Global Warming and the Greenland Ice Sheet

The Greenland coastal temperatures have followed the early 20th century global warming trend. Since 1940, however, the Greenland coastal stations data have undergone predominantly a cooling trend. At the summit of the Greenland ice sheet the summer average temperature has decreased at the rate of 2.2 °C per decade since the beginning of the measurements in 1987. This suggests that the Greenland ice sheet and coastal regions are not following the current global warming trend. A considerable and rapid warming over all of coastal Greenland occurred in the 1920s when the average annual surface air temperature rose between 2 and 4 °C in less than ten years (at some stations the increase in winter temperature was as high as 6 °C). This rapid warming, at a time when the change in anthropogenic production of greenhouse gases was well below the current level, suggests a high natural variability in the regional climate. High anticorrelations (r = ?0.84 to?0.93) between the NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation) index and Greenland temperature time series suggest a physical connection between these processes. Therefore, the future changes in the NAO and Northern Annular Mode may be of critical consequence to the future temperature forcing of the Greenland ice sheet melt rates.     

Reconstruction of Climate of the Eemian Interglacial Using an Earth System Model. Part 2. The Response of the Greenland Ice Sheet to Climate Change

In the framework of the study of the Eemian interglacial we consider the role of the Greenland ice sheet in the rise of the mean level of the World Ocean. Its contribution estimated as 2 m confirms the newest estimates based on the model results and on the proxy data analysis. In the beginning of the Eemian interglacial (earlier than 126 thousand years ago) mass lost occurs through the marine margin of the sheet. During the next five millennia, the negative surface mass balance plays the leading role. Taking into account the contribution of Greenland ice sheet, ocean thermal expansion, and the melting of mountain glaciers and ice caps, it is very probable that the West Antarctic ice sheet was the main source of the global sea level growth equal to 6–9 m the compared to the present.     

Accumulation over the Greenland Ice Sheet as Represented in Reanalysis Data

Annual precipitation,evaporation,and calculated accumulation from reanalysis model outputs have been investigated for the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS),based on the common period of 1989-2001.The ERA-40 and ERA-interim reanalysis data showed better agreement with observations than do NCEP-1 and NCEP-2 reanalyses.Further,ERA-interim showed the closest spatial distribution of accumulation to the observation.Concerning temporal variations,ERA-interim showed the best correlation with precipitation observations at five synoptic stations,and the best correlation with in situ measurements of accumulation at nine ice core sites.The mean annual precipitation averaged over the whole GrIS from ERA-interim (363 mm yr 1) and mean annual accumulation (319 mm yr 1) are very close to the observations.The validation of accumulation calculated from reanalysis data against ice-core measurements suggests that further improvements to reanalysis models are needed.     

On the Response of the Greenland Ice Sheet to Greenhouse Climate Change

Numerical computations are performed with the three-dimensional polythermal ice-sheet model SICOPOLIS in order to investigate the possible impact of a greenhouse-gas-induced climate change on the Greenland ice sheet. The assumed increase of the mean annual air temperature above the ice covers a range from T = 1°C to 12°C, and several parameterizations for the snowfall and the surface melting are considered. The simulated shrinking of the ice sheet is a smooth function of the temperature rise, indications for the existence of critical thresholds of the climate input are not found. Within 1000 model years, the ice-volume decrease is limited to 10% of the present volume for T 3°C, whereas the most extreme scenario, T = 12°C, leads to an almost entire disintegration, which corresponds to a sea-level equivalent of 7 m. The different snowfall and melting parameterizations yield an uncertainty range of up to 20% of the present ice volume after 1000 model years.     

Turbulence Observations Above a Smooth Melting Surface on the Greenland Ice Sheet

Measurements of profiles and turbulent fluxes havebeen made over a smooth, melting surface on thesouthwestern part of the Greenland ice sheet in July1991. For a reference height of 0.8 m, and fluxmeasurements at 4 m and 13 m, the best values for theroughness lengths are 3 × 10-4 m for wind speed,2 × 10-6 m for temperature, and 5 × 10-4 mfor moisture. The uncertainty in the correspondingexchange coefficients is about 10%. The roughnesslength for temperature (zT) is much smaller than expectedfrom theory, as was also found in a number of earlierinvestigations. The possibility is considered thatabsorption of shortwave radiation by aerosol particlesaccumulating near the surface lowers thezT values. Consequently, zT using lower measurementheights should probably be close to z0.However, evidence for this remains rather indirect.Further, it is shown that reliable results for thesensible heat flux can be obtained using the productof the observed standard deviation for temperature fluctuationsand wind speed.     

Greenland Ice Sheet Elevation Change in Winter and Influence of Atmospheric Teleconnections in the Northern Hemisphere

The relationship between the variability of the surface elevation of the Greenland Ice Sheet （GIS） in winter and sea level pressure is identified through analysis of data from satellite-borne radar altimeters, together with meteorological data fields during 1993-2005. We found that both the North Pacific Oscillation （NPO） and the North Atlantic Oscillation （NAO）, the two major teleconnection patterns of the atmospheric surface pressure fields in the Northern Hemisphere, significantly influence the GIS winter elevation change. Further, it is suggested that the NPO may affect the GIS accumulation by influencing the NAO, particularly by changing the intensity and location of the Icelandic Low.     

2013和2012年夏季格陵兰岛冰盖表面融化对比及可能的影响机理分析

本文重点分析了2013年夏季格陵兰冰盖表面的融化特征, 并将2013年与2012年融化极值年的异常进行对比, 探讨二者之间存在的动力和热力差异及其对冰盖表面融化的影响和机制。结果表明:2013年夏季格陵兰冰盖表面最大融化范围仅为44%, 远小于2012年的97%, 持续的时间也比2012年短20天左右, 平均的融化面积和持续时间都接近气候平均态。2013年夏季大气环流异常与2012年近乎完全相反, 格陵兰及附近海域为低压异常, 500 hPa位势高度场为负异常, 大气环流和2012年相比更具有纬向型。格陵兰岛的北部和南部出现气旋异常, 有利于输送北极的冷空气到格陵兰岛, 不仅降低了夏季格陵兰冰盖表面的平均温度, 而且也减少了格陵兰高温事件发生的频率。同时, 2013年夏季格陵兰表面向下的辐射通量异常分布大体上呈西南—东北走向, 不同于 2012年的南北分布。尽管从分布上看, 总的向下辐射通量以正的短波分量为主, 但是长短波分量相互抵消使得 2013年夏季总的向下辐射通量接近气候平均态, 这使得辐射对冰盖表面温度的影响不明显。大气环流的动力和表面辐射收支的热力共同作用导致2013年夏季格陵兰冰盖表面融化经历了相对缓和的一年。     

Impact of climate sensitivity and polar amplification on projections of Greenland Ice Sheet loss

The future rate of Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) deglaciation and the future contribution of GrIS deglaciation to sea level rise will depend critically on the magnitude of northern hemispheric polar amplification and global equilibrium climate sensitivity. Here, these relationships are analyzed using an ensemble of multi-century coupled ice-sheet/climate model simulations seeded with observationally-constrained initial conditions and then integrated forward under tripled preindustrial CO₂. Polar amplifications and climate sensitivities were varied between ensemble members in order to bracket current uncertainty in polar amplification and climate sensitivity. A large inter-ensemble spread in mean GrIS air temperature, albedo and surface mass balance trends stemming from this uncertainty resulted in GrIS ice volume loss ranging from 5 to 40 % of the original ice volume after 500 years. The large dependence of GrIS deglaciation on polar amplification and climate sensitivity that we find indicates that the representation of these processes in climate models will exert a strong control on any simulated predictions of multi-century GrIS evolution. Efforts to reduce polar amplification and equilibrium climate sensitivity uncertainty will therefore play a critical role in constraining projections of GrIS deglaciation and sea level rise in a future high-CO₂ world.     

Temporal and Spatial Variations of the Aerodynamic Roughness Length in the Ablation Zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet

To understand the response of the Greenland ice sheet to climate change the so-called ablation zone is of particular importance, since it accommodates the yearly net surface ice loss. In numerical models and for data analysis, the bulk aerodynamic method is often used to calculate the turbulent surface fluxes, for which the aerodynamic roughness length (z ₀) is a key parameter. We present, for the first time, spatial and temporal variations of z ₀ in the ablation area of the Greenland ice sheet using year-round data from three automatic weather stations and one eddy-correlation mast. The temporal variation of z ₀ is found to be very high in the lower ablation area (factor 500) with, at the end of the summer melt, a maximum in spatial variation for the whole ablation area of a factor 1000. The variation in time matches the onset of the accumulation and ablation season as recovered by sonic height rangers. During winter, snow accumulation and redistribution by snow drift lead to a uniform value of z ₀≈ 10⁻⁴ m throughout the ablation area. At the beginning of summer, snow melt uncovers ice hummocks and z ₀ quickly increases well above 10⁻² m in the lower ablation area. At the end of summer melt, hummocky ice dominates the surface with z ₀ > 5  ×  10⁻³ m up to 60 km from the ice edge. At the same time, the area close to the equilibrium line (about 90 km from the ice edge) remains very smooth with z ₀ = 10⁻⁵ m. At the beginning of winter, we observed that single snow events have the potential to lower z ₀ for a very rough ice surface by a factor of 20 to 50. The total surface drag of the abundant small-scale ice hummocks apparently dominates over the less frequent large domes and deep gullies. The latter results are verified by studying the individual drag contributions of hummocks and domes with a drag partition model.     

Late Pliocene to Pleistocene sensitivity of the Greenland Ice Sheet in response to external forcing and internal feedbacks

The timing and nature of ice sheet variations on Greenland over the last ～5 million years remain largely uncertain. Here, we use a coupled climate-vegetation-ice sheet model to determine the climatic sensitivity of Greenland to combined sets of external forcings and internal feedbacks operating on glacial-interglacial timescales. In particular, we assess the role of atmospheric pCO₂, orbital forcing, and vegetation dynamics in modifying thresholds for the onset of glaciation in late Pliocene and Pleistocene. The response of circum-Arctic vegetation to declining levels of pCO₂ (from 400 to 200 ppmv) and decreasing summer insolation includes a shift from boreal forest to tundra biomes, with implications for the surface energy balance. The expansion of tundra amplifies summer surface cooling and heat loss from the ground, leading to an expanded summer snow cover over Greenland. Atmospheric and land surface fields respond to forcing most prominently in late spring-summer and are more sensitive at lower Pleistocene-like levels of pCO₂. We find cold boreal summer orbits produce favorable conditions for ice sheet growth, however simulated ice sheet extents are highly dependent on both background pCO₂ levels and land-surface characteristics. As a result, late Pliocene ice sheet configurations on Greenland differ considerably from late Pleistocene, with smaller ice caps on high elevations of southern and eastern Greenland, even when orbital forcing is favorable for ice sheet growth.     

CMIP6冰盖模式比较计划(ISMIP)概况与评述

冰盖是大面积(超过50000 km^2)覆盖陆地表面的极厚冰体,在重力作用下的形变宏观上表现为由内陆向沿海流动[1],当前世界上仅存格陵兰和南极两大冰盖。广大的内陆区域冰雪终年不化,以极低的速率积累表面降雪继而密实化为冰川。受基岩性质和地热通量的影响,冰盖底部融化润滑在冰盖内部形成快速冰流通道。如果融水在下游积累到一定程度,则会进一步发育成为相互连通的冰下水文系统,并最终汇入海洋[2]。当固体冰川流向海洋时,受地形约束可能形成冰架,由冰水密度比值可知只有约1/10漂浮在海面以上,绝大部分冰架与海水直接接触。     

一个气候系统模式对小冰期外强迫变化的平衡态响应

本文利用中国科学院大气物理研究所大气科学和地球流体力学数值模拟国家重点实验室发展的气候系统模式FGOALS_gl, 通过设定小冰期的太阳辐射变化, 模拟了小冰期的气候平衡态, 讨论了小冰期气候变化的机理。数值试验结果表明, 由太阳辐照度变化和火山活动共同作用造成的太阳辐射减少是小冰期气候的重要成因, 模拟的小冰期表层气温变化分布与重建资料在全球大多数地区较为一致。就全球平均情况而言, 小冰期的年平均气温较之1860年偏冷0.15℃, 较之20世纪平均情况偏冷0.6℃左右。小冰期温度变化存在显著的地域和季节特征, 表现为北半球降温幅度大于南半球, 高纬地区降温幅度大于低纬地区, 夏季的降温幅度大于冬季。东亚地区小冰期温度较之1860年和20世纪分别偏冷0.3℃和0.6℃。小冰期的降水异常中心位于低纬地区, 主要表现为赤道中东太平洋降水负异常和赤道中西太平洋降水正异常, 以及位于热带印度洋的降水偶极子型。除欧洲和北美外, 全球其他地区陆地降水均减少。东亚地区小冰期夏季降水的变化最为显著, 较之1860年, 华北、 东北地区降水增加, 而长江流域以南降水则减少; 较之20世纪, 东部降水异常表现出华北地区偏多、长江流域偏少、华南地区偏多的“三极型” 分布特征。     

Early Last Interglacial Greenland Ice Sheet melting and a sustained period of meridional overturning weakening: a model analysis of the uncertainties

Proxy-data suggest that the Last Interglacial (LIG; ~130–116 ka BP) climate was characterized by higher temperatures, a partially melted Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS) and a changed Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). Notwithstanding the uncertainties in LIG palaeoclimatic reconstructions, this setting potentially provides an opportunity to evaluate the relation between GIS melt and the AMOC as simulated by climate models. However, first we need to assess the extent to which a causal relation between early LIG GIS melt and the weakened AMOC is plausible. With a series of transient LIG climate simulations with the LOVECLIM earth system model, we quantify the importance of the major known uncertainties involved in early LIG GIS melt scenarios. Based on this we construct a specific scenario that is within the parameter space of uncertainties and show that it is physically consistent that early LIG GIS melting kept the AMOC weakened. Notwithstanding, this scenario is at the extreme end of the parameter space. Assuming that proxy-based reconstructions of early LIG AMOC weakening offer a realistic representation of its past state, this indicates that either (1) the AMOC weakening was caused by other forcings than early LIG GIS melt or (2) the early LIG AMOC was less stable than indicated by our simulations and a small amount of GIS melt was sufficient to keep the AMOC in the weak state of a bi-stable regime. We argue that more intensive research is required because of the high potential of the early LIG to evaluate model performance in relation to the AMOC response to GIS melt.     

Risk Estimation of Collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

Complete collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) would raise global sea level by around 5 m, but whether collapse is likely, or even possible, has been `glaciology's grand unsolved problem' for more than two decades. Collapse of WAIS may result from readjustments continuing since the last glacial maximum, or more recent climate change, but it is also possible that collapse will result from internal flow instabilities, or not occur at all in the present inter-glacial. Such complexity led the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to conclude in its Second Assessment Report that `estimating the likelihood of a collapse during the next century is not yet possible'. However, a refusal by scientists to estimate the risk leaves policy-makers with no sound scientific basis on which to respond to legitimate public concerns. Here we present a discussion of the likelihood of WAIS-collapse, drawing input from an interdisciplinary panel of experts. The results help to summarise the state of scientific knowledge and uncertainty. While the overall opinion of the panel was that WAIS most likely will not collapse in the next few centuries, their uncertainty retains a 5% probability of WAIS causing sea level rise at least 10 mm/year within 200 years. Since this uncertainty reflects both the unpredictability of the physical system and the scientific uncertainty, it will undoubtedly change as a better understanding is established.     

一个海-冰-气耦合模式中格陵兰海海冰年际变异及其成因的个例分

利用一个全球海-冰-气耦合模式模拟结果, 选取冬季年际变率最大的海冰区--格陵兰海海冰区中的一个4年海冰剧烈变化过程展开分析, 试图探讨此个例过程中海冰剧烈变化的原因.结果表明, 在此个例中, 该区域海冰年际变异主要是由大气环流异常驱动的, 海表面温度和海冰密集度变化主要是对大气环流变化的响应.海表面温度变化决定着海冰范围及海冰密集度的变化, 但海冰变化时通过相变潜热的释放或吸收反过来对海表面温度变化有一定影响.     

Investigations of the heat balance in the area of ablation on the Greenland Ice Cap

Summary A report on the glacio-meteorological research program for investigation of the energy economy in the ablation area of the Greenland Ice Cap is given. Experience obtained at the calibration ofR. Schulze's radiation balance meter and of theMoll-Gorczynski solarimeter is communicated.The contribution of the individual components of heat balance to the transformation of energy is estimated for an ablation period of eleven days. The difference between measured and calculated ablation was found to be 4 per cent.The high contribution of radiation and the insignificant contribution of heat convection are characteristic of the transformation of energy of the melting ice surface on the Greenland Ice Cap. Conditions of evaporation are much more frequent than conditions of condensation. Nevertheless, the amount of evaporated ice is only 1.5 per cent of the melted ice. About 10 per cent of the energy available for melting is consumed for the heating of the ice at lower levels.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird über ein glazial-meteorologisches Forschungsprogramm zur Untersuchung des Energiehaushaltes im Ablationsgebiet des Grönlandeises berichtet. Einige Erfahrungen bei der Eichung eines Strahlungsbilanzmessers nachR. Schulze und eines SolarimetersMoll-Gorczynski werden mitgeteilt.Der Beitrag der einzelnen Komponenten des Wärmehaushaltes zum Energieumsatz wird für eine elftägige Ablationsperiode abgeschätzt. Es ergibt sich eine Differenz von 4% zwischen gemessener und berechneter Ablation.Für den Energieumsatz der schmelzenden Eisoberfläche des Grönlandeises ist der hohe Beitrag der Strahlung und der geringfügige Beitrag des konvektiv zugeführten Wärmestromes charakteristisch. Die Bedingung für Verdunstung ist weit häufiger erfüllt als die Bedingung für Kondensation. Trotzdem beträgt die verdunstete Eismasse nur 1,5% der geschmolzenen Eismasse. Für die Erwärmung des Eises werden etwa 10% der für Schmelzung verfügbaren Energie verbraucht.

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Résumé Exposé concernant le programme de recherches de glaciologie météorologique sur l'économie énergétique dans le domaine de l'ablation de l'islandsis groenlandais. Expériences faites lors de l'étalonnage d'un intégrateur du bilan radiatif d'aprèsR. Schulze et d'un solarimètre deMoll-Gorczynski.L'auteur tente d'estimer les diverses composantes du bilan radiatif dans le processus énergétique d'ablation glaciaire d'une durée de onze jours; un écart de 4% apparaît entre l'ablation mesurée et calculée.La fusion superficielle du glacier est caractérisée par le rôle prépondérant du rayonnement et par un apport très faible de la chaleur fournie par la convection. Les conditions favorables à l'évaporation sont beaucoup plus fréquentes que celles de la condensation; la masse de glace évaporée ne représente cependant qui le 1,5% de la glace fondue. Le 10% de l'énergie disponible pour la fusion est absorbé par le réchauffement de la glace.

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Mit 5 Figures     

A View of Earth System Model Development

This paper gives a definition of earth system model and shows three development phases of it, including physical climate system model, earth climate system model, and earth system model, based on an inves- tigation of climate system models in the world. It provides an expatiation on the strategic significance of future development of earth system model, an introduction of some representative scientific research plans on development of earth system model home and abroad, and a review of its status and trends based on the models of the fourth assessment report （AR4） ofthe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change （IPCC）. Some suggestions on future development of earth system model in China are given, which are expected to be helpful to advance the development.     

Orbital Forcing and Endogenous Nonlinearity in the Pleistocene: The Greenland Ice Core

The succession of ice ages and interglacials during the Pleistocene is understood to have been caused primarily by shifts in the earth's orbit. At the same time, there is evidence of high variability in climate at suborbital frequencies. This paper conducts a statistical analysis of Pleistocene climate using the Greenland Ice Core Research Project (GRIP) data. Factoring temperature into the component explained by orbital forcing and a residual demonstrates that variations at suborbital frequencies are nonlinear and aperiodic. There is evidence of a regular cycle at 7.9 kyr, evidently a subharmonic of the orbital frequencies. Apart from this, however, the proximate memory of both the actual data and the residual decays slowly over a period of 15 kyr. Residual variations in temperature show two prominent features, alternating periods of high and low volatility, and states of distance from and proximity to the path implied by orbital forcing. A parametric model incorporating both of these properties is fit to the data, and is found to significantly improve the forecastability of climate. Transitions between states of proximity and distance from the orbital path can be partially predicted using the statistical model.     

区域地球系统模式研究进展

区域地球系统模式是区域气候模式下一阶段的主要发展目标。本文阐述了发展区域地球系统模式的重要意义,分析了近年来区域地球系统模式的研究进展和典型案例,指出其多圈层通量耦合、空间分辨率提高以及耦合数据同化的三个共性特征。建议以开源共创的方式整合各界研究力量,加快建设我国自主可控的区域地球系统模式;围绕新建立的模式开展跨学科研究,特别关注其中多圈层、多尺度过程的相互作用;围绕高分辨率区域地球系统模式建立区域数字孪生监测预警平台,用于关键区域的防灾减灾和关键决策支撑。