookies.
This cookie is used by Cookie-Script.com service to remember visitor cookie consent preferences. It is necessary for Cookie-Script.com cookie banner to work properly.
Performance cookies are used to see how visitors use the website, eg. analytics cookies. Those cookies cannot be used to directly identify a certain visitor.
Used to store the attribution information, the referrer initially used to visit the website
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer by websites that you visit. Websites use cookies to help users navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. Cookies that are required for the website to operate properly are allowed to be set without your permission. All other cookies need to be approved before they can be set in the browser.
You can change your consent to cookie usage at any time on our Privacy Policy page.
