The modelled surface mass balance of the Antarctic Peninsula at 5.5 km horizontal resolution.

J.M. van Wessem; S.R.M. Ligtenberg; C.H. Reijmer; W.J. van de Berg; M.R. van den Broeke; E.R. Thomas; Nicholas E. Barrand; J. Turner; J. Wuite; T.A. Scambos; E. van Meijgaard

doi:10.5194/tcd-9-5097-2015

The modelled surface mass balance of the Antarctic Peninsula at 5.5 km horizontal resolution.

J.M. van Wessem, S.R.M. Ligtenberg, C.H. Reijmer, W.J. van de Berg, M.R. van den Broeke, E.R. Thomas, Nicholas E. Barrand, J. Turner, J. Wuite, T.A. Scambos, E. van Meijgaard

Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

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Abstract

This study presents a high-resolution (~ 5.5 km) estimate of Surface Mass Balance (SMB) over the period 1979–2014 for the Antarctic Peninsula (AP), generated by the regional atmospheric climate model RACMO2.3 and a Firn Densification Model (FDM). RACMO2.3 is used to force the FDM, which calculates processes in the snowpack, such as meltwater percolation, refreezing and runoff. We evaluate model output with 132 in-situ SMB observations and discharge rates from 6 glacier drainage basins, and find that the model realistically simulates the strong spatial variability in precipitation, but that significant biases remain as a result of the highly complex topography of the AP. It is also clear that the observations significantly underrepresent the high-accumulation regimes.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	5097-5136
Number of pages	39
Journal	The Cryosphere
Volume	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.5194/tcd-9-5097-2015
Publication status	Published - 29 Sept 2015

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title = "The modelled surface mass balance of the Antarctic Peninsula at 5.5 km horizontal resolution.",

abstract = "This study presents a high-resolution (~ 5.5 km) estimate of Surface Mass Balance (SMB) over the period 1979–2014 for the Antarctic Peninsula (AP), generated by the regional atmospheric climate model RACMO2.3 and a Firn Densification Model (FDM). RACMO2.3 is used to force the FDM, which calculates processes in the snowpack, such as meltwater percolation, refreezing and runoff. We evaluate model output with 132 in-situ SMB observations and discharge rates from 6 glacier drainage basins, and find that the model realistically simulates the strong spatial variability in precipitation, but that significant biases remain as a result of the highly complex topography of the AP. It is also clear that the observations significantly underrepresent the high-accumulation regimes. ",

author = "{van Wessem}, J.M. and S.R.M. Ligtenberg and C.H. Reijmer and {van de Berg}, W.J. and {van den Broeke}, M.R. and E.R. Thomas and Barrand, {Nicholas E.} and J. Turner and J. Wuite and T.A. Scambos and {van Meijgaard}, E.",

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doi = "10.5194/tcd-9-5097-2015",

language = "English",

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T1 - The modelled surface mass balance of the Antarctic Peninsula at 5.5 km horizontal resolution.

AU - van Wessem, J.M.

AU - Ligtenberg, S.R.M.

AU - Reijmer, C.H.

AU - van de Berg, W.J.

AU - van den Broeke, M.R.

AU - Thomas, E.R.

AU - Barrand, Nicholas E.

AU - Turner, J.

AU - Wuite, J.

AU - Scambos, T.A.

AU - van Meijgaard, E.

PY - 2015/9/29

Y1 - 2015/9/29

N2 - This study presents a high-resolution (~ 5.5 km) estimate of Surface Mass Balance (SMB) over the period 1979–2014 for the Antarctic Peninsula (AP), generated by the regional atmospheric climate model RACMO2.3 and a Firn Densification Model (FDM). RACMO2.3 is used to force the FDM, which calculates processes in the snowpack, such as meltwater percolation, refreezing and runoff. We evaluate model output with 132 in-situ SMB observations and discharge rates from 6 glacier drainage basins, and find that the model realistically simulates the strong spatial variability in precipitation, but that significant biases remain as a result of the highly complex topography of the AP. It is also clear that the observations significantly underrepresent the high-accumulation regimes.

AB - This study presents a high-resolution (~ 5.5 km) estimate of Surface Mass Balance (SMB) over the period 1979–2014 for the Antarctic Peninsula (AP), generated by the regional atmospheric climate model RACMO2.3 and a Firn Densification Model (FDM). RACMO2.3 is used to force the FDM, which calculates processes in the snowpack, such as meltwater percolation, refreezing and runoff. We evaluate model output with 132 in-situ SMB observations and discharge rates from 6 glacier drainage basins, and find that the model realistically simulates the strong spatial variability in precipitation, but that significant biases remain as a result of the highly complex topography of the AP. It is also clear that the observations significantly underrepresent the high-accumulation regimes.

U2 - 10.5194/tcd-9-5097-2015

DO - 10.5194/tcd-9-5097-2015

M3 - Article

SN - 1994-0416

VL - 9

SP - 5097

EP - 5136

JO - The Cryosphere

JF - The Cryosphere

ER -

The modelled surface mass balance of the Antarctic Peninsula at 5.5 km horizontal resolution.

Abstract

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