Improved representation of East Antarctic surface mass balance in a regional atmospheric climate model

J. M. Van Wessem; C. H. Reijmer; M. Morlighem; J. Mouginot; E. Rignot; B. Medley; I. Joughin; B. Wouters; M. A. Depoorter; J. L. Bamber; J. T M Lenaerts; W. J. Van De Berg; M. R. Van Den Broeke; E. Van Meijgaard

doi:10.3189/2014JoG14J051

Improved representation of East Antarctic surface mass balance in a regional atmospheric climate model

J. M. Van Wessem^*, C. H. Reijmer, M. Morlighem, J. Mouginot, E. Rignot, B. Medley, I. Joughin, B. Wouters, M. A. Depoorter, J. L. Bamber, J. T M Lenaerts, W. J. Van De Berg, M. R. Van Den Broeke, E. Van Meijgaard

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

217 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study evaluates the impact of a recent upgrade in the physics package of the regional atmospheric climate model RACMO2 on the simulated surface mass balance (SMB) of the Antarctic ice sheet. The modelled SMB increases, in particular over the grounded ice sheet of East Antarctica (+44Gt a^-1), with a small change in West Antarctica. This mainly results from an increase in precipitation, which is explained by changes in the cloud microphysics, including a new parameterization for ice cloud supersaturation, and changes in large-scale circulation patterns, which alter topographically forced precipitation. The spatial changes in SMB are evaluated using 3234 in situ SMB observations and ice-balance velocities, and the temporal variability using GRACE satellite retrievals. The in situ observations and balance velocities show a clear improvement of the spatial representation of the SMB in the interior of East Antarctica, which has become considerably wetter. No improvements are seen for West Antarctica and the coastal regions. A comparison of model SMB temporal variability with GRACE satellite retrievals shows no significant change in performance.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	761-770
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Glaciology
Volume	60
Issue number	222
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3189/2014JoG14J051
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2014

Keywords

Accumulation
Atmosphere/ice/ocean interactions
Ice and climate
Ice velocity
Surface mass budget

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.3189/2014JoG14J051

Handle.net

Persistent link

Cite this

Van Wessem, J. M., Reijmer, C. H., Morlighem, M., Mouginot, J., Rignot, E., Medley, B., Joughin, I., Wouters, B., Depoorter, M. A., Bamber, J. L., Lenaerts, J. T. M., Van De Berg, W. J., Van Den Broeke, M. R., & Van Meijgaard, E. (2014). Improved representation of East Antarctic surface mass balance in a regional atmospheric climate model. Journal of Glaciology, 60(222), 761-770. https://doi.org/10.3189/2014JoG14J051

@article{1a3985914ace426580312562725375af,

title = "Improved representation of East Antarctic surface mass balance in a regional atmospheric climate model",

abstract = "This study evaluates the impact of a recent upgrade in the physics package of the regional atmospheric climate model RACMO2 on the simulated surface mass balance (SMB) of the Antarctic ice sheet. The modelled SMB increases, in particular over the grounded ice sheet of East Antarctica (+44Gt a-1), with a small change in West Antarctica. This mainly results from an increase in precipitation, which is explained by changes in the cloud microphysics, including a new parameterization for ice cloud supersaturation, and changes in large-scale circulation patterns, which alter topographically forced precipitation. The spatial changes in SMB are evaluated using 3234 in situ SMB observations and ice-balance velocities, and the temporal variability using GRACE satellite retrievals. The in situ observations and balance velocities show a clear improvement of the spatial representation of the SMB in the interior of East Antarctica, which has become considerably wetter. No improvements are seen for West Antarctica and the coastal regions. A comparison of model SMB temporal variability with GRACE satellite retrievals shows no significant change in performance.",

keywords = "Accumulation, Atmosphere/ice/ocean interactions, Ice and climate, Ice velocity, Surface mass budget",

author = "{Van Wessem}, {J. M.} and Reijmer, {C. H.} and M. Morlighem and J. Mouginot and E. Rignot and B. Medley and I. Joughin and B. Wouters and Depoorter, {M. A.} and Bamber, {J. L.} and Lenaerts, {J. T M} and {Van De Berg}, {W. J.} and {Van Den Broeke}, {M. R.} and {Van Meijgaard}, E.",

year = "2014",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3189/2014JoG14J051",

language = "English",

volume = "60",

pages = "761--770",

journal = "Journal of Glaciology",

issn = "0022-1430",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

number = "222",

}

Van Wessem, JM, Reijmer, CH, Morlighem, M, Mouginot, J, Rignot, E, Medley, B, Joughin, I, Wouters, B, Depoorter, MA, Bamber, JL, Lenaerts, JTM, Van De Berg, WJ, Van Den Broeke, MR & Van Meijgaard, E 2014, 'Improved representation of East Antarctic surface mass balance in a regional atmospheric climate model', Journal of Glaciology, vol. 60, no. 222, pp. 761-770. https://doi.org/10.3189/2014JoG14J051

TY - JOUR

T1 - Improved representation of East Antarctic surface mass balance in a regional atmospheric climate model

AU - Van Wessem, J. M.

AU - Reijmer, C. H.

AU - Morlighem, M.

AU - Mouginot, J.

AU - Rignot, E.

AU - Medley, B.

AU - Joughin, I.

AU - Wouters, B.

AU - Depoorter, M. A.

AU - Bamber, J. L.

AU - Lenaerts, J. T M

AU - Van De Berg, W. J.

AU - Van Den Broeke, M. R.

AU - Van Meijgaard, E.

PY - 2014/1/1

Y1 - 2014/1/1

N2 - This study evaluates the impact of a recent upgrade in the physics package of the regional atmospheric climate model RACMO2 on the simulated surface mass balance (SMB) of the Antarctic ice sheet. The modelled SMB increases, in particular over the grounded ice sheet of East Antarctica (+44Gt a-1), with a small change in West Antarctica. This mainly results from an increase in precipitation, which is explained by changes in the cloud microphysics, including a new parameterization for ice cloud supersaturation, and changes in large-scale circulation patterns, which alter topographically forced precipitation. The spatial changes in SMB are evaluated using 3234 in situ SMB observations and ice-balance velocities, and the temporal variability using GRACE satellite retrievals. The in situ observations and balance velocities show a clear improvement of the spatial representation of the SMB in the interior of East Antarctica, which has become considerably wetter. No improvements are seen for West Antarctica and the coastal regions. A comparison of model SMB temporal variability with GRACE satellite retrievals shows no significant change in performance.

AB - This study evaluates the impact of a recent upgrade in the physics package of the regional atmospheric climate model RACMO2 on the simulated surface mass balance (SMB) of the Antarctic ice sheet. The modelled SMB increases, in particular over the grounded ice sheet of East Antarctica (+44Gt a-1), with a small change in West Antarctica. This mainly results from an increase in precipitation, which is explained by changes in the cloud microphysics, including a new parameterization for ice cloud supersaturation, and changes in large-scale circulation patterns, which alter topographically forced precipitation. The spatial changes in SMB are evaluated using 3234 in situ SMB observations and ice-balance velocities, and the temporal variability using GRACE satellite retrievals. The in situ observations and balance velocities show a clear improvement of the spatial representation of the SMB in the interior of East Antarctica, which has become considerably wetter. No improvements are seen for West Antarctica and the coastal regions. A comparison of model SMB temporal variability with GRACE satellite retrievals shows no significant change in performance.

KW - Accumulation

KW - Atmosphere/ice/ocean interactions

KW - Ice and climate

KW - Ice velocity

KW - Surface mass budget

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84909986649&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3189/2014JoG14J051

DO - 10.3189/2014JoG14J051

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

AN - SCOPUS:84909986649

SN - 0022-1430

VL - 60

SP - 761

EP - 770

JO - Journal of Glaciology

JF - Journal of Glaciology

IS - 222

ER -

Improved representation of East Antarctic surface mass balance in a regional atmospheric climate model

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Handle.net

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Resolving Antarctic ice mass trends

Cite this

Improved representation of East Antarctic surface mass balance in a regional atmospheric climate model

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Handle.net

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Resolving Antarctic ice mass trends

Cite this