Greenland Surface Melt Dominated by Solar and Sensible Heating

Wang, Wenshan; Zender, Charles S.; van As, Dirk; Fausto, Robert S.; Laffin, Matthew K.

doi:10.1029/2020gl090653

Title: Greenland Surface Melt Dominated by Solar and Sensible Heating

Journal Article · Sat Mar 27 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gl090653· OSTI ID:1853005

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University of California, Irvine, CA (United States)
Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Copenhagen (Denmark)

Abstract The Greenland Ice Sheet is the primary source of global Barystatic sea‐level rise, and at least half of its recent mass‐loss acceleration is caused by surface meltwater runoff. Previous studies on surface melt have examined various thermodynamic and dynamic drivers, yet their contributions are not compared using unified observations. We use decade‐long in‐situ measurements from automatic weather stations throughout the ablation zone to assess energy components and identify the leading physical processes in this area. Large melt events exceeding 3 σ contribute only ∼2% to total surface melt since 2007. The day‐to‐day variability of all melt is dominated by sensible heat exchange (31 ± 7%) and shortwave radiation (28 ± 5%). Sensible and solar heating correlate with the occurrence of dry and fast gravity‐driven winds. These katabatic winds increase sensible heating of the surface mainly by enhancing vertical mixing that reduces the temperature inversion. The concomitant low humidity and clear skies yield increased solar heating.

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Research Organization:: Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Univ. of California, Irvine, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC); National And Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA); National Science Foundation (NSF)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0019278; 80NSSC17K0540; 1633631; DE‐SC0019278

OSTI ID:: 1853005

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1775557

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 48, Issue 7; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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