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Volume 11, issue 4
The Cryosphere, 11, 1519-1535, 2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1519-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1519-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
The Cryosphere, 11, 1519-1535, 2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1519-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1519-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article 03 Jul 2017
Research article | 03 Jul 2017
SEMIC: an efficient surface energy and mass balance model applied to the Greenland ice sheet
Mario Krapp et al.Related authors
Robert Beyer, Mario Krapp, and Andrea Manica
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2019-11, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2019-11, 2019
Manuscript under review for CP
Short summary
Short summary
Even the most sophisticated global climate models are known known to have significant biases in the way they reconstruct the climate system. Correcting model biases is therefore essential for creating realistic reconstructions of past climate that can be used, for example, to study long-term and large-scale ecological dynamics. Here, we evaluated three widely-used bias correction methods by means of a global dataset of empirical temperature and precipitation records from the last 125,000 years.
Johannes Gütschow, M. Louise Jeffery, Robert Gieseke, Ronja Gebel, David Stevens, Mario Krapp, and Marcia Rocha
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 8, 571-603, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-8-571-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-8-571-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
This paper provides the methodology for the creation of historical country-resolved time series of greenhouse gas emissions from different datasets which are individually incomplete in terms of years, gases, and/or countries. The combination of datasets is carried out using the PRIMAP model (www.primap.org). The resulting time series can be viewed interactively on www.pik-potsdam.de/primap-live. It will be used for climate policy analysis, e.g. the historical responsibility for climate change.
Ilaria Tabone, Alexander Robinson, Jorge Alvarez-Solas, and Marisa Montoya
Clim. Past, 15, 593-609, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-593-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-593-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
By using a 3-D hybrid ice-sheet–shelf model, we investigate the impact of millennial-scale oceanic variability on the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) evolution during the last glacial period (LGP). We show that the GrIS may have strongly reacted to oceanic temperature fluctuations associated with Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles, contributing to sea-level variations of more than 1 m. Our results open the chance for a non-negligible role of the GrIS in millennial-scale oceanic reorganisations during the LGP.
Robert Beyer, Mario Krapp, and Andrea Manica
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2019-11, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2019-11, 2019
Manuscript under review for CP
Short summary
Short summary
Even the most sophisticated global climate models are known known to have significant biases in the way they reconstruct the climate system. Correcting model biases is therefore essential for creating realistic reconstructions of past climate that can be used, for example, to study long-term and large-scale ecological dynamics. Here, we evaluated three widely-used bias correction methods by means of a global dataset of empirical temperature and precipitation records from the last 125,000 years.
Javier Blasco, Ilaria Tabone, Jorge Alvarez-Solas, Alexander Robinson, and Marisa Montoya
Clim. Past, 15, 121-133, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-121-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-15-121-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The LGP is a period punctuated by the presence of several abrupt climate events and sea-level variations of up to 20 m at millennial timescales. The origin of those fluctuations is attributed to NH paleo ice sheets, but a contribution from the AIS cannot be excluded. Here, for the first time, we investigate the response of the AIS to millennial climate variability using an ice sheet–shelf model. We shows that the AIS produces substantial sea-level rises and grounding line migrations.
Ilaria Tabone, Alexander Robinson, Jorge Alvarez-Solas, and Marisa Montoya
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2018-228, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2018-228, 2018
Manuscript under review for TC
Short summary
Short summary
Recent reconstructions show that the North East Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS) retreated away from its present-day position by 20–40 km during MIS-3. Atmospheric and external forcings were proposed as potential causes of this retreat, but the role of the ocean was not considered. Here, using a 3D ice sheet model, we suggest that oceanic warming is sufficient to induce a retreat of the NEGIS margin of many tens of km during MIS-3, helping to explain this conundrum.
Jorge Alvarez-Solas, Rubén Banderas, Alexander Robinson, and Marisa Montoya
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2018-89, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2018-89, 2018
Revised manuscript under review for CP
Short summary
Short summary
The last glacial period was marked by the existence of of abrupt climatic changes. It is generally accepted that the presence of ice sheets played an important role in their occurrence. While an important effort has been made to investigate the dynamics and evolution of the Laurentide Ice Sheet during this period, the Eurasian Ice Sheet (EIS) has not received much attention. Here we investigate the response of the EIS to millennial-scale climate variability by using a hybrid 3-D ice-sheet model.
Reinhard Calov, Sebastian Beyer, Ralf Greve, Johanna Beckmann, Matteo Willeit, Thomas Kleiner, Martin Rückamp, Angelika Humbert, and Andrey Ganopolski
The Cryosphere, 12, 3097-3121, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3097-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3097-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We present RCP 4.5 and 8.5 projections for the Greenland glacial system with the new glacial system model IGLOO 1.0, which incorporates the ice sheet model SICOPOLIS 3.3, a model of basal hydrology and a parameterization of submarine melt of outlet glaciers. Surface temperature and mass balance anomalies from the MAR climate model serve as forcing delivering projections for the contribution of the Greenland ice sheet to sea level rise and submarine melt of Helheim and Store outlet glaciers.
Rubén Banderas, Jorge Alvarez-Solas, Alexander Robinson, and Marisa Montoya
Geosci. Model Dev., 11, 2299-2314, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-2299-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-2299-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Here we present a new approach to force ice-sheet models offline, which accounts for a more realistic treatment of millennial-scale climate variability as compared to the existing methods. Our results reveal that an incorrect representation of the characteristic pattern of millennial-scale climate variability within the climate forcing not only affects NH ice-volume variations at millennial timescales but has consequences for glacial–interglacial ice-volume changes too.
Matteo Willeit and Andrey Ganopolski
Clim. Past, 14, 697-707, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-697-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-697-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The surface energy and mass balance of ice sheets strongly depends on surface albedo. Here, using an Earth system model of intermediate complexity, we explore the role played by surface albedo for the simulation of glacial cycles. We show that the evolution of the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets over the last glacial cycle is very sensitive to the parameterization of snow grain size and the effect of dust deposition on snow albedo.
Johanna Beckmann, Mahé Perrette, Sebastian Beyer, Reinhard Calov, Matteo Willeit, and Andrey Ganopolski
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2018-89, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2018-89, 2018
Manuscript under review for TC
Short summary
Short summary
Submarine melting (SM) has been discussed to potentially trigger the recently observed retreat at outlet glaciers in Greenland. How much it may contribute in terms of future sea level rise (SLR) has not been quantified yet.
Under RCP 8.5, the SLR-contribution of 12 outlet glaciers increases by a sevenfold until the year 2100 if submarine melting is accounted for. Thereby both forcing factors of submarine melting, subglacial discharge and ocean temperature, are of equal importance.
Ilaria Tabone, Javier Blasco, Alexander Robinson, Jorge Alvarez-Solas, and Marisa Montoya
Clim. Past, 14, 455-472, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-455-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-455-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The response of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) to palaeo-oceanic changes on a glacial–interglacial timescale is studied from a modelling perspective. A 3-D hybrid ice-sheet–shelf model which includes a parameterization of the basal melting rate at the GrIS marine margins is used. The results show that the oceanic forcing plays a key role in the GrIS evolution, not only by controlling the ice retreat during the deglaciation but also by driving the ice expansion in glacial periods.
Johanna Beckmann, Mahé Perrette, and Andrey Ganopolski
The Cryosphere, 12, 301-323, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-301-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-301-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Greenland's glaciers that are in contact with the ocean undergo a special ice–ocean melting. To project numerically Greenland's centennial contribution to sea level rise, it is crucial to incorporate this special melting. We demonstrate that a numerically cheap model shows the qualitative same behavior as numerical expensive 2–3-dimensional models and calculates the same melting as empirical data show. Our analytical solution gives some insight in the yet poorly understood melting behavior.
Andrey Ganopolski and Victor Brovkin
Clim. Past, 13, 1695-1716, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-1695-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-1695-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Ice cores reveal that atmospheric CO2 concentration varied synchronously with the global ice volume. Explaining the mechanism of glacial–interglacial variations of atmospheric CO2 concentrations and the link between CO2 and ice sheets evolution still remains a challenge. Here using the Earth system model of intermediate complexity we performed for the first time simulations of co-evolution of climate, ice sheets and carbon cycle using the astronomical forcing as the only external forcing.
Jorge Alvarez-Solas, Rubén Banderas, Alexander Robinson, and Marisa Montoya
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2017-143, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2017-143, 2017
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
The last glacial period was marked by the existence of of abrupt climatic changes. It is generally accepted that the presence of ice sheets played an
important role in their occurrence. While an important effort has been made to investigate the dynamics and evolution of the Laurentide Ice Sheet during this period, the Eurasian Ice Sheet (EIS) has not received much attention. Here we investigate the response of the EIS to millennial-scale climate variability. We use a hybrid 3D ice-sheet model.
Eva Bauer and Andrey Ganopolski
Clim. Past, 13, 819-832, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-819-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-819-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Transient glacial cycle simulations with an EMIC and the PDD method require smaller melt factors for inception than for termination and larger factors for American than European ice sheets. The PDD online method with standard values simulates a sea level drop of 250 m at the LGM. The PDD online run reproducing the LGM ice volume has deficient ablation for reversing from glacial to interglacial climate, so termination is delayed. The SEB method with dust impact on snow albedo is seen as superior.
Johannes Gütschow, M. Louise Jeffery, Robert Gieseke, Ronja Gebel, David Stevens, Mario Krapp, and Marcia Rocha
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 8, 571-603, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-8-571-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-8-571-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
This paper provides the methodology for the creation of historical country-resolved time series of greenhouse gas emissions from different datasets which are individually incomplete in terms of years, gases, and/or countries. The combination of datasets is carried out using the PRIMAP model (www.primap.org). The resulting time series can be viewed interactively on www.pik-potsdam.de/primap-live. It will be used for climate policy analysis, e.g. the historical responsibility for climate change.
Matteo Willeit and Andrey Ganopolski
Geosci. Model Dev., 9, 3817-3857, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-3817-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-3817-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
PALADYN is presented; it is a new comprehensive and computationally efficient land surface–vegetation–carbon cycle model designed to be used in Earth system models of intermediate complexity for long-term simulations and paleoclimate studies.
M. Willeit and A. Ganopolski
Clim. Past, 11, 1165-1180, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1165-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-1165-2015, 2015
Short summary
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In this paper we explore the permafrost–ice-sheet interaction using the fully coupled climate–ice-sheet model CLIMBER-2 with the addition of a newly developed permafrost module. We find that permafrost has a moderate but significant effect on ice sheet dynamics during the last glacial cycle. In particular at the Last Glacial Maximum the inclusion of permafrost leads to a 15m sea level equivalent increase in Northern Hemisphere ice volume when permafrost is included.
A. Robinson and M. Perrette
Geosci. Model Dev., 8, 1877-1883, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-1877-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-1877-2015, 2015
Short summary
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Here we present a concise interface to the NetCDF library designed to simplify reading and writing tasks of up to 6-D arrays in Fortran programs.
R. Calov, A. Robinson, M. Perrette, and A. Ganopolski
The Cryosphere, 9, 179-196, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-179-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-179-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Ice discharge into the ocean from outlet glaciers is an important
component of mass loss of the Greenland ice sheet. Here, we present a
simple parameterization of ice discharge for coarse resolution ice
sheet models, suitable for large ensembles or long-term palaeo
simulations. This parameterization reproduces in a good approximation
the present-day ice discharge compared with estimates, and the
simulation of the present-day ice sheet elevation is considerably
improved.
A. Robinson and H. Goelzer
The Cryosphere, 8, 1419-1428, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1419-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1419-2014, 2014
E. Bauer and A. Ganopolski
Clim. Past, 10, 1333-1348, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-1333-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-10-1333-2014, 2014
M. Willeit, A. Ganopolski, and G. Feulner
Biogeosciences, 11, 17-32, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-17-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-17-2014, 2014
M. Willeit, A. Ganopolski, and G. Feulner
Clim. Past, 9, 1749-1759, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-1749-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-1749-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Energy Balance Obs/Modelling
A key factor initiating surface ablation of Arctic sea ice: earlier and increasing liquid precipitation
Brief communication: An ice surface melt scheme including the diurnal cycle of solar radiation
Glacio-hydrological melt and run-off modelling: application of a limits of acceptability framework for model comparison and selection
Sunlight, clouds, sea ice, albedo, and the radiative budget: the umbrella versus the blanket
Forcing the SURFEX/Crocus snow model with combined hourly meteorological forecasts and gridded observations in southern Norway
Observations and simulations of the seasonal evolution of snowpack cold content and its relation to snowmelt and the snowpack energy budget
Effects of short-term variability of meteorological variables on soil temperature in permafrost regions
Shifted energy fluxes, increased Bowen ratios, and reduced thaw depths linked with drainage-induced changes in permafrost ecosystem structure
Evaluation of different methods to model near-surface turbulent fluxes for a mountain glacier in the Cariboo Mountains, BC, Canada
Quantifying bioalbedo: a new physically based model and discussion of empirical methods for characterising biological influence on ice and snow albedo
The importance of accurate glacier albedo for estimates of surface mass balance on Vatnajökull: evaluating the surface energy budget in a regional climate model with automatic weather station observations
Surface-layer turbulence, energy balance and links to atmospheric circulations over a mountain glacier in the French Alps
Evaposublimation from the snow in the Mediterranean mountains of Sierra Nevada (Spain)
Surface energy balance sensitivity to meteorological variability on Haig Glacier, Canadian Rocky Mountains
Improving satellite-retrieved surface radiative fluxes in polar regions using a smart sampling approach
A Retrospective, Iterative, Geometry-Based (RIGB) tilt-correction method for radiation observed by automatic weather stations on snow-covered surfaces: application to Greenland
Cloud effects on surface energy and mass balance in the ablation area of Brewster Glacier, New Zealand
Changing surface–atmosphere energy exchange and refreezing capacity of the lower accumulation area, West Greenland
The global land shortwave cryosphere radiative effect during the MODIS era
Processes governing the mass balance of Chhota Shigri Glacier (western Himalaya, India) assessed by point-scale surface energy balance measurements
Representing moisture fluxes and phase changes in glacier debris cover using a reservoir approach
Updated cloud physics in a regional atmospheric climate model improves the modelled surface energy balance of Antarctica
Modeling energy and mass balance of Shallap Glacier, Peru
Meteorological drivers of ablation processes on a cold glacier in the semi-arid Andes of Chile
Micrometeorological conditions and surface mass and energy fluxes on Lewis Glacier, Mt Kenya, in relation to other tropical glaciers
Snow spectral albedo at Summit, Greenland: measurements and numerical simulations based on physical and chemical properties of the snowpack
High-resolution interactive modelling of the mountain glacier–atmosphere interface: an application over the Karakoram
Borehole temperatures reveal a changed energy budget at Mill Island, East Antarctica, over recent decades
Analysis of the snow-atmosphere energy balance during wet-snow instabilities and implications for avalanche prediction
A minimal, statistical model for the surface albedo of Vestfonna ice cap, Svalbard
Refreezing on the Greenland ice sheet: a comparison of parameterizations
Simulating melt, runoff and refreezing on Nordenskiöldbreen, Svalbard, using a coupled snow and energy balance model
Near-surface climate and surface energy budget of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctic Peninsula
Large surface meltwater discharge from the Kangerlussuaq sector of the Greenland ice sheet during the record-warm year 2010 explained by detailed energy balance observations
The surface energy balance of a polygonal tundra site in northern Siberia – Part 2: Winter
The seasonal cycle and interannual variability of surface energy balance and melt in the ablation zone of the west Greenland ice sheet
The surface energy balance of a polygonal tundra site in northern Siberia – Part 1: Spring to fall
The role of radiation penetration in the energy budget of the snowpack at Summit, Greenland
Tingfeng Dou, Cunde Xiao, Jiping Liu, Wei Han, Zhiheng Du, Andrew R. Mahoney, Joshua Jones, and Hajo Eicken
The Cryosphere, 13, 1233-1246, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1233-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1233-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The variability and potential trends of rain-on-snow events over Arctic sea ice and their role in sea-ice losses are poorly understood. This study demonstrates that rain-on-snow events are a critical factor in initiating the onset of surface melt over Arctic sea ice, and onset of spring rainfall over sea ice has shifted to earlier dates since the 1970s, which may have profound impacts on ice melt through feedbacks involving earlier onset of surface melt.
Uta Krebs-Kanzow, Paul Gierz, and Gerrit Lohmann
The Cryosphere, 12, 3923-3930, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3923-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3923-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We present a new surface melt scheme for land ice. Derived from the energy balance of melting surfaces, the scheme may be particularly suitable for long ice-sheet simulations of past and future climates. It is computationally inexpensive and can be adapted to changes in the Earth's orbit and atmospheric composition. The scheme yields a better spatial representation of surface melt than common empirical schemes when applied to the Greenland Ice Sheet under present-day climate conditions.
Jonathan D. Mackay, Nicholas E. Barrand, David M. Hannah, Stefan Krause, Christopher R. Jackson, Jez Everest, and Guðfinna Aðalgeirsdóttir
The Cryosphere, 12, 2175-2210, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2175-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2175-2018, 2018
Short summary
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We apply a framework to compare and objectively accept or reject competing melt and run-off process models. We found no acceptable models. Furthermore, increasing model complexity does not guarantee better predictions. The results highlight model selection uncertainty and the need for rigorous frameworks to identify deficiencies in competing models. The application of this approach in the future will help to better quantify model prediction uncertainty and develop improved process models.
Donald K. Perovich
The Cryosphere, 12, 2159-2165, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2159-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2159-2018, 2018
Short summary
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The balance of longwave and shortwave radiation plays a central role in the summer melt of Arctic sea ice. It is governed by clouds and surface albedo. The basic question is what causes more melting, sunny skies or cloudy skies. It depends on the albedo of the ice surface. For snow-covered or bare ice, sunny skies always result in less radiative heat input. In contrast, the open ocean always has, and melt ponds usually have, more radiative input under sunny skies than cloudy skies.
Hanneke Luijting, Dagrun Vikhamar-Schuler, Trygve Aspelien, Åsmund Bakketun, and Mariken Homleid
The Cryosphere, 12, 2123-2145, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2123-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2123-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Knowledge of the snow reservoir is important for energy production and water resource management. In this study, a detailed snow model is run over southern Norway with two different sets of forcing data. The results show that forcing data consisting of post-processed data from a numerical weather model (observations assimilated into the raw weather predictions) are most promising for snow simulations when larger regions are evaluated.
Keith S. Jennings, Timothy G. F. Kittel, and Noah P. Molotch
The Cryosphere, 12, 1595-1614, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1595-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1595-2018, 2018
Short summary
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We show through observations and simulations that cold content, a key part of the snowpack energy budget, develops primarily through new snowfall. We also note that cold content damps snowmelt rate and timing at sub-seasonal timescales, while seasonal melt onset is controlled by the timing of peak cold content and total spring precipitation. This work has implications for how cold content is represented in snow models and improves our understanding of its effect on snowmelt processes.
Christian Beer, Philipp Porada, Altug Ekici, and Matthias Brakebusch
The Cryosphere, 12, 741-757, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-741-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-741-2018, 2018
Short summary
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Idealized model experiments demonstrate that, in addition to a gradual climate change, changing daily to weekly variability of meteorological variables and extreme events will also have an impact on mean annual ground temperature in high-latitude permafrost areas. In fact, results of the land surface model experiments show that the projected increase of variability of meteorological variables leads to cooler permafrost soil in contrast to an otherwise soil warming in response to climate change.
Mathias Göckede, Fanny Kittler, Min Jung Kwon, Ina Burjack, Martin Heimann, Olaf Kolle, Nikita Zimov, and Sergey Zimov
The Cryosphere, 11, 2975-2996, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2975-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2975-2017, 2017
Short summary
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Shifts in hydrologic conditions will be a key factor for the sustainability of Arctic ecosystems under future climate change. Using a long-term manipulation experiment, we analyzed how energy exchange processes within a permafrost ecosystem react to sustained dry conditions. Changes in several important ecosystem characteristics lead to reduced evapotranspiration and increased sensible heat fluxes. Heat transfer into the soil was strongly reduced, keeping the permafrost colder.
Valentina Radić, Brian Menounos, Joseph Shea, Noel Fitzpatrick, Mekdes A. Tessema, and Stephen J. Déry
The Cryosphere, 11, 2897-2918, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2897-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2897-2017, 2017
Short summary
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Our overall goal is to improve the numerical modeling of glacier melt in order to better predict the future of glaciers in Western Canada and worldwide.
Most commonly used models rely on simplifications of processes that dictate melting at a glacier surface, in particular turbulent processes of heat exchange. We compared modeled against directly measured turbulent heat fluxes at a valley glacier in British Columbia, Canada, and found that more improvements are needed in all the tested models.
Joseph M. Cook, Andrew J. Hodson, Alex S. Gardner, Mark Flanner, Andrew J. Tedstone, Christopher Williamson, Tristram D. L. Irvine-Fynn, Johan Nilsson, Robert Bryant, and Martyn Tranter
The Cryosphere, 11, 2611-2632, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2611-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2611-2017, 2017
Short summary
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Biological growth darkens snow and ice, causing it to melt faster. This is often referred to as
bioalbedo. Quantifying bioalbedo has not been achieved because of difficulties in isolating the biological contribution from the optical properties of ice and snow, and from inorganic impurities in field studies. In this paper, we provide a physical model that enables bioalbedo to be quantified from first principles and we use it to guide future field studies.
Louise Steffensen Schmidt, Guðfinna Aðalgeirsdóttir, Sverrir Guðmundsson, Peter L. Langen, Finnur Pálsson, Ruth Mottram, Simon Gascoin, and Helgi Björnsson
The Cryosphere, 11, 1665-1684, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1665-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1665-2017, 2017
Short summary
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The regional climate model HIRHAM5 is evaluated over Vatnajökull, Iceland, using automatic weather stations and mass balance observations from 1995 to 2014. From this we asses whether the model can be used to reconstruct the mass balance of the glacier. We find that the simulated energy balance is underestimated overall, but it has been improved by using a new albedo scheme. The specific mass balance is reconstructed back to 1980, thus expanding on the observational records of the mass balance.
Maxime Litt, Jean-Emmanuel Sicart, Delphine Six, Patrick Wagnon, and Warren D. Helgason
The Cryosphere, 11, 971-987, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-971-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-971-2017, 2017
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Climate variations might change the frequency of typical weather conditions. We present a weather pattern classification as an useful tool for identifying changing glacier wind regimes. We show the intensity of turbulent heat exchanges between ice and air changes with these regimes, as well as the importance of discrepancies between bulk-aerodynamic and eddy-covariance fluxes. The results suggest these discrepancies influence melt estimates from surface energy balance calculations.
Javier Herrero and María José Polo
The Cryosphere, 10, 2981-2998, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2981-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2981-2016, 2016
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We present 7 years of field work and modelling to assess the importance of the loss of water from the snow by means of evaposublimation in the Mediterranean mountains of Sierra Nevada. The actual evaposublimation rates were detected through detailed measurement of the mass fluxes from the snow. These data have led to some improvements in the modelling of the snow dynamics in this kind of mountainous semiarid regions. Evaposublimation is estimated to range 24–33% of total annual snowfall.
Samaneh Ebrahimi and Shawn J. Marshall
The Cryosphere, 10, 2799-2819, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2799-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2799-2016, 2016
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Atmospheric–glacier surface interactions govern melt, where each variable has a different impact depending on the region and time of year. To understand these impacts and their year-to-year variability on summer melt extent, we examine melt sensitivity to different meteorological variables at a glacier in the Canadian Rockies. Cloud conditions, surface albedo, temperature, and humidity are all important to melt extent and should be considered in models of glacier response to climate change.
Kristof Van Tricht, Stef Lhermitte, Irina V. Gorodetskaya, and Nicole P. M. van Lipzig
The Cryosphere, 10, 2379-2397, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2379-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2379-2016, 2016
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Despite the crucial role of polar regions in the global climate system, the limited availability of observations on the ground hampers a detailed understanding of their energy budget. Here we develop a method to use satellites to fill these observational gaps. We show that by sampling satellite observations in a smart way, coverage is greatly enhanced. We conclude that this method might help improve our understanding of the polar energy budget, and ultimately its effects on the global climate.
Wenshan Wang, Charles S. Zender, Dirk van As, Paul C. J. P. Smeets, and Michiel R. van den Broeke
The Cryosphere, 10, 727-741, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-727-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-727-2016, 2016
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We identify and correct station-tilt-induced biases in insolation observed by automatic weather stations on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Without tilt correction, only 40 % of clear days have the correct solar noon time (±0.5 h). The largest hourly bias exceeds 20 %. We estimate the tilt angles based on solar geometric relationship between insolation observed on horizontal surfaces and that on tilted surfaces, and produce shortwave radiation and albedo that agree better with independent data sets.
J. P. Conway and N. J. Cullen
The Cryosphere, 10, 313-328, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-313-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-313-2016, 2016
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Clouds are shown to force fundamental changes in the surface energy and mass balance of Brewster Glacier, New Zealand. Cloudy periods exhibit greater melt due to increased incoming long-wave radiation and higher atmospheric vapour pressure rather than through minimal changes in mean air temperature and wind speed. Surface mass-balance sensitivity to air temperature is enhanced in overcast compared to clear-sky periods due to more frequent melt and a strong precipitation phase to albedo feedback.
C. Charalampidis, D. van As, J. E. Box, M. R. van den Broeke, W. T. Colgan, S. H. Doyle, A. L. Hubbard, M. MacFerrin, H. Machguth, and C. J. P. P. Smeets
The Cryosphere, 9, 2163-2181, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-2163-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-2163-2015, 2015
D. Singh, M. G. Flanner, and J. Perket
The Cryosphere, 9, 2057-2070, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-2057-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-2057-2015, 2015
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Our work quantifies the effect of snow/ice cover on Earth's top-of-atmosphere solar energy budget. We used higher resolution MODIS data, combined with microwave retrievals of snow presence and radiative kernels produced from 4 different models for Cryosphere Radiative Effect (CrRE) estimation. We have estimated a global land-based CrRE of about -2.6Wm-2 during 2001-2013, with about 59% of the effect originating from Antarctica. We were also be able to resolve contribution from mountain glaciers.
M. F. Azam, P. Wagnon, C. Vincent, AL. Ramanathan, V. Favier, A. Mandal, and J. G. Pottakkal
The Cryosphere, 8, 2195-2217, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-2195-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-2195-2014, 2014
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This paper presents point-scale surface energy balance on Chhota Shigri Glacier, Western Himalaya, India. Energy is available for melting only in summer-monsoon. Net all-wave radiation is the main heat flux towards the glacier surface accounting for 80% of the total melting energy followed by sensible (13%), latent (5%) turbulent and conductive (2%) heat fluxes. The intensity of summer-monsoon snowfalls is found among the most important drivers controlling the mass balance of this glacier.
E. Collier, L. I. Nicholson, B. W. Brock, F. Maussion, R. Essery, and A. B. G. Bush
The Cryosphere, 8, 1429-1444, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1429-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1429-2014, 2014
J. M. van Wessem, C. H. Reijmer, J. T. M. Lenaerts, W. J. van de Berg, M. R. van den Broeke, and E. van Meijgaard
The Cryosphere, 8, 125-135, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-125-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-125-2014, 2014
W. Gurgiser, B. Marzeion, L. Nicholson, M. Ortner, and G. Kaser
The Cryosphere, 7, 1787-1802, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1787-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1787-2013, 2013
S. MacDonell, C. Kinnard, T. Mölg, L. Nicholson, and J. Abermann
The Cryosphere, 7, 1513-1526, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1513-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1513-2013, 2013
L. I. Nicholson, R. Prinz, T. Mölg, and G. Kaser
The Cryosphere, 7, 1205-1225, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1205-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1205-2013, 2013
C. M. Carmagnola, F. Domine, M. Dumont, P. Wright, B. Strellis, M. Bergin, J. Dibb, G. Picard, Q. Libois, L. Arnaud, and S. Morin
The Cryosphere, 7, 1139-1160, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1139-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-1139-2013, 2013
E. Collier, T. Mölg, F. Maussion, D. Scherer, C. Mayer, and A. B. G. Bush
The Cryosphere, 7, 779-795, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-779-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-779-2013, 2013
J. L. Roberts, A. D. Moy, T. D. van Ommen, M. A. J. Curran, A. P. Worby, I. D. Goodwin, and M. Inoue
The Cryosphere, 7, 263-273, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-263-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-263-2013, 2013
C. Mitterer and J. Schweizer
The Cryosphere, 7, 205-216, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-205-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-205-2013, 2013
M. Möller
The Cryosphere, 6, 1049-1061, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-1049-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-1049-2012, 2012
C. H. Reijmer, M. R. van den Broeke, X. Fettweis, J. Ettema, and L. B. Stap
The Cryosphere, 6, 743-762, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-743-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-743-2012, 2012
W. J. J. van Pelt, J. Oerlemans, C. H. Reijmer, V. A. Pohjola, R. Pettersson, and J. H. van Angelen
The Cryosphere, 6, 641-659, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-641-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-641-2012, 2012
P. Kuipers Munneke, M. R. van den Broeke, J. C. King, T. Gray, and C. H. Reijmer
The Cryosphere, 6, 353-363, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-353-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-353-2012, 2012
D. van As, A. L. Hubbard, B. Hasholt, A. B. Mikkelsen, M. R. van den Broeke, and R. S. Fausto
The Cryosphere, 6, 199-209, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-199-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-6-199-2012, 2012
M. Langer, S. Westermann, S. Muster, K. Piel, and J. Boike
The Cryosphere, 5, 509-524, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-509-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-509-2011, 2011
M. R. van den Broeke, C. J. P. P. Smeets, and R. S. W. van de Wal
The Cryosphere, 5, 377-390, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-377-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-377-2011, 2011
M. Langer, S. Westermann, S. Muster, K. Piel, and J. Boike
The Cryosphere, 5, 151-171, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-151-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-5-151-2011, 2011
P. Kuipers Munneke, M. R. van den Broeke, C. H. Reijmer, M. M. Helsen, W. Boot, M. Schneebeli, and K. Steffen
The Cryosphere, 3, 155-165, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-3-155-2009, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-3-155-2009, 2009
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We present the snowpack model SEMIC. It calculates snow height, surface temperature, surface albedo, and the surface mass balance of snow- and ice-covered surfaces while using meteorological data as input. In this paper we describe how SEMIC works and how well it compares with snowpack data of a more sophisticated regional climate model applied to the Greenland ice sheet. Because of its simplicity and efficiency, SEMIC can be used as a coupling interface between atmospheric and ice sheet models.
We present the snowpack model SEMIC. It calculates snow height, surface temperature, surface...
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