Improving the Representation of Polar Snow and Firn in the Community Earth System Model
Abstract
Abstract In Earth system models, terrestrial snow is usually modeled by the land surface component. In most cases, these snow models have been developed with an emphasis on seasonal snow. Questions about future sea level rise, however, prompt the need for a realistic representation of perennial snow, as snow processes play a key role in the mass balance of glaciers and ice sheets. Here we enhance realism of modeled polar snow in the Community Land Model (CLM), the land component of the Community Earth System Model (CESM), by implementing (1) new parametrizations for fresh snow density, destructive metamorphism, and compaction by overburden pressure, (2) by allowing for deeper snow packs, and (3) by introducing drifting snow compaction, with a focus on the ice sheet interior. Comparison with Greenlandic and Antarctic snow density observations show that the new physics improve model skill in predicting firn and near‐surface density in the absence of melt. Moreover, compensating biases are removed and spurious subsurface melt rates at ice sheets are eliminated. The deeper snow pack enhances refreezing and allows for deeper percolation, raising ice temperatures up to 15°C above the skin temperature.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[1];
[2];
[3];
[3];
[4];
[1]
- Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
- Group T‐3, Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos NM USA, National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USA
- National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USA
- National Snow and Ice Data Center Boulder CO USA
- Publication Date:
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1409119
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1409476
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems Journal Volume: 9 Journal Issue: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 1942-2466
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Citation Formats
van Kampenhout, Leonardus, Lenaerts, Jan T. M., Lipscomb, William H., Sacks, William J., Lawrence, David M., Slater, Andrew G., and van den Broeke, Michiel R. Improving the Representation of Polar Snow and Firn in the Community Earth System Model. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1002/2017MS000988.
van Kampenhout, Leonardus, Lenaerts, Jan T. M., Lipscomb, William H., Sacks, William J., Lawrence, David M., Slater, Andrew G., & van den Broeke, Michiel R. Improving the Representation of Polar Snow and Firn in the Community Earth System Model. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017MS000988
van Kampenhout, Leonardus, Lenaerts, Jan T. M., Lipscomb, William H., Sacks, William J., Lawrence, David M., Slater, Andrew G., and van den Broeke, Michiel R. Thu .
"Improving the Representation of Polar Snow and Firn in the Community Earth System Model". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017MS000988.
@article{osti_1409119,
title = {Improving the Representation of Polar Snow and Firn in the Community Earth System Model},
author = {van Kampenhout, Leonardus and Lenaerts, Jan T. M. and Lipscomb, William H. and Sacks, William J. and Lawrence, David M. and Slater, Andrew G. and van den Broeke, Michiel R.},
abstractNote = {Abstract In Earth system models, terrestrial snow is usually modeled by the land surface component. In most cases, these snow models have been developed with an emphasis on seasonal snow. Questions about future sea level rise, however, prompt the need for a realistic representation of perennial snow, as snow processes play a key role in the mass balance of glaciers and ice sheets. Here we enhance realism of modeled polar snow in the Community Land Model (CLM), the land component of the Community Earth System Model (CESM), by implementing (1) new parametrizations for fresh snow density, destructive metamorphism, and compaction by overburden pressure, (2) by allowing for deeper snow packs, and (3) by introducing drifting snow compaction, with a focus on the ice sheet interior. Comparison with Greenlandic and Antarctic snow density observations show that the new physics improve model skill in predicting firn and near‐surface density in the absence of melt. Moreover, compensating biases are removed and spurious subsurface melt rates at ice sheets are eliminated. The deeper snow pack enhances refreezing and allows for deeper percolation, raising ice temperatures up to 15°C above the skin temperature.},
doi = {10.1002/2017MS000988},
journal = {Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems},
number = 7,
volume = 9,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Nov 16 00:00:00 EST 2017},
month = {Thu Nov 16 00:00:00 EST 2017}
}
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