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| Titel |
Insignificant change in Antarctic snowmelt volume since 1979: but what about the increase in ice-shelf breakup? |
| VerfasserIn |
P. Kuipers Munneke, G. Picard, M. R. van den Broeke, J. T. M. Lenaerts, E. van Meijgaard |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2012
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 14 (2012) |
| Datensatznummer |
250060442
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Surface snowmelt is widespread in coastal Antarctica. Knowing its magnitude is relevant for
assessing ice-shelf stability, and for quantifying the effects of firn densification on
altimetrically derived mass changes. Satellite-based microwave sensors have been observing
melt area and duration for over three decades. However, these observations do not reveal by
how much the surface is melting. Here we present an Antarctic melt volume climatology for
the period 1979–2010, obtained using the regional climate model RACMO2, equipped
with realistic snow physics. We find that mean continent-wide meltwater volume
(1979–2010) amounts to 89 Gt y-1 with large interannual variability (Ïă = 41 Gt
y-1). Of this amount, 57 Gt y-1 (64%) is produced on the floating ice shelves
extending from the grounded ice sheet, and 71 Gt y-1 in West-Antarctica, including the
Antarctic Peninsula. RACMO2 melt area and duration compare favourably with
satellite microwave observations. We find no statistically significant trend in either
continent-wide or regional meltwater volume for the 31-year period 1979–2010. Still,
meltwater-induced fracturing of ice shelves has increased in this period. We will try
to reconcile this observation with the insignificant change in meltwater volume. |
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