Greenland ice sheet surface mass-balance modelling and freshwater flux for 2007, and in a 1995-2007 perspective

Sebastian H. Mernild; Glen E. Liston; Christopher A. Hiemstra; Konrad Steffen; Edward Hanna; Jens H. Christensen

doi:10.1002/hyp.7354

Greenland ice sheet surface mass-balance modelling and freshwater flux for 2007, and in a 1995-2007 perspective

Sebastian H. Mernild^*, Glen E. Liston, Christopher A. Hiemstra, Konrad Steffen, Edward Hanna, Jens H. Christensen

^*Corresponding author for this work

45 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The freshwater flux from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) to the ocean is of considerable importance to the global eustatic sea level rise. A physical modelling approach using SnowModel, a state-of-the-art snow-evolution modelling system that includes four submodels (MicroMet, EnBal, SnowPack, and SnowTran-3D), was used to quantify the 1995-2007 GrIS surface mass-balance (SMB), including freshwater flux. Meteorological observations from 26 meteorological stations located on the GrIS (Greenland Climate Network; GC-Net stations) and in coastal Greenland (Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) WMO-stations) were used as model inputs. The GrIS minimum surface melt extent of 29% occurred in 1996, while the greatest extent of 51% was present in 2007. The 2007 melt extent was 20% greater than the average for 1995-2006. The year 2007 had the highest GrIS surface runoff (523 km³ y^-1) and the lowest SMB (-3 km³ y^-1); the only year with a negative GrIS SMB. Runoff in 2007 was approximately 35% greater than average for 1995-2006. From 1995 through 2007 overall, precipitation decreased while ablation increased, leading to an increased average SMB loss of 127 km³. The modelled GrIS SMB was merged with previous estimates of GrIS subglacial runoff (from geothermal melt) and GrIS calving to quantify GrIS freshwater flux to the ocean, indicating an average negative mass-balance of 265 (±83) km³ y^-1. This study further suggests an average GrIS freshwater flux of approximately 786 km³ y^-1 to the ocean, of which 45% occurs from iceberg calving and geothermal bottom melting. The average annual GrIS freshwater flux equals 2.1 ± 0.2 mm w.eq. y^-1 in eustatic sea level rise, indicating a cumulative flux of 28 mm w.eq. from 1995 through 2007. The average GrIS net loss contributes to a net sea level rise of 0.7 ± 0.2 mm w.eq. y^-1, and a cumulative net increase of 10 mm w.eq.

Original language	English
Journal	Hydrological Processes
Volume	23
Issue number	17
Pages (from-to)	2470-2484
Number of pages	15
ISSN	0885-6087
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.7354
Publication status	Published - 15 Aug 2009

Keywords

Arctic
Greenland ice sheet
Mass loss
Runoff
Sea level rise
Snowmodel
Surface mass-balance modeling

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1002/hyp.7354

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@article{365d84cba2024fd78e70e3aef631d369,

title = "Greenland ice sheet surface mass-balance modelling and freshwater flux for 2007, and in a 1995-2007 perspective",

abstract = "The freshwater flux from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) to the ocean is of considerable importance to the global eustatic sea level rise. A physical modelling approach using SnowModel, a state-of-the-art snow-evolution modelling system that includes four submodels (MicroMet, EnBal, SnowPack, and SnowTran-3D), was used to quantify the 1995-2007 GrIS surface mass-balance (SMB), including freshwater flux. Meteorological observations from 26 meteorological stations located on the GrIS (Greenland Climate Network; GC-Net stations) and in coastal Greenland (Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) WMO-stations) were used as model inputs. The GrIS minimum surface melt extent of 29% occurred in 1996, while the greatest extent of 51% was present in 2007. The 2007 melt extent was 20% greater than the average for 1995-2006. The year 2007 had the highest GrIS surface runoff (523 km3 y-1) and the lowest SMB (-3 km3 y-1); the only year with a negative GrIS SMB. Runoff in 2007 was approximately 35% greater than average for 1995-2006. From 1995 through 2007 overall, precipitation decreased while ablation increased, leading to an increased average SMB loss of 127 km3. The modelled GrIS SMB was merged with previous estimates of GrIS subglacial runoff (from geothermal melt) and GrIS calving to quantify GrIS freshwater flux to the ocean, indicating an average negative mass-balance of 265 (±83) km3 y-1. This study further suggests an average GrIS freshwater flux of approximately 786 km3 y-1 to the ocean, of which 45% occurs from iceberg calving and geothermal bottom melting. The average annual GrIS freshwater flux equals 2.1 ± 0.2 mm w.eq. y-1 in eustatic sea level rise, indicating a cumulative flux of 28 mm w.eq. from 1995 through 2007. The average GrIS net loss contributes to a net sea level rise of 0.7 ± 0.2 mm w.eq. y-1, and a cumulative net increase of 10 mm w.eq.",

keywords = "Arctic, Greenland ice sheet, Mass loss, Runoff, Sea level rise, Snowmodel, Surface mass-balance modeling",

author = "Mernild, {Sebastian H.} and Liston, {Glen E.} and Hiemstra, {Christopher A.} and Konrad Steffen and Edward Hanna and Christensen, {Jens H.}",

year = "2009",

month = aug,

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doi = "10.1002/hyp.7354",

language = "English",

volume = "23",

pages = "2470--2484",

journal = "Hydrological Processes",

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T1 - Greenland ice sheet surface mass-balance modelling and freshwater flux for 2007, and in a 1995-2007 perspective

AU - Mernild, Sebastian H.

AU - Liston, Glen E.

AU - Hiemstra, Christopher A.

AU - Steffen, Konrad

AU - Hanna, Edward

AU - Christensen, Jens H.

PY - 2009/8/15

Y1 - 2009/8/15

N2 - The freshwater flux from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) to the ocean is of considerable importance to the global eustatic sea level rise. A physical modelling approach using SnowModel, a state-of-the-art snow-evolution modelling system that includes four submodels (MicroMet, EnBal, SnowPack, and SnowTran-3D), was used to quantify the 1995-2007 GrIS surface mass-balance (SMB), including freshwater flux. Meteorological observations from 26 meteorological stations located on the GrIS (Greenland Climate Network; GC-Net stations) and in coastal Greenland (Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) WMO-stations) were used as model inputs. The GrIS minimum surface melt extent of 29% occurred in 1996, while the greatest extent of 51% was present in 2007. The 2007 melt extent was 20% greater than the average for 1995-2006. The year 2007 had the highest GrIS surface runoff (523 km3 y-1) and the lowest SMB (-3 km3 y-1); the only year with a negative GrIS SMB. Runoff in 2007 was approximately 35% greater than average for 1995-2006. From 1995 through 2007 overall, precipitation decreased while ablation increased, leading to an increased average SMB loss of 127 km3. The modelled GrIS SMB was merged with previous estimates of GrIS subglacial runoff (from geothermal melt) and GrIS calving to quantify GrIS freshwater flux to the ocean, indicating an average negative mass-balance of 265 (±83) km3 y-1. This study further suggests an average GrIS freshwater flux of approximately 786 km3 y-1 to the ocean, of which 45% occurs from iceberg calving and geothermal bottom melting. The average annual GrIS freshwater flux equals 2.1 ± 0.2 mm w.eq. y-1 in eustatic sea level rise, indicating a cumulative flux of 28 mm w.eq. from 1995 through 2007. The average GrIS net loss contributes to a net sea level rise of 0.7 ± 0.2 mm w.eq. y-1, and a cumulative net increase of 10 mm w.eq.

AB - The freshwater flux from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) to the ocean is of considerable importance to the global eustatic sea level rise. A physical modelling approach using SnowModel, a state-of-the-art snow-evolution modelling system that includes four submodels (MicroMet, EnBal, SnowPack, and SnowTran-3D), was used to quantify the 1995-2007 GrIS surface mass-balance (SMB), including freshwater flux. Meteorological observations from 26 meteorological stations located on the GrIS (Greenland Climate Network; GC-Net stations) and in coastal Greenland (Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) WMO-stations) were used as model inputs. The GrIS minimum surface melt extent of 29% occurred in 1996, while the greatest extent of 51% was present in 2007. The 2007 melt extent was 20% greater than the average for 1995-2006. The year 2007 had the highest GrIS surface runoff (523 km3 y-1) and the lowest SMB (-3 km3 y-1); the only year with a negative GrIS SMB. Runoff in 2007 was approximately 35% greater than average for 1995-2006. From 1995 through 2007 overall, precipitation decreased while ablation increased, leading to an increased average SMB loss of 127 km3. The modelled GrIS SMB was merged with previous estimates of GrIS subglacial runoff (from geothermal melt) and GrIS calving to quantify GrIS freshwater flux to the ocean, indicating an average negative mass-balance of 265 (±83) km3 y-1. This study further suggests an average GrIS freshwater flux of approximately 786 km3 y-1 to the ocean, of which 45% occurs from iceberg calving and geothermal bottom melting. The average annual GrIS freshwater flux equals 2.1 ± 0.2 mm w.eq. y-1 in eustatic sea level rise, indicating a cumulative flux of 28 mm w.eq. from 1995 through 2007. The average GrIS net loss contributes to a net sea level rise of 0.7 ± 0.2 mm w.eq. y-1, and a cumulative net increase of 10 mm w.eq.

KW - Arctic

KW - Greenland ice sheet

KW - Mass loss

KW - Runoff

KW - Sea level rise

KW - Snowmodel

KW - Surface mass-balance modeling

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U2 - 10.1002/hyp.7354

DO - 10.1002/hyp.7354

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:68749114117

SN - 0885-6087

VL - 23

SP - 2470

EP - 2484

JO - Hydrological Processes

JF - Hydrological Processes

IS - 17

ER -

Greenland ice sheet surface mass-balance modelling and freshwater flux for 2007, and in a 1995-2007 perspective

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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