The Cryosphere Discussions
www.the-cryosphere-discuss.net
1994-0432
1994-0440
4
1
2010
10.5194/tcd-4-321-2010
http://www.the-cryosphere-discuss.net/4/321/2010/
http://www.the-cryosphere-discuss.net/4/321/2010/tcd-4-321-2010.html
http://www.the-cryosphere-discuss.net/4/321/2010/tcd-4-321-2010.pdf
321
345
2010-03-24
Increasing runoff from the Greenland Ice Sheet at Kangerlussuaq (Søndre Strømfjord) in a 30-year perspective, 1979–2008
S. H. Mernild
mernild@lanl.gov
G. E. Liston
K. Steffen
M. van den Broeke
B. Hasholt
Climate, Ocean, and Sea Ice Modeling Group, Computational Physics and Methods (CCS-2), Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, USA
Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere,Colorado State University, Colorado, USA
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Colorado, USA
Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Holland
Department of Geography and Geology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
This observation and modeling study provides insights into runoff exiting the
Watson River drainage basin, Kangerlussuaq, West Greenland during a 30 year
period (1978/79–2007/08) when the climate experienced increasing
temperatures and precipitation. The 30-year simulations quantify the
terrestrial freshwater output from part of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) and
the land between the GrIS and the ocean, in the context of global warming and
increasing GrIS surface melt. We used a snow-evolution modeling system
(SnowModel) to simulate the winter accumulation and summer ablation
processes, including runoff and surface mass balance (SMB), of the ice sheet.
To a large extent, the SMB fluctuations could be explained by changes in net
precipitation (precipitation minus evaporation and sublimation), with 8 out
of 30 years having negative SMB, mainly because of relatively low annual net
precipitation. The overall trend in net precipitation and runoff increased
significantly, while SMB increased insignificantly throughout the simulation
period, leading to enhanced precipitation of 0.59 km<sup>3</sup> w.eq. (or
60%), runoff of 0.43 km<sup>3</sup> w.eq. (or 54%), and SMB of
0.16 km<sup>3</sup> w.eq. (or 86%). Runoff rose on average from
0.80 km<sup>3</sup> w.eq. in 1978/79 to 1.23 km<sup>3</sup> w.eq. in 2007/08. The
percentage of catchment outlet runoff explained by runoff from the GrIS
decreased on average ∼10%.
Abdalati, W. and Steffen, K.: The apparent effects of the Mt Pinatubo eruption on the Greenland ice sheet melt extent, Geophys. Res. Lett., 24, 1795–1797, 1997.
ACIA: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, Cambridge University Press, 1042~p, 2005.
Allerup, P., Madsen, H., and Vejen, F.: Estimating true precipitation in arctic areas, Proc Nordic Hydrological Conf., Helsinki, Finland, Nordic Hydrological Programme Rep, 44, 1–9, 1998.
Allerup, P., Madsen, H., and Vejen, F.: Correction of precipitation based on off-site weather information, Atmos. Res., 53, 231–250, 2000.
Bamber, J., Ekholm, S., and Krabill, W.: A new, high-resolution digital elevation model of Greenland fully validated with airborne laser altimeter data, J. Geophys. Res., 106(B4), 6733–6746, 2001.
Born, E. W. and Böcher, J.: The Ecology of Greenland, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland, 429~pp., 2001.
Box, J., Bromwich, D. H., and Bai, L.-S.: Greenland ice sheet surface mass balance 1991–2000, Application of Polar MM5 mesoscale model and in situ data, J. Geophys. Res., 109, D16105, doi:10.1029/2003JD004451, 2004.
Box, J. E. and Steffen, K.: Sublimation estimates for the Greenland ice sheet using automated weather station observations, J. Geophys. Res., 106(D24), 33965–33982, 2001.
Essery, R. L. H., Li, L., and Pomeroy, J. W.: A distributed model of blowing snow over complex terrain, Hydrol. Process., 13, 2423–2438, 1999.
Fettweis, X.: Reconstruction of the 1979–2006 Greenland ice sheet surface mass balance using the regional climate model MAR, The Cryosphere, 1, 21–40, 2007.
Hag, M. P., Karlsen, H. G., Bille-Hansen, J., and Bøggild, C. E., Time trend in runoff and climatology from an ice-sheet margin catchment in West Greenland. in: Killingtveit, Å., XXII Nordic Hydrological Conference, Nordic Association for Hydrology, Røros, Norway, 581–588, 2002.
Hanna, E., Cappelen, J., Fettweis, X., Huybrechts, P., Luckman, A., Ribergaard, M. H.: Hydrologic response of the Greenland Ice sheet: the role of oceanographic warming, Hydrological Process., 23, 7–30, 2009.
Hansen, B. U., Sigsgaard, C., Rasmussen, L., Cappelen, J., Hinkler, J., Mernild, S. H., Petersen, D., Tamstorf, M., Rasch, M., and Hasholt, B., Present Day Climate at Zackenberg, Adv. Ecol. Res., 40, 115–153, 2008.
Hasholt, B. and Mernild, S. H.: Runoff and Sediment Transport Observations from the Greenland Ice Sheet, Kangerlussuaq, West Greenland, 17th International Northern Research Basins Symposium and Workshop Iqaluit-Panqnirtung-Kuujiuaq, Canada, 12 to 18~August, 1–8, 2009.
IPCC: Summary for Poicymakers, in: Climate Change 2007, The Physical Science Basis, Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, edited by: Solomon, S., Qin, D., Manning, M., Chen, Z., Marquis, M., Averyt, K. B., Tignor, M., and Miller, H. L., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, USA, 2007.
Janssens, I. and Huybrechts, P.: The treatment of meltwater retention in mass-balance parameterisation of the Greenland Ice Sheet, Ann. Glaciol., 31, 133–140, 2000.
Johannessen, O. M., Khvorostovsky, K., Miles, M. W., and Bobylev, L. P.: Recent ice sheet growth in the interior of Greenland, Sciencexpress, 1013–1016, doi:10.1126/science.1115356, 2005.
Krabill, W. E. and Coauthors: Greenland ice sheet: Highelevation balance and peripheral thinning, Science, 289, 428–430, 2000.
Krabill W., Hanna, E., Huybrechts, P., Abdalati, W., Cappelen, J., Csatho, B., Frederick, E., Manizade, S., Martin, C., Sonntag, J., Swift, R., Thomas, R., and Yunge, J.: Greenland Ice Sheet: Increased coastal thinning, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L24402, doi:10.1029/2004GL021533, 2004.
Liston, G. E. and Elder, K.: A distributed snow-evolution modeling system (SnowModel), J. Hydrometeorol., 7, 1259–1276, 2006.
Liston, G. E., Haehnel, R. B., Sturm, M., Hiemstra, C. A., Berezovskaya, S., and Tabler, R. D.: Simulating complex snow distributions in windy environments using SnowTran-3D, J. Glaciol., 53, 241–256, 2007.
Liston, G. E. and Hiemstra, C. A.: A simple data assimilation system for complex snow distributions (SnowAssim), J. Hydrometeorol., 9, 989–1004, 2008.
Liston, G. E., Hiemstra, C. A., Elder, K., and Cline, D. W.: Meso-cell study area (MSA) snow distributions for the Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX), J. Hydrometeorol., 9, 957–976, 2008.
Liston, G. E. and Sturm, M.: A snow-transport model for complex terrain, J. Glaciol, 44, 498–516, 1998.
Liston, G. E. and Sturm, M.: Winter Precipitation Patterns in Arctic Alaska Determined from a Blowing-Snow Model and Snow-Depth Observations, J. Hydrometeorol., Vol 3, 646–659, 2002.
Liston, G. E. and Sturm, M.: The role of winter sublimation in the Arctic moisture budget, Nordic Hydrology, 35(4), 325–334, 2004.
McNamara, J. P. and Kane, D. L.: The impact of a shrinking cryosphere on the form of arctic alluvial channels, Hydrol. Process. 23, 159–168, 2009.
Mernild, S. H. and Hasholt, B.: Observed runoff, jökulhlaups, and suspended sediment load from the Greenland Ice Sheet at Kangerlussuaq, West Greenland, for 2007 and 2008, J. Glaciol., 55(193), 855–858, 2009.
Mernild, S. H. and Liston, G. E.: The influence of air temperature inversion on snow melt and glacier surface mass-balance simulations, SW Ammassalik Island, SE Greenland, J. Appl. Meteorol. Clim., 49(1), 47–67, 2010.
Mernild, S. H., Liston, G. E., Hasholt, B., and Knudsen, N. T.: Snow distribution and melt modeling for Mittivakkat Glacier, Ammassalik Island, SE Greenland, J. Hydrometeor., 7, 808–824, 2006.
Mernild, S. H., Liston, G. E., Hiemstra, C. A., and Steffen, K.: Surface Melt Area and Water Balance Modeling on the Greenland Ice Sheet 1995–2005, J. Hydrometeor., 9(6), 1191–1211, doi:10.1175/2008JHM957.1, 2008.
Mernild, S. H., Hasholt, B., Liston, G. E., and van den Broeke, M.: Runoff simulations from the Greenland Ice Sheet at Kangerlussuaq from 2006/07 to 2007/08, West Greenland, in review, Hydrological Research, 2010a.
Mernild, S. H., Liston, G. E., Hiemstra, C. A., Steffen, K., Hanna, E., and Christensen, J. H.: Greenland Ice Sheet surface mass-balance modeling and freshwater flux for 2007, and in a 1995–2007 perspective, Hydrological Process., doi:10.1002/hyp.7354, 2009.
Mernild, S. H., Liston, G. E., Steffen, K., and Chylek, P.: Meltwater flux and runoff modeling in the ablation area of the Jakobshavn Isbræ, West Greenland, J. Glaciol., 56(195), 20–32, 2010b.
Mote, T. L.: Greenland surface melt trends 1973–2007: Evidence of a large increase in 2007, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L22507, doi:10.1029/2007GL031976, 2007.
Pomeroy, J. W. and Essery, R. L. H.: Turbulent fluxes during blowing snow: Field test of model sublimation predictions, Hydrol. Process., 13, 2963–2975, 1999.
Pomeroy, J. W. and Gray, D. M.: Snowcover accumulation, relocation and management, National Hydrology Research Institute Science Rep. 7, Hydrological Science Division, HNRI Division of Hydrology, University of Saskatchewan, 144~pp, 1995.
Richardson, K., Steffen, W. H., Schellnhuber, J., Alcamo, T., Barker, D., Kammen, R., Leemans, D., Liverman, M., Munasinghe, B., Osman-Elasha, N., Stern, O.: Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions, Synthesis Report, Copenhagen, 10–12 March, University of Copenhagen, pp 39, Waever 2009,
Roberts, M. J.: Jökulhlaups A reassessment of floodwater flow through glaciers, Rev. Geophys., 43, RG1002, doi:10.1029/2003RG000147, 2005.
Scambos, T. and Haran, T.: An image-enhanced DEM of the Greenland Ice Sheet, Ann. Glaciol., 34, 291–298, 2002.
Sugden, D. E., Clapperton, C. M., and Knight, P. G.: A Jökulhlaup near Sønder Strømfjord, West Greenland, and some effects on the Ice-Sheet margin, J. Glaciol., 31(109), 366–368, 1985.
Tedesco, M.: A new record in 2007 for melting in Greenland, Eos Trans. AGU, 88(39), 383, 2007.
van den Broeke, M., Smeets, P., Ettema, J., and Munneke, P. K.: Surface radiation balance in the ablation zone of the west Greenland ice sheet, J. Goephys. Res., 113, D13105, doi:10.1029/2007/JD009283, 2008a.
van den Broeke, M., Smeets, P., Ettema, J., van der Veen, C., van de Wal, R., and Oerlemans, J.: Partitioning of melt energy and meltwater fluxes in the ablation zone of the west Greenland ice sheet, The Cryosphere, 2, 179–189, 2008.
van den Broeke, M., Smeets, P., and Ettema, J.: Surface layer climate and turbulent exchange in the ablation zone of the west Greenland ice sheet, Int. J. Climatol., doi:10.1002/joc.1815, 2008c.
van de Wal, R. S. W., Greuell, W., van den Broeke, M. R., Reijmer, C. H., and Oerlemans, J.: Surface mass-balance observations and automatic weather station data along a transect near Kangerlussuaq, West Greenland, Ann. Glaciol., 42, 311–316, 2005.
Zwally, J. H. and Giovinetto, M. B.: Balance mass flux and ice velocity across the equilibrium line in drainage systems of Greenland, J. Geophys. Res., 106(33), 717–728, 2001.