Spatial and temporal variations in lakes on the Greenland Ice Sheet

2013 ◽  
Vol 476 ◽  
pp. 314-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.M. Johansson ◽  
P. Jansson ◽  
I.A. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variations

scholarly journals Passive microwave-derived spatial and temporal variations of summer melt on the Greenland ice sheet

1993 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 233-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas L. Mote ◽  
Mark R. Anderson ◽  
Karl C. Kuivinen ◽  
Clinton M. Rowe
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Passive Microwave ◽  
Brightness Temperatures ◽  
Surface Melt ◽  
Major Surface

Passive microwave-brightness temperatures over the Greenland ice sheet are examined during the melt season in order to develop a technique for determining surface-melt occurrences. Time series of Special Sensor Microwave/ Imager (SSM/I) data are examined for three locations on the ice sheet, two of which are known to experience melt. These two sites demonstrate a rapid increase in brightness temperatures in late spring to early summer, a prolonged period of elevated brightness temperatures during the summer, and a rapid decrease in brightness temperatures during late summer. This increase in brightness temperatures is associated with surface snow melting. An objective technique is developed to extract melt occurrences from the brightness-temperature time series. Of the two sites with summer melt, the site at the lower elevation had a longer period between the initial and final melt days and had more total days classified as melt during 1988 and 1989. The technique is then applied to the entire Greenland ice sheet for the first major surface-melt event of 1989. The melt-zone signal is mapped from late May to early June to demonstrate the advance and subsequent retreat of one “melt wave”. The use of such a technique to determine melt duration and extent for multiple years may provide an indication of climate change.

scholarly journals Modeling of firn compaction for estimating ice-sheet mass change from observed ice-sheet elevation change

2011 ◽  
Vol 52 (59) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Li ◽  
H. Jay Zwally
Keyword(s):  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Mass Change ◽  
Surface Elevation ◽  
Effective Density ◽  
Elevation Change ◽  
Surface Elevation Change ◽  
Elevation Changes

AbstractChanges in ice-sheet surface elevation are caused by a combination of ice-dynamic imbalance, ablation, temporal variations in accumulation rate, firn compaction and underlying bedrock motion. Thus, deriving the rate of ice-sheet mass change from measured surface elevation change requires information on the rate of firn compaction and bedrock motion, which do not involve changes in mass, and requires an appropriate firn density to associate with elevation changes induced by recent accumulation rate variability. We use a 25 year record of surface temperature and a parameterization for accumulation change as a function of temperature to drive a firn compaction model. We apply this formulation to ICESat measurements of surface elevation change at three locations on the Greenland ice sheet in order to separate the accumulation-driven changes from the ice-dynamic/ablation-driven changes, and thus to derive the corresponding mass change. Our calculated densities for the accumulation-driven changes range from 410 to 610 kgm–3, which along with 900 kgm–3 for the dynamic/ablation-driven changes gives average densities ranging from 680 to 790 kgm–3. We show that using an average (or ‘effective’) density to convert elevation change to mass change is not valid where the accumulation and the dynamic elevation changes are of opposite sign.

scholarly journals Greenland Ice Sheet seasonal and spatial mass variability from model simulations and GRACE (2003–2012)

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 6345-6393
Author(s):  
P. M. Alexander ◽  
M. Tedesco ◽  
N.-J. Schlegel ◽  
S. B. Luthcke ◽  
X. Fettweis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Seasonal Cycle ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variations ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Filter Model

Abstract. Improving the ability of regional climate models (RCMs) and ice sheet models (ISMs) to simulate spatiotemporal variations in the mass of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is crucial for prediction of future sea level rise. While several studies have examined recent trends in GrIS mass loss, studies focusing on mass variations at sub-annual and sub-basin-wide scales are still lacking. Here, we examine spatiotemporal variations in mass over the GrIS derived from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites for the 2003–2012 period using a "mascon" approach, with a nominal spatial resolution of 100 km, and a temporal resolution of 10 days. We compare GRACE-estimated mass variations against those simulated by the Modèle Atmosphérique Régionale (MAR) RCM and the Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM). In order to properly compare spatial and temporal variations in GrIS mass from GRACE with model outputs, we find it necessary to spatially and temporally filter model results to reproduce leakage of mass inherent in the GRACE solution. Both modeled and satellite-derived results point to a decline (of −179 and −240 Gt yr−1 respectively) in GrIS mass over the period examined, but the models appear to underestimate the rate of mass loss, especially in areas below 2000 m in elevation, where the majority of recent GrIS mass loss is occurring. On an ice-sheet wide scale, the timing of the modeled seasonal cycle of cumulative mass (driven by summer mass loss) agrees with the GRACE-derived seasonal cycle, within limits of uncertainty from the GRACE solution. However, on sub-ice-sheet-wide scales, there are significant differences in the timing of peaks in the annual cycle of mass change. At these scales, model biases, or unaccounted-for processes related to ice dynamics or hydrology may lead to the observed differences. This highlights the need for further evaluation of modelled processes at regional and seasonal scales, and further study of ice sheet processes not accounted for, such as the role of sub-glacial hydrology in variations in glacial flow.

scholarly journals Modeling the Greenland englacial stratigraphy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Born ◽  
Alexander Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Vertical Axis ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Age Profile ◽  
Ice Sheet Dynamics

Abstract. Radar reflections from the interior of the Greenland ice sheet contain a comprehensive archive of past accumulation rates and ice dynamics. Combining this data with dynamic ice sheet models may greatly aid model calibration, improve past and future sea level estimates, and enable insights into past ice sheet dynamics that neither models nor data could achieve alone. Unfortunately, simulating the continental-scale ice sheet stratigraphy represents a major challenge for current ice sheet models. In this study, we present the first three-dimensional ice sheet model that explicitly simulates the Greenland englacial stratigraphy. Individual layers of accumulation are represented on a grid whose vertical axis is time so that they do not exchange mass with each other as the flow of ice deforms them. This isochronal advection scheme is independent from the ice dynamics and only requires modest input data from a host thermomechanical ice-sheet model, making it easy to transfer to a range of models. Using an ensemble of simulations, we show that direct comparison with the dated radiostratigraphy data yields notably more accurate results than selecting simulations based on total ice thickness. We show that the isochronal scheme produces a more reliable simulation of the englacial age profile than traditional age tracers. The interpretation of ice dynamics at different times is possible but limited by uncertainties in the upper and lower boundaries conditions, namely temporal variations in surface mass balance and basal friction.

scholarly journals Greenland iceberg melt variability from high-resolution satellite observations

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 565-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellyn M. Enderlin ◽  
Caroline J. Carrigan ◽  
William H. Kochtitzky ◽  
Alexandra Cuadros ◽  
Twila Moon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Freshwater Flux ◽  
Fjord Circulation ◽  
Longitudinal Variations ◽  
Iceberg Calving ◽  
Oceanic Forcing ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Changes Over Time

Abstract. Iceberg discharge from the Greenland Ice Sheet accounts for up to half of the freshwater flux to surrounding fjords and ocean basins, yet the spatial distribution of iceberg meltwater fluxes is poorly understood. One of the primary limitations for mapping iceberg meltwater fluxes, and changes over time, is the dearth of iceberg submarine melt rate estimates. Here we use a remote sensing approach to estimate submarine melt rates during 2011–2016 for 637 icebergs discharged from seven marine-terminating glaciers fringing the Greenland Ice Sheet. We find that spatial variations in iceberg melt rates generally follow expected patterns based on hydrographic observations, including a decrease in melt rate with latitude and an increase in melt rate with iceberg draft. However, we find no longitudinal variations in melt rates within individual fjords. We do not resolve coherent seasonal to interannual patterns in melt rates across all study sites, though we attribute a 4-fold melt rate increase from March to April 2011 near Jakobshavn Isbræ to fjord circulation changes induced by the seasonal onset of iceberg calving. Overall, our results suggest that remotely sensed iceberg melt rates can be used to characterize spatial and temporal variations in oceanic forcing near often inaccessible marine-terminating glaciers.

scholarly journals Greenland Ice Sheet seasonal and spatial mass variability from model simulations and GRACE (2003–2012)

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1259-1277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick M. Alexander ◽  
Marco Tedesco ◽  
Nicole-Jeanne Schlegel ◽  
Scott B. Luthcke ◽  
Xavier Fettweis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Seasonal Cycle ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Mass Change ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variations ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Filter Model

Abstract. Improving the ability of regional climate models (RCMs) and ice sheet models (ISMs) to simulate spatiotemporal variations in the mass of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is crucial for prediction of future sea level rise. While several studies have examined recent trends in GrIS mass loss, studies focusing on mass variations at sub-annual and sub-basin-wide scales are still lacking. At these scales, processes responsible for mass change are less well understood and modeled, and could potentially play an important role in future GrIS mass change. Here, we examine spatiotemporal variations in mass over the GrIS derived from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites for the January 2003–December 2012 period using a "mascon" approach, with a nominal spatial resolution of 100 km, and a temporal resolution of 10 days. We compare GRACE-estimated mass variations against those simulated by the Modèle Atmosphérique Régionale (MAR) RCM and the Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM). In order to properly compare spatial and temporal variations in GrIS mass from GRACE with model outputs, we find it necessary to spatially and temporally filter model results to reproduce leakage of mass inherent in the GRACE solution. Both modeled and satellite-derived results point to a decline (of −178.9 ± 4.4 and −239.4 ± 7.7 Gt yr−1 respectively) in GrIS mass over the period examined, but the models appear to underestimate the rate of mass loss, especially in areas below 2000 m in elevation, where the majority of recent GrIS mass loss is occurring. On an ice-sheet-wide scale, the timing of the modeled seasonal cycle of cumulative mass (driven by summer mass loss) agrees with the GRACE-derived seasonal cycle, within limits of uncertainty from the GRACE solution. However, on sub-ice-sheet-wide scales, some areas exhibit significant differences in the timing of peaks in the annual cycle of mass change. At these scales, model biases, or processes not accounted for by models related to ice dynamics or hydrology, may lead to the observed differences. This highlights the need for further evaluation of modeled processes at regional and seasonal scales, and further study of ice sheet processes not accounted for, such as the role of subglacial hydrology in variations in glacial flow.

scholarly journals Modeling the Greenland englacial stratigraphy

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 4539-4556
Author(s):  
Andreas Born ◽  
Alexander Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Lower Boundary ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Vertical Axis ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Basal Melting

Abstract. Radar reflections from the interior of the Greenland ice sheet contain a comprehensive archive of past accumulation rates, ice dynamics, and basal melting. Combining these data with dynamic ice sheet models may greatly aid model calibration, improve past and future sea level estimates, and enable insights into past ice sheet dynamics that neither models nor data could achieve alone. Unfortunately, simulating the continental-scale ice sheet stratigraphy represents a major challenge for current ice sheet models. In this study, we present the first three-dimensional ice sheet model that explicitly simulates the Greenland englacial stratigraphy. Individual layers of accumulation are represented on a grid whose vertical axis is time so that they do not exchange mass with each other as the flow of ice deforms them. This isochronal advection scheme does not influence the ice dynamics and only requires modest input data from a host thermomechanical ice sheet model, making it easy to transfer to a range of models. Using an ensemble of simulations, we show that direct comparison with the dated radiostratigraphy data yields notably more accurate results than calibrating simulations based on total ice thickness. We show that the isochronal scheme produces a more reliable simulation of the englacial age profile than traditional age tracers. The interpretation of ice dynamics at different times is possible but limited by uncertainties in the upper and lower boundary conditions, namely temporal variations in surface mass balance and basal friction.

scholarly journals Passive microwave-derived spatial and temporal variations of summer melt on the Greenland ice sheet

1993 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 233-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas L. Mote ◽  
Mark R. Anderson ◽  
Karl C. Kuivinen ◽  
Clinton M. Rowe
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Passive Microwave ◽  
Brightness Temperatures ◽  
Surface Melt ◽  
Major Surface

Passive microwave-brightness temperatures over the Greenland ice sheet are examined during the melt season in order to develop a technique for determining surface-melt occurrences. Time series of Special Sensor Microwave/ Imager (SSM/I) data are examined for three locations on the ice sheet, two of which are known to experience melt. These two sites demonstrate a rapid increase in brightness temperatures in late spring to early summer, a prolonged period of elevated brightness temperatures during the summer, and a rapid decrease in brightness temperatures during late summer. This increase in brightness temperatures is associated with surface snow melting. An objective technique is developed to extract melt occurrences from the brightness-temperature time series. Of the two sites with summer melt, the site at the lower elevation had a longer period between the initial and final melt days and had more total days classified as melt during 1988 and 1989. The technique is then applied to the entire Greenland ice sheet for the first major surface-melt event of 1989. The melt-zone signal is mapped from late May to early June to demonstrate the advance and subsequent retreat of one “melt wave”. The use of such a technique to determine melt duration and extent for multiple years may provide an indication of climate change.

scholarly journals Regional and temporal variation of accumulation around NorthGRIP derived from ground-penetrating radar

2005 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 326-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Steinhage ◽  
Olaf Eisen ◽  
Henrik Brink Clausen
Keyword(s):  
Ground Penetrating Radar ◽  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Internal Layers ◽  
Accumulation Pattern ◽  
Ground Penetrating

AbstractDuring the summer of 2003, a ground-penetrating radar survey around the North Greenland Icecore Project (NorthGRIP) deep ice-core drilling site (75˚06’N, 42˚20’W; 2957ma.s.l.) was carried out using a shielded 250 MHz radar system. The drill site is located on an ice divide, roughly 300 km north-northwest of the summit of the Greenland ice sheet. More than 430 km of profiles were measured, covering a 10 km by 10 km area, with a grid centered on the drilling location, and eight profiles extending beyond this grid. Seven internal horizons within the upper 120 m of the ice sheet were continuously tracked, containing the last 400 years of accumulation history. Based on the age-depth and density-depth distribution of the deep core, the internal layers have been dated and the regional and temporal distribution of accumulation rate in the vicinity of NorthGRIP has been derived. The distribution of accumulation shows a relatively smoothly increasing trend from east to west from 145 kgm–2a–1 to 200 kg m–2 a -1 over a distance of 50 km across the ice divide. The general trend is overlain by small-scale variations on the order of 2.5 kgm–2a-1 km- 1 , i.e. around 1.5% of the accumulation mean. The temporal variations of the seven periods defined by the seven tracked isochrones are on the order of ± 4% of the mean of the last 400 years, i.e. at NorthGRIP ± 7 kg m–2 a-1. If the regional accumulation pattern has been stable for the last several thousand years during the Holocene, and ice flow has been comparable to today, advective effects along the particle trajectory upstream of NorthGRIP do not have a significant effect on the interpretation of climatically induced changes in accumulation rates derived from the deep ice core over the last 10 kyr.

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