[en] By providing pore space for storage or refreezing of meltwater, the Greenland ice sheet firn layer strongly modulates runoff. Correctly representing the firn layer is therefore crucial for Greenland (surface) mass balance studies. Here, we present a simulation of the Greenland firn layer with the firn model IMAU-FDM forced by the latest output of the regional climate model RACMO2, version 2.3p2. In the percolation zone, much improved agreement is found with firn density and temperature observations. A full simulation of Greenland firn at high temporal (10 days) and spatial (11 km) resolution is available for the period 1960-2016.
Disciplines :
Earth sciences & physical geography
Author, co-author :
Ligtenberg, Stefan R.M.; Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht (IMAU), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
Munneke, Peter Kuipers; Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht (IMAU), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
Noël, Brice ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géographie > Climatologie et Topoclimatologie ; Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht (IMAU), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
Van Den Broeke, Michiel R. ; Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht (IMAU), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
Language :
English
Title :
Brief communication: Improved simulation of the present-day Greenland firn layer (1960-2016)
Acknowledgements. All authors acknowledge support of the Polar Program of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and the Netherlands Earth System Science Centre (NESSC). Stefan Ligtenberg is supported by an NWO-ALW Veni grant, number 863.15.023.
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