Mass balance of the Greenland ice sheet from 1958 to 2007

Rignot, Eric; Box, Jason E.; Burgess, E. W.; Hanna, Edward

doi:10.1029/2008gl035417

Cited by 378 publications

(414 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…The rate of sea-level rise since 1970 has now been quantitatively explained (Church et al in preparation) by a gradual increase in ocean thermal expansion, with fluctuations at least partly related to volcanic eruptions, and an increasing cryospheric contribution. The contribution from glaciers and ice caps (Cogley 2009), and the Greenland Ice Sheet (Rignot et al 2008(Rignot et al , 2011 both increased in the 1990s. There are also recent indications of an increasing contribution from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (Rignot et al 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sea-Level Rise from the Late 19th to the Early 21st Century

Church¹,

White²

2011

The Earth's Cryosphere and Sea Level Change

330

496

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We estimate the rise in global average sea level from satellite altimeter data for 1993-2009 and from coastal and island sea-level measurements from 1880 to 2009 . For 1993-2009 and after correcting for glacial isostatic adjustment, the estimated rate of rise is 3.2 ± 0.4 mm year -1 from the satellite data and 2.8 ± 0.8 mm year -1 from the in situ data. The global average sea-level rise from 1880 to 2009 is about 210 mm. The linear trend from 1900 to 2009 is 1.7 ± 0.2 mm year -1 and since 1961 is 1.9 ± 0.4 mm year -1 . There is considerable variability in the rate of rise during the twentieth century but there has been a statistically significant acceleration since 1880 and 1900 of 0.009 ± 0.003 mm year -2 and 0.009 ± 0.004 mm year -2 , respectively. Since the start of the altimeter record in 1993, global average sea level rose at a rate near the upper end of the sea level projections of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Third and Fourth Assessment Reports. However, the reconstruction indicates there was little net change in sea level from 1990 to 1993, most likely as a result of the volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sea-Level Rise from the Late 19th to the Early 21st Century

Church¹,

White²

2011

The Earth's Cryosphere and Sea Level Change

330

496

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“…the mass gain by precipitation was approximately equal to the mass loss by surface runoff and solid ice discharge), the mass balance has turned negative in the last 20 yr, with a larger melt extent (Fettweis et al, 2011), increasing surface runoff Hanna et al, 2008) and increased glacier discharge (Nick et al, 2009;Rignot et al, 2011). In the last decade, contributions made to the total mass loss of ∼ 2400 Gt, were for ∼ 60 % accounted for by enhanced runoff and for ∼ 40 % by enhanced discharge Rignot et al, 2008). With outlet glaciers retreating and near surface air temperature increasing further, mass loss in the near future will likely remain dominated by surface runoff.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensitivity of Greenland Ice Sheet surface mass balance to surface albedo parameterization: a study with a regional climate model

et al. 2012

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Abstract. We present a sensitivity study of the surface mass balance (SMB) of the Greenland Ice Sheet, as modeled using a regional atmospheric climate model, to various parameter settings in the albedo scheme. The snow albedo scheme uses grain size as a prognostic variable and further depends on cloud cover, solar zenith angle and black carbon concentration. For the control experiment the overestimation of absorbed shortwave radiation (+6 %) at the K-transect (west Greenland) for the period 2004-2009 is considerably reduced compared to the previous density-dependent albedo scheme (+22 %). To simulate realistic snow albedo values, a small concentration of black carbon is needed, which has strongest impact on melt in the accumulation area. A background ice albedo field derived from MODIS imagery improves the agreement between the modeled and observed SMB gradient along the K-transect. The effect of enhanced meltwater retention and refreezing is a decrease of the albedo due to an increase in snow grain size. As a secondary effect of refreezing the snowpack is heated, enhancing melt and further lowering the albedo. Especially in a warmer climate this process is important, since it reduces the refreezing potential of the firn layer that covers the Greenland Ice Sheet.

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“…Combined observational and model studies show that increased meltwater runoff, and solid ice discharge through the acceleration of marine-terminating outlet glaciers Nick et al, 2009;Fettweis et al, 2011;Rignot et al, 2011), account for ∼ 60 and ∼ 40 % respectively of the recent GrIS mass loss (Rignot et al, 2008;Van den Broeke et al, 2009;Enderlin and Howat, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the updated regional climate model RACMO2.3: summer snowfall impact on the Greenland Ice Sheet

et al. 2015

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Abstract. We discuss Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) surface mass balance (SMB) differences between the updated polar version of the RACMO climate model (RACMO2.3) and the previous version (RACMO2.1). Among other revisions, the updated model includes an adjusted rainfall-to-snowfall conversion that produces exclusively snowfall under freezing conditions; this especially favours snowfall in summer. Summer snowfall in the ablation zone of the GrIS has a pronounced effect on melt rates, affecting modelled GrIS SMB in two ways. By covering relatively dark ice with highly reflective fresh snow, these summer snowfalls have the potential to locally reduce melt rates in the ablation zone of the GrIS through the snow-albedo-melt feedback. At larger scales, SMB changes are driven by differences in orographic precipitation following a shift in large-scale circulation, in combination with enhanced moisture to precipitation conversion for warm to moderately cold conditions. A detailed comparison of model output with observations from automatic weather stations, ice cores and ablation stakes shows that the model update generally improves the simulated SMBelevation gradient as well as the representation of the surface energy balance, although significant biases remain.

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Mass balance of the Greenland ice sheet from 1958 to 2007

Cited by 378 publications

References 20 publications

Sea-Level Rise from the Late 19th to the Early 21st Century

Sea-Level Rise from the Late 19th to the Early 21st Century

Sensitivity of Greenland Ice Sheet surface mass balance to surface albedo parameterization: a study with a regional climate model

Evaluation of the updated regional climate model RACMO2.3: summer snowfall impact on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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