Energetics of surface melt in West Antarctica

Ghiz, Madison L.; Scott, Ryan C.; Vogelmann, Andrew M.; Lenaerts, Jan T. M.; Lazzara, Matthew; Lubin, Dan

doi:10.5194/tc-15-3459-2021

Title: Energetics of surface melt in West Antarctica

Journal Article · Mon Jul 26 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · The Cryosphere (Online)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3459-2021· OSTI ID:1787818

Ghiz, Madison L. ^[1];

^[2];

^[3];

^[4]; Lazzara, Matthew ^[5]; Lubin, Dan ^[6]

Univ. of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States)
Science Systems and Applications, Inc., Hampton, VA (United States)
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
Univ. of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States); Madison Area Technical College, Madison, WI (United States)

We use reanalysis data and satellite remote sensing of cloud properties to examine how meteorological conditions alter the surface energy balance to cause surface melt that is detectable in satellite passive microwave imagery over West Antarctica. This analysis can detect each of the three primary mechanisms for inducing surface melt at a specific location: thermal blanketing involving sensible heat flux and/or longwave heating by optically thick cloud cover, all-wave radiative enhancement by optically thin cloud cover, and föhn winds. We examine case studies over Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers, which are of interest for ice shelf and ice sheet stability, and over Siple Dome, which is more readily accessible for field work. During January 2015 over Siple Dome we identified a melt event whose origin is an all-wave radiative enhancement by optically thin clouds. During December 2011 over Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers, we identified a melt event caused mainly by thermal blanketing from optically thick clouds. Over Siple Dome, those same 2011 synoptic conditions yielded a thermal-blanketing-driven melt event that was initiated by an impulse of sensible heat flux and then prolonged by cloud longwave heating. The December 2011 synoptic conditions also generated föhn winds at a location on the Ross Ice Shelf adjacent to the Transantarctic Mountains, and we analyze this case with additional support from automatic weather station data. In contrast, a late-summer thermal blanketing period over Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers during February 2013 showed surface melt initiated by cloud longwave heating and then prolonged by enhanced sensible heat flux. One limitation thus far with this type of analysis involves uncertainties in the cloud optical properties. Nevertheless, with improvements this type of analysis can enable quantitative prediction of atmospheric stress on the vulnerable Antarctic ice shelves in a steadily warming climate.

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Research Organization:: Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); National Science Foundation (NSF)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0012704; SC0017981; 80NSSC18K1025; OPP-1924730

OSTI ID:: 1787818

Report Number(s):: BNL-221601-2021-JAAM

Journal Information:: The Cryosphere (Online), Vol. 15, Issue 7; ISSN 1994-0424

Publisher:: Copernicus Publications, EGUCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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