Higher Antarctic ice sheet accumulation and surface melt rates revealed at 2 km resolution
Abstract Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) mass loss is predominantly driven by increased solid ice discharge, but its variability is governed by surface processes. Snowfall fluctuations control the surface mass balance (SMB) of the grounded AIS, while meltwater ponding can trigger ice shelf collapse potent...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-12-01
|
| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43584-6 |
| _version_ | 1797414765454163968 |
|---|---|
| author | Brice Noël J. Melchior van Wessem Bert Wouters Luke Trusel Stef Lhermitte Michiel R. van den Broeke |
| author_facet | Brice Noël J. Melchior van Wessem Bert Wouters Luke Trusel Stef Lhermitte Michiel R. van den Broeke |
| author_sort | Brice Noël |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) mass loss is predominantly driven by increased solid ice discharge, but its variability is governed by surface processes. Snowfall fluctuations control the surface mass balance (SMB) of the grounded AIS, while meltwater ponding can trigger ice shelf collapse potentially accelerating discharge. Surface processes are essential to quantify AIS mass change, but remain poorly represented in climate models typically running at 25-100 km resolution. Here we present SMB and surface melt products statistically downscaled to 2 km resolution for the contemporary climate (1979-2021) and low, moderate and high-end warming scenarios until 2100. We show that statistical downscaling modestly enhances contemporary SMB (3%), which is sufficient to reconcile modelled and satellite mass change. Furthermore, melt strongly increases (46%), notably near the grounding line, in better agreement with in-situ and satellite records. The melt increase persists by 2100 in all warming scenarios, revealing higher surface melt rates than previously estimated. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:38:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fb381f15ae3946148b8b22bebeafe5e3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:38:34Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-fb381f15ae3946148b8b22bebeafe5e32023-12-03T12:27:38ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232023-12-0114111110.1038/s41467-023-43584-6Higher Antarctic ice sheet accumulation and surface melt rates revealed at 2 km resolutionBrice Noël0J. Melchior van Wessem1Bert Wouters2Luke Trusel3Stef Lhermitte4Michiel R. van den Broeke5Laboratoire de Climatologie et Topoclimatologie, University of LiègeInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht UniversityDepartment of Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Delft University of TechnologyDepartment of Geography, Pennsylvania State UniversityDepartment of Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Delft University of TechnologyInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht UniversityAbstract Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) mass loss is predominantly driven by increased solid ice discharge, but its variability is governed by surface processes. Snowfall fluctuations control the surface mass balance (SMB) of the grounded AIS, while meltwater ponding can trigger ice shelf collapse potentially accelerating discharge. Surface processes are essential to quantify AIS mass change, but remain poorly represented in climate models typically running at 25-100 km resolution. Here we present SMB and surface melt products statistically downscaled to 2 km resolution for the contemporary climate (1979-2021) and low, moderate and high-end warming scenarios until 2100. We show that statistical downscaling modestly enhances contemporary SMB (3%), which is sufficient to reconcile modelled and satellite mass change. Furthermore, melt strongly increases (46%), notably near the grounding line, in better agreement with in-situ and satellite records. The melt increase persists by 2100 in all warming scenarios, revealing higher surface melt rates than previously estimated.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43584-6 |
| spellingShingle | Brice Noël J. Melchior van Wessem Bert Wouters Luke Trusel Stef Lhermitte Michiel R. van den Broeke Higher Antarctic ice sheet accumulation and surface melt rates revealed at 2 km resolution Nature Communications |
| title | Higher Antarctic ice sheet accumulation and surface melt rates revealed at 2 km resolution |
| title_full | Higher Antarctic ice sheet accumulation and surface melt rates revealed at 2 km resolution |
| title_fullStr | Higher Antarctic ice sheet accumulation and surface melt rates revealed at 2 km resolution |
| title_full_unstemmed | Higher Antarctic ice sheet accumulation and surface melt rates revealed at 2 km resolution |
| title_short | Higher Antarctic ice sheet accumulation and surface melt rates revealed at 2 km resolution |
| title_sort | higher antarctic ice sheet accumulation and surface melt rates revealed at 2 km resolution |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43584-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bricenoel higherantarcticicesheetaccumulationandsurfacemeltratesrevealedat2kmresolution AT jmelchiorvanwessem higherantarcticicesheetaccumulationandsurfacemeltratesrevealedat2kmresolution AT bertwouters higherantarcticicesheetaccumulationandsurfacemeltratesrevealedat2kmresolution AT luketrusel higherantarcticicesheetaccumulationandsurfacemeltratesrevealedat2kmresolution AT steflhermitte higherantarcticicesheetaccumulationandsurfacemeltratesrevealedat2kmresolution AT michielrvandenbroeke higherantarcticicesheetaccumulationandsurfacemeltratesrevealedat2kmresolution |