scholarly journals Forty-six years of Greenland Ice Sheet mass balance from 1972 to 2018

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (19) ◽  
pp. 9239-9244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jérémie Mouginot ◽  
Eric Rignot ◽  
Anders A. Bjørk ◽  
Michiel van den Broeke ◽  
Romain Millan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Mass Gain ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Comprehensive Survey ◽  
Ice Sheet Mass Balance ◽  
Global Sea Level ◽  
Mass Discharge

We reconstruct the mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet using a comprehensive survey of thickness, surface elevation, velocity, and surface mass balance (SMB) of 260 glaciers from 1972 to 2018. We calculate mass discharge, D, into the ocean directly for 107 glaciers (85% of D) and indirectly for 110 glaciers (15%) using velocity-scaled reference fluxes. The decadal mass balance switched from a mass gain of +47 ± 21 Gt/y in 1972–1980 to a loss of 51 ± 17 Gt/y in 1980–1990. The mass loss increased from 41 ± 17 Gt/y in 1990–2000, to 187 ± 17 Gt/y in 2000–2010, to 286 ± 20 Gt/y in 2010–2018, or sixfold since the 1980s, or 80 ± 6 Gt/y per decade, on average. The acceleration in mass loss switched from positive in 2000–2010 to negative in 2010–2018 due to a series of cold summers, which illustrates the difficulty of extrapolating short records into longer-term trends. Cumulated since 1972, the largest contributions to global sea level rise are from northwest (4.4 ± 0.2 mm), southeast (3.0 ± 0.3 mm), and central west (2.0 ± 0.2 mm) Greenland, with a total 13.7 ± 1.1 mm for the ice sheet. The mass loss is controlled at 66 ± 8% by glacier dynamics (9.1 mm) and 34 ± 8% by SMB (4.6 mm). Even in years of high SMB, enhanced glacier discharge has remained sufficiently high above equilibrium to maintain an annual mass loss every year since 1998.

scholarly journals Changes in the firn structure of the Greenland Ice Sheet caused by recent warming

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 541-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. de la Peña ◽  
I. M. Howat ◽  
P. W. Nienow ◽  
M. R. van den Broeke ◽  
E. Mosley-Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Mass Gain ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Ice Sheet Mass Balance ◽  
Ice Content ◽  
Percolation Zone

Abstract. Atmospheric warming over the Greenland Ice Sheet during the last two decades has increased the amount of surface meltwater production, resulting in the migration of melt and percolation regimes to higher altitudes and an increase in the amount of solid ice from refrozen meltwater found in the firn above the equilibrium line. Here we present observations of near-surface (0–20 m) firn conditions in western Greenland obtained from campaigns between 1998 and 2014. We find a sharp increase in firn ice content in the form of thick widespread layers in the percolation zone, which decreases the capacity of the firn to store meltwater. The estimated total annual ice content retained in the firn in areas with positive surface mass balance west of the ice divide in Greenland reached a maximum of 74 ± 25 Gt in 2012, compared to the 1958–1999 average of 13 ± 2 Gt, while the percolation zone area more than doubled between 2003 and 2012. Increased melt and column densification resulted in surface lowering averaging −0.80 ± 0.39 m yr−1 between 1800 and 2800 m in the accumulation zone of western Greenland. Since 2007, annual melt and refreezing rates in the percolation zone at elevations below 2100 m surpass the annual snowfall from the previous year, implying that mass gain in the region is now in the form of refrozen meltwater. If current melt trends over high elevation regions continue, subsequent changes in firn structure will have implications for the hydrology of the ice sheet and related abrupt seasonal densification could become increasingly significant for altimetry-derived ice sheet mass balance estimates.

scholarly journals Changes in the firn structure of the western Greenland Ice Sheet caused by recent warming

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 1203-1211 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. de la Peña ◽  
I. M. Howat ◽  
P. W. Nienow ◽  
M. R. van den Broeke ◽  
E. Mosley-Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Mass Gain ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Ice Sheet Mass Balance ◽  
Ice Content ◽  
Percolation Zone

Abstract. Atmospheric warming over the Greenland Ice Sheet during the last 2 decades has increased the amount of surface meltwater production, resulting in the migration of melt and percolation regimes to higher altitudes and an increase in the amount of ice content from refrozen meltwater found in the firn above the superimposed ice zone. Here we present field and airborne radar observations of buried ice layers within the near-surface (0–20 m) firn in western Greenland, obtained from campaigns between 1998 and 2014. We find a sharp increase in firn-ice content in the form of thick widespread layers in the percolation zone, which decreases the capacity of the firn to store meltwater. The estimated total annual ice content retained in the near-surface firn in areas with positive surface mass balance west of the ice divide in Greenland reached a maximum of 74 ± 25 Gt in 2012, compared to the 1958–1999 average of 13 ± 2 Gt, while the percolation zone area more than doubled between 2003 and 2012. Increased melt and column densification resulted in surface lowering averaging −0.80 ± 0.39 m yr−1 between 1800 and 2800 m in the accumulation zone of western Greenland. Since 2007, modeled annual melt and refreezing rates in the percolation zone at elevations below 2100 m surpass the annual snowfall from the previous year, implying that mass gain in the region is retained after melt in the form of refrozen meltwater. If current melt trends over high elevation regions continue, subsequent changes in firn structure will have implications for the hydrology of the ice sheet and related abrupt seasonal densification could become increasingly significant for altimetry-derived ice sheet mass balance estimates.

Greenland Ice Sheet Mass Balance Reconstruction. Part III: Marine Ice Loss and Total Mass Balance (1840–2010)

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (18) ◽  
pp. 6990-7002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason E. Box ◽  
William Colgan
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Mass Gain ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Meltwater Runoff ◽  
Glacier Front ◽  
Iceberg Calving ◽  
Ice Sheet Mass Balance

Abstract Greenland ice sheet mass loss to the marine environment occurs by some combination of iceberg calving and underwater melting (referred to here as marine ice loss, LM). This study quantifies the relation between LM and meltwater runoff (R) at the ice sheet scale. A theoretical basis is presented explaining how variability in R can be expected to govern much of the LM variability over annual to decadal time scales. It is found that R enhances LM through three processes: 1) increased glacier discharge by ice warming–softening and basal lubrication–sliding; 2) increased calving susceptibility through undercutting glacier front geometry and reducing ice integrity; and 3) increased underwater melting from forcing marine convection. Applying a semiempirical LM f(R) parameterization to a surface mass balance reconstruction enables total ice sheet mass budget closure over the 1840–2010 period. The estimated cumulative 171-yr net ice sheet sea level contribution is 25 ± 10 mm, the rise punctuated by periods of ice sheet net mass gain (sea level drawdown) (1893–1900, 1938–47, and 1972–98). The sea level contribution accelerated at 27.6 mm yr−1 century−1 over the entire reconstruction, reaching a peak sea level rise contribution of 6.1 mm decade−1 during 2002–10.

scholarly journals Greenland ice sheet mass balance from 1840 through next week

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth D. Mankoff ◽  
Xavier Fettweis ◽  
Peter L. Langen ◽  
Martin Stendel ◽  
Kristian K. Kjledsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Regional Climate Models ◽  
Mass Gain ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Meltwater Runoff

Abstract. The mass of the Greenland ice sheet is declining as mass gain from snowfall is exceeded by mass loss from surface meltwater runoff, marine-terminating glacier calving and submarine melting, and basal melting. Here we use the input/output (IO) method to estimate mass change from 1840 through next week. Mass gains come from three regional climate models (RCMs; HIRHAM/HARMONIE, MAR, and RACMO) and a semi-empirical surface mass balance (SMB) model. Mass losses come from the RCMs, a statistical SMB model, ice discharge at marine terminating glaciers, and ice melted at the base of the ice sheet. From these products we provide an annual estimate of GIS mass balance from 1840 through 1985 and a daily estimate at sector and region scale from 1986 through next week. Compared to other mass balance estimates, this product updates daily, has higher temporal resolution, and is the first IO product to include the basal mass balance which is a source of an additional ~8 % mass loss. Our results demonstrate an accelerating GIS-scale mass loss and general agreement among six other products. Results from this study are available at https://dataverse01.geus.dk/privateurl.xhtml?token=d09976c4-4f89-43ef-8f91-173d269806a4 (Mankoff et al., 2021).

scholarly journals Monitoring southwest Greenland’s ice sheet melt with ambient seismic noise

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. e1501538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurélien Mordret ◽  
T. Dylan Mikesell ◽  
Christopher Harig ◽  
Bradley P. Lipovsky ◽  
Germán A. Prieto
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Seismic Noise ◽  
Seismic Velocity ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Ice Sheet Mass Balance ◽  
Velocity Changes

The Greenland ice sheet presently accounts for ~70% of global ice sheet mass loss. Because this mass loss is associated with sea-level rise at a rate of 0.7 mm/year, the development of improved monitoring techniques to observe ongoing changes in ice sheet mass balance is of paramount concern. Spaceborne mass balance techniques are commonly used; however, they are inadequate for many purposes because of their low spatial and/or temporal resolution. We demonstrate that small variations in seismic wave speed in Earth’s crust, as measured with the correlation of seismic noise, may be used to infer seasonal ice sheet mass balance. Seasonal loading and unloading of glacial mass induces strain in the crust, and these strains then result in seismic velocity changes due to poroelastic processes. Our method provides a new and independent way of monitoring (in near real time) ice sheet mass balance, yielding new constraints on ice sheet evolution and its contribution to global sea-level changes. An increased number of seismic stations in the vicinity of ice sheets will enhance our ability to create detailed space-time records of ice mass variations.

scholarly journals On the recent contribution of the Greenland ice sheet to sea level change

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1933-1946 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michiel R. van den Broeke ◽  
Ellyn M. Enderlin ◽  
Ian M. Howat ◽  
Peter Kuipers Munneke ◽  
Brice P. Y. Noël ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Pore Space ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Sea Level Change ◽  
Recent Contribution ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Level Change

Abstract. We assess the recent contribution of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) to sea level change. We use the mass budget method, which quantifies ice sheet mass balance (MB) as the difference between surface mass balance (SMB) and solid ice discharge across the grounding line (D). A comparison with independent gravity change observations from GRACE shows good agreement for the overlapping period 2002–2015, giving confidence in the partitioning of recent GrIS mass changes. The estimated 1995 value of D and the 1958–1995 average value of SMB are similar at 411 and 418 Gt yr−1, respectively, suggesting that ice flow in the mid-1990s was well adjusted to the average annual mass input, reminiscent of an ice sheet in approximate balance. Starting in the early to mid-1990s, SMB decreased while D increased, leading to quasi-persistent negative MB. About 60 % of the associated mass loss since 1991 is caused by changes in SMB and the remainder by D. The decrease in SMB is fully driven by an increase in surface melt and subsequent meltwater runoff, which is slightly compensated by a small ( <  3 %) increase in snowfall. The excess runoff originates from low-lying ( <  2000 m a.s.l.) parts of the ice sheet; higher up, increased refreezing prevents runoff of meltwater from occurring, at the expense of increased firn temperatures and depleted pore space. With a 1991–2015 average annual mass loss of  ∼  0.47 ± 0.23 mm sea level equivalent (SLE) and a peak contribution of 1.2 mm SLE in 2012, the GrIS has recently become a major source of global mean sea level rise.

scholarly journals Constraining GRACE-derived cryosphere-attributed signal to irregularly shaped ice-covered areas

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 1901-1914 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Colgan ◽  
S. Luthcke ◽  
W. Abdalati ◽  
M. Citterio
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Mass Loss ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Spherical Harmonic ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Ice Caps ◽  
Ice Coverage ◽  
Ice Sheet Mass Balance ◽  
Harmonic Representation

Abstract. We use a Monte Carlo approach to invert a spherical harmonic representation of cryosphere-attributed mass change in order to infer the most likely underlying mass changes within irregularly shaped ice-covered areas at nominal 26 km resolution. By inverting a spherical harmonic representation through the incorporation of additional fractional ice coverage information, this approach seeks to eliminate signal leakage between non-ice-covered and ice-covered areas. The spherical harmonic representation suggests a Greenland mass loss of 251 ± 25 Gt a−1 over the December 2003 to December 2010 period. The inversion suggests 218 ± 20 Gt a−1 was due to the ice sheet proper, and 34 ± 5 Gt a−1 (or ~14%) was due to Greenland peripheral glaciers and ice caps (GrPGICs). This mass loss from GrPGICs exceeds that inferred from all ice masses on both Ellesmere and Devon islands combined. This partition therefore highlights that GRACE-derived "Greenland" mass loss cannot be taken as synonymous with "Greenland ice sheet" mass loss when making comparisons with estimates of ice sheet mass balance derived from techniques that sample only the ice sheet proper.

Trends and projections in ice sheet mass balance

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Shepherd ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Ice Sheets ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Global Sea Level

&lt;p&gt;In recent decades, the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets have been major contributors to global sea-level rise and are expected to be so in the future. Although increases in glacier flow and surface melting have been driven by oceanic and atmospheric warming, the degree and trajectory of today&amp;#8217;s imbalance remain uncertain. Here we compare and combine 26 individual satellite records of changes in polar ice sheet volume, flow and gravitational potential to produce a reconciled estimate of their mass balance. &lt;strong&gt;Since the early 1990&amp;#8217;s, ice losses from Antarctica and Greenland have caused global sea-levels to rise by 18.4 millimetres, on average, and there has been a sixfold increase in the volume of ice loss over time. Of this total, 41 % (7.6 millimetres) originates from Antarctica and 59 % (10.8 millimetres) is from Greenland. In this presentation, we compare our reconciled estimates of Antarctic and Greenland ice sheet mass change to IPCC projection of sea level rise to assess the model skill in predicting changes in ice dynamics and surface mass balance. &amp;#160;&lt;/strong&gt;Cumulative ice losses from both ice sheets have been close to the IPCC&amp;#8217;s predicted rates for their high-end climate warming scenario, which forecast an additional 170 millimetres of global sea-level rise by 2100 when compared to their central estimate.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals GrSMBMIP: Intercomparison of the modelled 1980-2012 surface mass balance over the Greenland Ice sheet

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xavier Fettweis ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Surface Mass Balance ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Meltwater Runoff

&lt;p&gt;The Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) mass loss has been accelerating at a rate of about 20 +/- 10 Gt/yr&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; since the end of the 1990's, with around 60% of this mass loss directly attributed to enhanced surface meltwater runoff. However, in the climate and glaciology communities, different approaches exist on how to model the different surface mass balance (SMB) components using: (1) complex physically-based climate models which are computationally expensive; (2) intermediate complexity energy balance models; (3) simple and fast positive degree day models which base their inferences on statistical principles and are computationally highly efficient. Additionally, many of these models compute the SMB components based on different spatial and temporal resolutions, with different forcing fields as well as different ice sheet topographies and extents, making inter-comparison difficult. In the GrIS SMB model intercomparison project (GrSMBMIP) we address these issues by forcing each model with the same data (i.e., the ERA-Interim reanalysis) except for two global models for which this forcing is limited to the oceanic conditions, and at the same time by interpolating all modelled results onto a common ice sheet mask at 1 km horizontal resolution for the common period 1980-2012. The SMB outputs from 13 models are then compared over the GrIS to (1) SMB estimates using a combination of gravimetric remote sensing data from GRACE and measured ice discharge, (2) ice cores, snow pits, in-situ SMB observations, and (3) remotely sensed bare ice extent from MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Our results reveal that the mean GrIS SMB of all 13 models has been positive between 1980 and 2012 with an average of 340 +/- 112 Gt/yr, but has decreased at an average rate of -7.3 Gt/yr&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; (with a significance of 96%), mainly driven by an increase of 8.0 Gt/yr&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; (with a significance of 98%) in meltwater runoff. Spatially, the largest spread among models can be found around the margins of the ice sheet, highlighting the need for accurate representation of the GrIS ablation zone extent and processes driving the surface melt. In addition, a higher density of in-situ SMB observations is required, especially in the south-east accumulation zone, where the model spread can reach 2 mWE/yr due to large discrepancies in modelled snowfall accumulation. Overall, polar regional climate models (RCMs) perform the best compared to observations, in particular for simulating precipitation patterns. However, other simpler and faster models have biases of same order than RCMs with observations and remain then useful tools for long-term simulations. It is also interesting to note that the ensemble mean of the 13 models produces the best estimate of the present day SMB relative to observations, suggesting that biases are not systematic among models. Finally, results from MAR forced by ERA5 will be added in this intercomparison to evaluate the added value of using this new reanalysis as forcing vs the former ERA-Interim reanalysis (used in SMBMIP).&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals On the recent contribution of the Greenland ice sheet to sea level change

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michiel van den Broeke ◽  
Ellyn Enderlin ◽  
Ian Howat ◽  
Peter Kuipers Munneke ◽  
Brice Noël ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Pore Space ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Sea Level Change ◽  
Recent Contribution ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Level Change

Abstract. We assess the recent contribution of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) to sea level change. We use the mass budget method, which quantifies ice sheet mass balance (MB) as the difference between surface mass balance (SMB) and solid ice discharge across the grounding line (D). A comparison with independent gravity change observations from GRACE shows good agreement for the overlapping period 2002–2015, giving confidence in the partitioning of recent GrIS mass changes. The estimated 1995 value of D and the 1958–1995 average value of SMB are similar at 411 and 418 Gt yr-1, respectively, suggesting that ice flow in the mid-nineties was well adjusted to the average annual mass input, reminiscent of an ice sheet in approximate balance. Starting in the early to mid-1990's, SMB decreased while D increased, leading to quasi-persistent negative MB. About 60 % of the associated mass loss since 1991 is caused by changes in SMB and the remainder by D. The decrease in SMB is fully driven by an increase in surface melt and subsequent meltwater runoff, which is slightly compensated by a small (< 3 %) increase in snowfall. The excess runoff originates from low-lying (< 2000 m a.s.l.) parts of the ice sheet; higher up, increased refreezing prevents runoff of meltwater to occur, at the expense of increased firn temperatures and depleted pore space. With a 1991–2015 average annual mass loss of ~ 0.47 ± 0.23 mm sea level equivalent (SLE) and a peak contribution of 1.2 mm SLE in 2012, the GrIS has recently become a major source of global mean sea level rise.

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