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
During recent summers (2007–2012), several surface melt records were broken over the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS). The extreme summer melt resulted in part from a persistent negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), favoring warmer atmospheric conditions than normal over the GrIS. Simult...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2014-10-01
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| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/1871/2014/tc-8-1871-2014.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818318551773085696 |
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| author | B. Noël X. Fettweis W. J. van de Berg M. R. van den Broeke M. Erpicum |
| author_facet | B. Noël X. Fettweis W. J. van de Berg M. R. van den Broeke M. Erpicum |
| author_sort | B. Noël |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | During recent summers (2007–2012), several surface melt records were broken
over the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS). The extreme summer melt resulted in part
from a persistent negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO),
favoring warmer atmospheric conditions than normal over the GrIS.
Simultaneously, large anomalies in sea ice cover (SIC) and sea surface
temperature (SST) were observed in the North Atlantic, suggesting a possible
connection. To assess the direct impact of 2007–2012 SIC and SST anomalies
on GrIS surface mass balance (SMB), a set of sensitivity experiments was
carried out with the regional climate model MAR forced by ERA-Interim. These
simulations suggest that perturbations in SST and SIC in the seas surrounding
Greenland do not considerably impact GrIS SMB, as a result of the katabatic
wind blocking effect. These offshore-directed winds prevent oceanic
near-surface air, influenced by SIC and SST anomalies, from penetrating far
inland. Therefore, the ice sheet SMB response is restricted to coastal
regions, where katabatic winds cease. A topic for further investigation is
how anomalies in SIC and SST might have indirectly affected the surface melt
by changing the general circulation in the North Atlantic region, hence
favoring more frequent warm air advection towards the GrIS. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T09:55:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-24cbd09e9db74487be01372f4eb9137c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T09:55:01Z |
| publishDate | 2014-10-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Cryosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-24cbd09e9db74487be01372f4eb9137c2022-12-21T23:51:49ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe Cryosphere1994-04161994-04242014-10-01851871188310.5194/tc-8-1871-2014Sensitivity of Greenland Ice Sheet surface mass balance to perturbations in sea surface temperature and sea ice cover: a study with the regional climate model MARB. Noël0X. Fettweis1W. J. van de Berg2M. R. van den Broeke3M. Erpicum4Department of Geography, University of Liège, BelgiumDepartment of Geography, University of Liège, BelgiumInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht, University of Utrecht, the NetherlandsInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht, University of Utrecht, the NetherlandsDepartment of Geography, University of Liège, BelgiumDuring recent summers (2007–2012), several surface melt records were broken over the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS). The extreme summer melt resulted in part from a persistent negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), favoring warmer atmospheric conditions than normal over the GrIS. Simultaneously, large anomalies in sea ice cover (SIC) and sea surface temperature (SST) were observed in the North Atlantic, suggesting a possible connection. To assess the direct impact of 2007–2012 SIC and SST anomalies on GrIS surface mass balance (SMB), a set of sensitivity experiments was carried out with the regional climate model MAR forced by ERA-Interim. These simulations suggest that perturbations in SST and SIC in the seas surrounding Greenland do not considerably impact GrIS SMB, as a result of the katabatic wind blocking effect. These offshore-directed winds prevent oceanic near-surface air, influenced by SIC and SST anomalies, from penetrating far inland. Therefore, the ice sheet SMB response is restricted to coastal regions, where katabatic winds cease. A topic for further investigation is how anomalies in SIC and SST might have indirectly affected the surface melt by changing the general circulation in the North Atlantic region, hence favoring more frequent warm air advection towards the GrIS.http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/1871/2014/tc-8-1871-2014.pdf |
| spellingShingle | B. Noël X. Fettweis W. J. van de Berg M. R. van den Broeke M. Erpicum 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 |
| title | 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 |
| title_full | 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 |
| title_fullStr | 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 |
| title_full_unstemmed | 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 |
| title_short | 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 |
| title_sort | 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 |
| url | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/1871/2014/tc-8-1871-2014.pdf |
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