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Title: SHMIP The subglacial hydrology model intercomparison Project

Journal Article · · Journal of Glaciology
ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [2];  [5];  [6]; ORCiD logo [7]; ORCiD logo [8];  [9];  [10];  [11]
  1. Univ. of Bergen and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Bergen (Norway)
  2. ETH Zurich (Switzerland)
  3. Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam (Germany); Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven (Germany)
  4. Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK (United States)
  5. Univ. of Waterloo (Canada)
  6. Univ. of Montana, Missoula, MT (United States)
  7. Univ. of Grenoble (France)
  8. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  9. Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States)
  10. ETH Zurich (Switzerland); Hokkaido Univ., Sapporo (Japan)
  11. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)

Subglacial hydrology plays a key role in many glaciological processes, including ice dynamics via the modulation of basal sliding. Owing to the lack of an overarching theory, however, a variety of model approximations exist to represent the subglacial drainage system. The Subglacial Hydrology Model Intercomparison Project (SHMIP) provides a set of synthetic experiments to compare existing and future models. We present the results from 13 participating models with a focus on effective pressure and discharge. For many applications (e.g. steady states and annual variations, low input scenarios) a simple model, such as an inefficient-system-only model, a flowline or lumped model, or a porous-layer model provides results comparable to those of more complex models. However, when studying short term (e.g. diurnal) variations of the water pressure, the use of a two-dimensional model incorporating physical representations of both efficient and inefficient drainage systems yields results that are significantly different from those of simpler models and should be preferentially applied. The results also emphasise the role of water storage in the response of water pressure to transient recharge. Finally, we find that the localisation of moulins has a limited impact except in regions of sparse moulin density.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD)
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001
OSTI ID:
1544686
Report Number(s):
LA-UR--18-30871
Journal Information:
Journal of Glaciology, Journal Name: Journal of Glaciology Journal Issue: 248 Vol. 64; ISSN 0022-1430
Publisher:
International Glaciological SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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A Numerical Model for Fluvial Transport of Subglacial Sediment journal August 2019
Long‐Term Support of an Active Subglacial Hydrologic System in Southeast Greenland by Firn Aquifers journal May 2019
Dynamic response of the Greenland ice sheet to recent cooling journal February 2020
SHAKTI: Subglacial Hydrology and Kinetic, Transient Interactions v1.0 journal January 2018
Dynamic response of the Greenland ice sheet to recent cooling journal February 2020
ISMIP6 Antarctica: a multi-model ensemble of the Antarctic ice sheet evolution over the 21st century journal January 2020
A confined–unconfined aquifer model for subglacial hydrology and its application to the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream journal January 2018
Quantification of seasonal and diurnal dynamics of subglacial channels using seismic observations on an Alpine glacier journal May 2020
Glacial-cycle simulations of the Antarctic Ice Sheet with the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM) – Part 1: Boundary conditions and climatic forcing journal January 2020
Constraining the geothermal heat flux in Greenland at regions of radar-detected basal water journal November 2019