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| Titel |
Comparison of thermodynamic sea-ice models for climate simulations |
| VerfasserIn |
N. Wilkens, L. Kaleschke, D. Notz |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2009
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 11 (2009) |
| Datensatznummer |
250027540
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| Zusammenfassung |
| The polar regions play an important role in the earth’s climate system. Especially sea ice can
react quickly to changes in environmental conditions and, because of its high albedo,
can alter the net surface radiation significantly in these regions within relatively
small time scales. This makes sea ice an important possible amplifier of climatic
change.
Here we examine the performance of four existing thermodynamic sea-ice models to identify
the best one for use in numerical climate simulations. The models are tested for their ability
to represent the seasonal cycle of growth and decay of thick multi-year and of thin young sea
ice that is expected to prevail in a future warmer climate. To do so, a number of numerical
experiments were carried out and compared to reference simulations and to measured
ice-thickness data.
The tested models are the Semtner 0-layer, Semtner 3-layer, Bitz and Lipscomb
and the Winton model. Preliminary results suggest that among these models, the
Semtner 3-layer model is the most suitable for use in climate simulations, since
it is highly computational efficient and delivers results in good agreement with
more complex models for a variety of environmental conditions. This is despite a
certain lack of physical realism in representing sea-ice thermodynamics in this
model. |
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