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Modelling the climate and surface mass balance of polar ice sheets using RACMO2 - Part 2

Antarctica (1979-2016)

Journal Article (2018)
Author(s)

Jan Melchior Van Wessem (Universiteit Utrecht)

Willem van de Berg (Universiteit Utrecht)

Brice P.Y. Noel (Universiteit Utrecht)

Erik Van Meijgaard (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI))

Charles Amory (Sart Tilman B52)

Gerit Birnbaum (Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung)

C. L. Jakobs (Universiteit Utrecht)

Konstantin Krüger (Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung)

Jan T M Lenaerts (University of Colorado - Boulder)

S.L.M. Lhermitte (TU Delft - Mathematical Geodesy and Positioning)

Stefan R.M. Ligtenberg (Universiteit Utrecht)

Brooke Medley (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

C. H. Reijmer (Universiteit Utrecht)

Kristof Van Tricht (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven)

Luke D. Trusel (Rowan University)

Lambertus H. Van Ulft (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI))

Bert Wouters (Universiteit Utrecht)

Jan Wuite (ENVEO IT GmbH)

Michiel R. van den Broeke (Universiteit Utrecht)

Research Group
Mathematical Geodesy and Positioning
Copyright
© 2018 Jan Melchior Van Wessem, Willem Jan Van De Berg, Brice P.Y. Noël, Erik Van Meijgaard, Charles Amory, Gerit Birnbaum, Constantijn L. Jakobs, Konstantin Krüger, Jan T.M. Lenaerts, S.L.M. Lhermitte, Stefan R.M. Ligtenberg, Brooke Medley, Carleen H. Reijmer, Kristof Van Tricht, Luke D. Trusel, Lambertus H. Van Ulft, Bert Wouters, Jan Wuite, Michiel R. Van Den Broeke
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1479-2018
More Info
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Publication Year
2018
Language
English
Copyright
© 2018 Jan Melchior Van Wessem, Willem Jan Van De Berg, Brice P.Y. Noël, Erik Van Meijgaard, Charles Amory, Gerit Birnbaum, Constantijn L. Jakobs, Konstantin Krüger, Jan T.M. Lenaerts, S.L.M. Lhermitte, Stefan R.M. Ligtenberg, Brooke Medley, Carleen H. Reijmer, Kristof Van Tricht, Luke D. Trusel, Lambertus H. Van Ulft, Bert Wouters, Jan Wuite, Michiel R. Van Den Broeke
Research Group
Mathematical Geodesy and Positioning
Issue number
4
Volume number
12
Pages (from-to)
1479-1498
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Abstract

We evaluate modelled Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) near-surface climate, surface mass balance (SMB) and surface energy balance (SEB) from the updated polar version of the regional atmospheric climate model, RACMO2 (1979-2016). The updated model, referred to as RACMO2.3p2, incorporates upper-air relaxation, a revised topography, tuned parameters in the cloud scheme to generate more precipitation towards the AIS interior and modified snow properties reducing drifting snow sublimation and increasing surface snowmelt.

Comparisons of RACMO2 model output with several independent observational data show that the existing biases in AIS temperature, radiative fluxes and SMB components are further reduced with respect to the previous model version. The model-integrated annual average SMB for the ice sheet including ice shelves (minus the Antarctic Peninsula, AP) now amounts to 2229ĝ€Gtĝ€yĝ'1, with an interannual variability of 109ĝ€Gtĝ€yĝ'1. The largest improvement is found in modelled surface snowmelt, which now compares well with satellite and weather station observations. For the high-resolution ( ĝ1/4 ĝ€5.5ĝ€km) AP simulation, results remain comparable to earlier studies.

The updated model provides a new, high-resolution data set of the contemporary near-surface climate and SMB of the AIS; this model version will be used for future climate scenario projections in a forthcoming study.