scholarly journals The Red Rock ice cliff revisited – six decades of frontal, mass and area changes in the Nunatarssuaq area, Northwest Greenland

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (258) ◽  
pp. 567-576
Author(s):  
Jakob Abermann ◽  
Jakob F Steiner ◽  
Rainer Prinz ◽  
Matthias Wecht ◽  
Peter Lisager
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Historical Data ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Temperature Anomalies ◽  
Ice Cap ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Air Temperature Anomalies

AbstractWe present changes of the ice margin in Northwest Greenland at the Eastern part of the Nunatarssuaq Ice Cap (NIC) over six decades. The ice margin in this area terminates as a near-vertical ice cliff of between 9 and 33 m thickness. During the years 1954–1957 and in 1965 multi-disciplinary studies were performed. We digitise and orthorectify material, that is often difficult to access, in order to use the historical data as an absolute starting point of our change assessment. We compare the cliff morphology of the mid-1950s and the mid-1960s with various time-steps between 1985 and 2017. The studied ice margin remained remarkably constant with very subtle changes of changing sign: rather slow advance rates are reported from the 1950s and 1960s that accelerated until 1985 and were followed by a general retreat until 2012 and a subsequent advance until 2017. Thickness changes are negative throughout the entire time-period, however, different rates of thinning are shown and there is a positive relationship with air temperature anomalies. Compared to similar elevations on the adjacent Greenland ice sheet, we find significantly weaker thinning rates at the NIC.

scholarly journals Future sea level contribution from Antarctica inferred from CMIP5 model forcing and its dependence on precipitation ansatz

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1153-1194
Author(s):  
Christian B. Rodehacke ◽  
Madlene Pfeiffer ◽  
Tido Semmler ◽  
Özgür Gurses ◽  
Thomas Kleiner
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Structure ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Cmip5 Models ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
Temperature Anomalies ◽  
Precipitation Anomalies ◽  
Air Temperature Anomalies

Abstract. Various observational estimates indicate growing mass loss at Antarctica's margins as well as heavier precipitation across the continent. Simulated future projections reveal that heavier precipitation, falling on Antarctica, may counteract amplified iceberg discharge and increased basal melting of floating ice shelves driven by a warming ocean. Here, we test how the ansatz (implementation in a mathematical framework) of the precipitation boundary condition shapes Antarctica's sea level contribution in an ensemble of ice sheet simulations. We test two precipitation conditions: we either apply the precipitation anomalies from CMIP5 models directly or scale the precipitation by the air temperature anomalies from the CMIP5 models. In the scaling approach, it is common to use a relative precipitation increment per degree warming as an invariant scaling constant. We use future climate projections from nine CMIP5 models, ranging from strong mitigation efforts to business-as-usual scenarios, to perform simulations from 1850 to 5000. We take advantage of individual climate projections by exploiting their full temporal and spatial structure. The CMIP5 projections beyond 2100 are prolonged with reiterated forcing that includes decadal variability; hence, our study may underestimate ice loss after 2100. In contrast to various former studies that apply an evolving temporal forcing that is spatially averaged across the entire Antarctic Ice Sheet, our simulations consider the spatial structure in the forcing stemming from various climate patterns. This fundamental difference reproduces regions of decreasing precipitation despite general warming. Regardless of the boundary and forcing conditions applied, our ensemble study suggests that some areas, such as the glaciers from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet draining into the Amundsen Sea, will lose ice in the future. In general, the simulated ice sheet thickness grows along the coast, where incoming storms deliver topographically controlled precipitation. In this region, the ice thickness differences are largest between the applied precipitation methods. On average, Antarctica shrinks for all future scenarios if the air temperature anomalies scale the precipitation. In contrast, Antarctica gains mass in our simulations if we apply the simulated precipitation anomalies directly. The analysis reveals that the mean scaling inferred from climate models is larger than the commonly used values deduced from ice cores; moreover, it varies spatially: the highest scaling is across the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, and the lowest scaling is around the Siple Coast, east of the Ross Ice Shelf. The discrepancies in response to both precipitation ansatzes illustrate the principal uncertainty in projections of Antarctica's sea level contribution.

scholarly journals High Arctic Holocene temperature record from the Agassiz ice cap and Greenland ice sheet evolution

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (23) ◽  
pp. 5952-5957 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benoit S. Lecavalier ◽  
David A. Fisher ◽  
Glenn A. Milne ◽  
Bo M. Vinther ◽  
Lev Tarasov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Temperature Reconstruction ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Temperature Record ◽  
The Past ◽  
Ice Cap

We present a revised and extended high Arctic air temperature reconstruction from a single proxy that spans the past ∼12,000 y (up to 2009 CE). Our reconstruction from the Agassiz ice cap (Ellesmere Island, Canada) indicates an earlier and warmer Holocene thermal maximum with early Holocene temperatures that are 4–5 °C warmer compared with a previous reconstruction, and regularly exceed contemporary values for a period of ∼3,000 y. Our results show that air temperatures in this region are now at their warmest in the past 6,800–7,800 y, and that the recent rate of temperature change is unprecedented over the entire Holocene. The warmer early Holocene inferred from the Agassiz ice core leads to an estimated ∼1 km of ice thinning in northwest Greenland during the early Holocene using the Camp Century ice core. Ice modeling results show that this large thinning is consistent with our air temperature reconstruction. The modeling results also demonstrate the broader significance of the enhanced warming, with a retreat of the northern ice margin behind its present position in the mid Holocene and a ∼25% increase in total Greenland ice sheet mass loss (∼1.4 m sea-level equivalent) during the last deglaciation, both of which have implications for interpreting geodetic measurements of land uplift and gravity changes in northern Greenland.

scholarly journals Response of the Energy Balance on the Margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet to Temperature Changes

1990 ◽  
Vol 36 (123) ◽  
pp. 217-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger J. Braithwaite ◽  
Ole B. Olesen
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Temperature Response ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Energy Balance Model ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Sensible Heat

AbstractDaily ice ablation on two outlet glaciers from the Greenland ice sheet, Nordbogletscher (1979–83) and Qamanârssûp sermia (1980–86), is related to air temperature by a linear regression equation. Analysis of this ablation-temperature equation with the help of a simple energy-balance model shows that sensible-heat flux has the greatest temperature response and accounts for about one-half of the temperature response of ablation. Net radiation accounts for about one-quarter of the temperature response of ablation, and latent-heat flux and errors account for the remainder. The temperature response of sensible-heat flux at QQamanârssûp sermia is greater than at Nordbogletscher mainly due to higher average wind speeds. The association of high winds with high temperatures during Föhn events further increases sensible-heat flux. The energy-balance model shows that ablation from a snow surface is only about half that from an ice surface at the same air temperature.

Temperature anomalies of a cold period on the territory of Ukraine in 2010-2019

2020 ◽  
Vol 101-102 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 19-25
Author(s):  
Olena Nashmudinova
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Regional Climate Change ◽  
Negative Temperature ◽  
Cold Period ◽  
Positive Anomaly ◽  
Temperature Anomalies ◽  
Gradient Fields ◽  
Air Temperature Anomalies

Regional climate change in Ukraine in recent decades is accompanied by an increase in the repetitiveness of intense waves, both heat and cold; there is a tendency to increase the frequency of warm winters, but sometimes there are periods with significant decreases in temperature. The aim of the study is to determine the specifics of the formation of air temperature anomalies in the cold period 2010–2019. According to the distribution of the average monthly air temperature at the stations Odessa, Kiev, Kharkiv, Lviv investigated positive and negative deviations from the climate norm. In January, the average monthly air temperature in most cases was above normal, except for 1–3 years. The maximum positive anomaly was 4–5°C in Kyiv and Lviv (2015), the largest negative deviations were 3.8°C. In February, the trend continues – only 2–3 years with negative anomalies, the largest deviations to 3–6°C in 2011 and 2012, and positive deviations maximum in 2016. In March, negative temperature anomalies were observed 3–4 years, with a maximum of 2–3°C in 2018, positive anomalies in 4–6°C were observed in 2014, 2017. Temperatures in November were variable, with the prevailing positive anomaly, a high of 6–8°C in 2010. The distribution of air temperature in December was characterized by positive deviations of a maximum of 5–6°C in 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2019. Months of the greatest positive and negative air temperature anomalies over Europe have been highlighted. Among the colder months, the biggest anomaly stood out in January 2010 and February 2012 to 5–6°C. Among the warm months, the temperature anomaly was observed in February 2016, positive deviations from the norm to 8°C. Heat waves formed in winter with a zonal type of circulation, when warm moist air from the Atlantic shifted across the periphery of the Icelandic low. In March, waves of heat formed in low–gradient fields. Powerful waves of cold over the European sector were mainly formed under the influence of “eastern processes” in the spread of the Siberian anticyclone to Europe. In some years, significant cooling over Ukraine is formed in cyclonic systems with a high–altitude thermobaric field characterized by polar or ultrapolar hollow.

scholarly journals Relationships of surface air temperature anomalies over Europe to persistence of atmospheric circulation patterns conducive to heat waves

2008 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 243-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kyselý ◽  
R. Huth
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Circulation ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Temperature Extremes ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Positive Temperature ◽  
Temperature Anomalies ◽  
Circulation Types ◽  
Circulation Patterns ◽  
Air Temperature Anomalies

Abstract. Heat waves are among natural hazards with the most severe consequences for human society, including pronounced mortality impacts in mid-latitudes. Recent studies have hypothesized that the enhanced persistence of atmospheric circulation may affect surface climatic extremes, mainly the frequency and severity of heat waves. In this paper we examine relationships between the persistence of the Hess-Brezowsky circulation types conducive to summer heat waves and air temperature anomalies at stations over most of the European continent. We also evaluate differences between temperature anomalies during late and early stages of warm circulation types in all seasons. Results show that more persistent circulation patterns tend to enhance the severity of heat waves and support more pronounced temperature anomalies. Recent sharply rising trends in positive temperature extremes over Europe may be related to the greater persistence of the circulation types, and if similar changes towards enhanced persistence affect other mid-latitudinal regions, analogous consequences and implications for temperature extremes may be expected.

scholarly journals Response of the Energy Balance on the Margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet to Temperature Changes

1990 ◽  
Vol 36 (123) ◽  
pp. 217-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger J. Braithwaite ◽  
Ole B. Olesen
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Sensible Heat Flux ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Temperature Response ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Energy Balance Model ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Sensible Heat

AbstractDaily ice ablation on two outlet glaciers from the Greenland ice sheet, Nordbogletscher (1979–83) and Qamanârssûp sermia (1980–86), is related to air temperature by a linear regression equation. Analysis of this ablation-temperature equation with the help of a simple energy-balance model shows that sensible-heat flux has the greatest temperature response and accounts for about one-half of the temperature response of ablation. Net radiation accounts for about one-quarter of the temperature response of ablation, and latent-heat flux and errors account for the remainder. The temperature response of sensible-heat flux at QQamanârssûp sermia is greater than at Nordbogletscher mainly due to higher average wind speeds. The association of high winds with high temperatures during Föhn events further increases sensible-heat flux. The energy-balance model shows that ablation from a snow surface is only about half that from an ice surface at the same air temperature.

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