Evaluation of the glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) models for Antarctica based on GPS vertical velocities

Due to the scarcity of data, modeling the glacial isostatic adjustment(GIA) for Antarctica is more difficult than it is for the ancient ice sheet area in North America and Northern Europe. Large uncertainties are observed in existing GIA models for Antarctica. Modern space-based geodetic measurements provide checks and constraints for GIA models. The present-day uplift velocities of global positioning system(GPS) stations at 73 stations in Antarctica and adjacent regions from 1996 to 2014 have been estimated using GAMIT/GLOBK version 10.5 with a colored noise model. To easily analyze the effect of difference sources on the vertical velocities, and for easy comparison with both GIA model predictions and GPS results from Argus et al.(2014) and Thomas et al.(2011), seven sub-regions are divided. They are the northern Antarctic Peninsula, the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, the Amundsen Sea coast, the Ross Ice Shelf, Mount Erebus, inland Southwest Antarctica and the East Antarctic coast,respectively. The results show that the fast uplift in the north Antarctic Peninsula and Pine Island Bay regions may be caused by the elastic response to snow and ice mass loss. The fast subsidence near Mount Erebus may be related to the activity of a magma body. The uplift or subsidence near the East Antarctic coast is very slow while the uplift for the rest regions is mainly caused by GIA. By analyzing the correlation and the associated weighted root mean square(WRMS) between the GIA predictions and the GPS velocities, we found that the ICE-6G_C(VM5a) model and the Geruo 13 model show the most consistency with our GPS results, while the W12a and IJ05_R2 series models show poor consistency with our GPS results. Although improved greatly in recent years, the GIA modeling in Antarctica still lags behind the modeling of the North American. Some GPS stations, for example the Bennett Nunatak station(BENN), have observed large discrepancies between GIA predictions and GPS velocities.Because of the large uncertainties in calculating elastic responses due to the significant variations of ice and snow loads, the GPS velocities still cannot be used as a precise constraint on GIA models.     

Heavy metal enrichment in Antarctic precipitation and near surface snow

Ion exchange and flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry methods were used to measure the concentrations of sodium, manganese, iron and silver in snow accumulating at several sites on the Antarctic continent. The results show that the ratio of Mn/Fe is consistently close to the crustal value at all sites. The silver concentrations observed suggest a different origin, probably oceanic. When referenced to sodium, the degrees of enrichment of silver, manganese and iron increase by factors of 8, 2 and 2 respectively over a distance of 500 km from the ocean, after changes in sodium are accounted for.Investigation of the heavy metal content of fresh falling precipitation occorring on the Ross Ice Shelf, has shown that more enhanced enrichments of silver, manganese and iron occur in this fresh precipitation by factors up to 100, than in samples of snow and firn collected from shallow (up to 2 meters depth) pits at the same locations. Because the occurrences of these precipitation types vary temporally and geographically, it seems apparent that the shear stress conditions in the near surface boundary layer need to be considered in studies of snow and ice chemistry, particularly in polar regions where the chemical composition of permanent snow and ice fields are often investigated for evidence of climatic change, of glaciological behavior and of origins of chemical constituents.     

A Downscaling Approach Toward High-Resolution Surface Mass Balance Over Antarctica

The Antarctic ice sheet surface mass balance shows high spatial variability over the coastal area. As state-of-the-art climate models usually require coarse resolutions to keep computational costs to a moderate level, they miss some local features that can be captured by field measurements. The downscaling approach adopted here consists of using a cascade of atmospheric models from large scale to meso-?? scale. A regional climate model (Modèle Atmosphérique Régional) forced by meteorological reanalyses provides a diagnostic physically-based rain- and snowfall downscaling model with meteorological fields at the regional scale. Although the parameterizations invoked by the downscaling model are fairly simple, the knowledge of small-scale topography significantly improves the representation of spatial variability of precipitation and therefore that of the surface mass balance. Model evaluation is carried out with the help of shallow firn cores and snow height measurements provided by automatic weather stations. Although downscaling of blowing snow still needs to be implemented in the model, the net accumulation gradient across Law Dome summit is shown to be induced mostly by orographic effects on precipitation.     

Response of the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets to Multi-Millennial Greenhouse Warming in the Earth System Model of Intermediate Complexity LOVECLIM

Calculations were performed with the Earth system model of intermediate complexity LOVECLIM to study the response of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets to sustained multi-millennial greenhouse warming. Use was made of fully dynamic 3D thermomechanical ice-sheet models bidirectionally coupled to an atmosphere and an ocean model. Two 3,000-year experiments were evaluated following forcing scenarios with atmospheric CO₂ concentration increased to two and four times the pre-industrial value, and held constant thereafter. In the high concentration scenario the model shows a sustained mean annual warming of up to 10°C in both polar regions. This leads to an almost complete disintegration of the Greenland ice sheet after 3,000 years, almost entirely caused by increased surface melting. Significant volume loss of the Antarctic ice sheet takes many centuries to initiate due to the thermal inertia of the Southern Ocean but is equivalent to more than 4 m of global sea-level rise by the end of simulation period. By that time, surface conditions along the East Antarctic ice sheet margin take on characteristics of the present-day Greenland ice sheet. West Antarctic ice shelves have thinned considerably from subshelf melting and grounding lines have retreated over distances of several 100 km, especially for the Ross ice shelf. In the low concentration scenario, corresponding to a local warming of 3?C4°C, polar ice-sheet melting proceeds at a much lower rate. For the first 1,200 years, the Antarctic ice sheet is even slightly larger than today on account of increased accumulation rates but contributes positively to sea-level rise after that. The Greenland ice sheet loses mass at a rate equivalent to 35 cm of global sea level rise during the first 1,000 years increasing to 150 cm during the last 1,000 years. For both scenarios, ice loss from the Antarctic ice sheet is still accelerating after 3,000 years despite a constant greenhouse gas forcing after the first 70?C140 years of the simulation.     

Characteristics and distribution patterns of snow and meteoric ice in the Weddell Sea and their contribution to the mass balance of sea ice

Based on snow- and ice-thickness measurements at >11 000 points augmented by snow- and icecore studies during 4 expeditions from 1986 - 92 in the Weddell Sea, we describe characteristics and distribution patterns of snow and meteoric ice and assess their importance for the mass balance of sea ice. For first-year ice (FY) in the central and eastern Weddell Sea, mean snow depth amounts to 0.16 m (mean ice thickness 0.75 m) compared to 0.53 m (mean ice thickness 1.70 m) for second-year ice (SY) in the northwestern Weddell Sea. Ridged ice retains a thicker snow cover than level ice, with ice thickness and snow depth negatively correlated for the latter, most likely due to aeolian redistribution. During the different expeditions, 8, 15, 17 and 40% of all drill holes exhibited negative freeboard. As a result of flooding and brine seepage into the snow pack, snow salinities averaged 4‰. Through ¹⁸O measurements the distribution of meteoric ice (i.e. precipitation) in the sea-ice cover was assessed. Roughly 4% of the total ice thickness consist of meteoric ice (FY 3%, SY 5%). With a mean density of 290 kg/m³, the snow cover itself contributes 8% to total ice mass (7% FY, 11% SY). Analysis of ¹⁸O in snow indicates a local maximum in accumulation in the 65 to 75^S latitude zone. Hydrogen peroxide in the snow has proven useful as a temporal tracer and for identification of second-year floes. Drawing on accumulation data from stations at the Weddell Sea coast, it becomes clear that the onset of ice growth is important for the evolution of ice thickness and the interaction between ice and snow. Loss of snow to leads due to wind drift may be considerable, yet is reduced owing to metamorphic processes in the snow column. This is confirmed by a comparison of accumulation data from coastal stations and from snow depths over sea ice. Temporal and spatial accumulation patterns of snow are shown to be important in controlling the sea-ice cover evolution.     

基于远震接收函数的南极大陆冰盖厚度研究

冰盖厚度是研究南极冰盖质量、建立冰盖动力学模型的基本参数,对于冰川均衡调整、冰盖物质平衡及全球气候变化研究具有重要意义.基于地震学的远震接收函数和H-Kappa格网搜索方法可以用于地震台站下方冰盖厚度的可靠探测,不仅能与冰雷达获得的冰盖厚度进行独立对比,还可以与冰雷达方法相互补充,进一步填补南极大陆冰盖厚度探测空白区.本文利用布设于南极大陆冰盖上方的流动地震台阵记录到的远震波形数据,基于接收函数方法对台阵下方的冰盖厚度进行了研究.结果显示:基于远震接收函数方法的冰盖厚度与Bedmap2冰厚格网模型相比,二者差别大多在200 m以内;少数台站差值达到600 m左右,这一差别可能与Bedmap2测线分布空区、冰雷达测深不确定性以及冰盖内部复杂波速结构等因素有关.本文研究结果表明:利用南极大陆冰盖上方的流动地震台阵,基于远震接收函数方法可以获得比较可靠的南极冰盖厚度,为独立验证冰雷达的探测结果并弥补冰雷达探测空白区提供了有效方法.同时,部分台站接收函数波形的复杂性可能暗示了南极大陆数千米厚的冰盖内部结构不是均一的,仍然存在比较复杂的内部结构变化.因此,有必要进一步利用包括接收函数波形拟合、地震面波反演等方法对南极大陆冰盖厚度及其内部精细结构进行更为深入的研究.     

南极半岛地区GPS坐标时间序列噪声分析及形变模式初探

有色噪声广泛存在于各种连续GPS站坐标时间序列,对GPS时间序列分析有重要影响.利用GAMIT/GLOBK软件解算了南极半岛地区8个GPS测站2010—2014年的实测数据,对坐标时间序列使用主分量分析法(PCA)进行了空间滤波,利用CATS软件估计了不同噪声模型下和空间滤波前后的噪声量级、站坐标时间序列参数及其不确定度,最后对南极半岛地区水平和垂向的形变模式进行了分析和讨论.结果表明,南极半岛地区GPS时间序列不仅存在白噪声,还存在较大量级的闪烁噪声,部分测站E方向在滤波前可能存在随机游走噪声;空间滤波能够有效降低这三种噪声的量级,从而有效减小线性项和周期项估计的不确定度;南极半岛地区在水平方向主要表现为板块运动,还可能存在局部性构造运动;在垂直方向上由冰川均衡调整(Glacial Isostatic Adjustment,GIA)因素引起的抬升较小,主要表现为现今冰雪质量损失引起的弹性抬升运动.     

Estimation of snow water equivalent using microwave radiometry over Arctic first‐year sea ice

The magnitude and spatial distribution of snow on sea ice are both integral components of the ocean–sea‐ice–atmosphere system. Although there exists a number of algorithms to estimate the snow water equivalent (SWE) on terrestrial surfaces, to date there is no precise method to estimate SWE on sea ice. Physical snow properties and in situ microwave radiometry at 19, 37 and 85 GHz, V and H polarization were collected for a 10‐day period over 20 first‐year sea ice sites. We present and compare the in situ physical, electrical and microwave emission properties of snow over smooth Arctic first‐year sea ice for 19 of the 20 sites sampled. Physical processes creating the observed vertical patterns in the physical and electrical properties are discussed. An algorithm is then developed from the relationship between the SWE and the brightness temperature measured at 37 GHz (55°) H polarization and the air temperature. The multiple regression between these variables is able to account for over 90% of the variability in the measured SWE. This algorithm is validated with a small in situ data set collected during the 1999 field experiment. We then compare our data against the NASA snow thickness algorithm, designed as part of the NASA Earth Enterprise Program. The results indicated a lack of agreement between the NASA algorithm and the algorithm developed here. This lack of agreement is attributed to differences in scale between the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager and surface radiometers and to differences in the Antarctic versus Arctic snow physical and electrical properties. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Measurement of ice flow velocities from GPS positions logged by short-period seismographs in East Antarctica

The ice flow velocity is a basic feature of glaciers and ice sheets. Measuring ice flow velocities is very important for estimating the mass balance of ice sheets in the Arctic and Antarctic. Traditional methods for measuring ice flow velocity include the use of stakes, snow pits and on-site geodetic GPS and remote sensing measurement methods. Geodetic GPS measurements have high accuracy, but geodetic GPS monitoring points only sparsely cover the Antarctic ice sheets. Moreover, the resolution and accuracy of ice flow velocities based on remote sensing measurements are low. Although the accuracy of the location data recorded by the navigation-grade GPS receivers embedded in short-period seismographs is not as good as that of geodetic GPS,the ice flow velocity can be accurately measured by these navigation-grade GPS data collected over a sufficiently long period. In this paper, navigation-grade GPS location data obtained by passive seismic observations during the 36 th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition were used to accurately track the movement characteristics of the ice sheet in the Larsemann Hills of East Antarctica and the Taishan Station area. The results showed that the ice sheet in the two study areas is basically moving northwestward with an average ice flow velocity of approximately 1 m mon-1. The results in the Taishan Station area are basically consistent with the geodetic GPS results, indicating that it is feasible to use the embedded GPS location data from shortperiod seismographs to track the movement characteristics of ice sheets. The ice flow characteristics in the Larsemann Hills are more complex. The measured ice flow velocities in the Larsemann Hills with a resolution of 200 m help to understand its characteristics. In summary, the ice flow velocities derived from GPS location data are of great significance for studying ice sheet dynamics and glacier mass balance and for evaluating the systematic errors caused by ice sheet movements in seismic imaging.     

Solar wind influence on atmospheric processes in winter Antarctica

Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) altered by solar wind are traditionally regarded as the most plausible agent of solar activity influence on the Earth's atmosphere. However, it is well known that severe reductions in the GCRs flux, known as Forbush decreases (FDs), are caused by solar wind of high speed and density, which sweeps away the GCRs on its way. Since the FD beginnings are registered at the Earth's orbit simultaneously with dramatic disturbances in the solar wind, the atmospheric effects, assigned to FDs, can be, in reality, the results of the solar wind influence on the atmospheric processes. This paper presents a summary of the experimental results demonstrating the strong influence of the interplanetary electric field on atmospheric processes in central Antarctica, where the large-scale system of vertical circulation is formed during winter seasons. The influence is realized through acceleration of the air masses, descending into the lower atmosphere from the troposphere, and the formation of cloudiness above the Antarctic Ridge, where the descending air masses enter the surface layer. The acceleration is followed by a sharp increase of the atmospheric pressure near-pole region, which gives rise to the katabatic wind strengthening above the entire Antarctica. The cloudiness formation results in the sudden warmings in the surface atmosphere, since the cloud layer efficiently backscatters the long wavelength radiation from the ice sheet, but does not affect the adiabatic warming process of the descending tropospheric air masses. When the drainage flow strengthening the circumpolar vortex around the periphery of the Antarctic continent decays, the surface easterlies typical of the coast stations during the winter season are replaced by southerlies and the cold Antarctic air masses flow out to the Southern ocean.     

南极中山站至Dome A考察断面湍流参数特征近地层湍流参数特征

利用南极中山站至Dome A考察断面上3个自动气象站2005～2007年的观测资料和2008年夏季在中山站附近冰盖获取的湍流观测资料,应用空气动力学方法和涡动相关法计算分析了中山站至Dome A断面上近地层各种湍流参数(感热通量,潜热通量,湍流温度、湿度和速度尺度,地表粗糙度,大气稳定度及动量输送系数)的季节变化、日变...     

Halogen contamination in Antarctic H5 and H6 chondrites and relation to sites of recovery

The distribution of the elements F, Cl, Br and I was analysed in layers removed stepwise from Antarctic H5 and H6 chondrites. All meteorites show higher concentrations of these elements on their surfaces than in their interiors. The degree of halogen enrichment cannot be correlated with the degree of visual weathering and is proportional to the time the meteorites were residing on the surface of the Antarctic ice. During this period, aerosols, salts and gaseous components are deposited on the surfaces of the meteorites and diffuse into their interior. The observed contamination level of the meteorites is influenced by leaching properties and diffusion behaviour of the individual halogens. The major contamination source for F, Cl and probably Br is air-borne seaspray; for I it is the gaseous compound methyl iodide (CH₃I) produced by biological processes in the sea. Methyl iodide and its oxidation products formed in the Antarctic atmosphere (e.g., I₂) can be transported over longer distances to the interior of Antarctica than air-borne seaspray. Therefore, the ratio of the halogen contamination is related to the collection site of the meteorites. All meteorites that were found in the Antarctic interior are contaminated to a lesser degree by F, Cl and Br relative to I than those found near the coast. The measured enrichment ratio of I/F is a function of the distance between the collection site and the open sea, and increases from the Allan Hills to the Thiel Mountains. By revealing the degree of contamination of a meteorite it is possible to determine its maximum surface residence time on the Antarctic ice.     

Preliminary results of the close-off depth and the stable isotopic records along a 109.91 m ice core from Dome A,Antarctica

A 109.91 m ice core was recovered from Dome A (or Dome Argus), the highest ice feature in Antarctica, during the 2004/05 austral summer by the 21st Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE-21). Both methane profile along the core and firn densification model calculation suggest that the close-off depth is at about 102.0 m with an ice age about 4200 a. Stable isotopes (δ18O and δD) of the chips samples produced during each run of ice core drilling at Dome A, together with those of the other co...     

Snowdrift effect on snow deposition: Insights from a comparison of a snow pit profile and meteorological observations in east Antarctica

A high-frequency and precise ultrasonic sounder was used to monitor precipitated/deposited and drift snow events over a 3-year period(17 January 2005 to 4 January 2008) at the Eagle automatic weather station site,inland Antarctica.Ion species and oxygen isotope ratios were also generated from a snow pit below the sensor.These accumulation and snowdrift events were used to examine the synchronism with seasonal variations of δ~(18)O and ion species,providing an opportunity to assess the snowdrift effect in typical Antarctic inland conditions.There were up to 1-year differences for this 3-year-long snow pit between the traditional dating method and ultrasonic records.This difference implies that in areas with low accumulation or high wind,the snowdrift effect can induce abnormal disturbances on snow deposition.The snowdrift effect should be seriously taken into account for high-resolution dating of ice cores and estimation of surface mass balance,especially when the morphology of most Antarctic inland areas is similar to that of the Eagle site.     

An overview of black carbon deposition in High Asia glaciers and its impacts on radiation balance

Since 2000, 18 High Asia glaciers have been surveyed for black carbon (BC) deposition 22 times, and numerous snow samples and ice cores have been collected by researchers. However, most of the results were interpreted individually in papers. Here, we assemble the data and discuss the distribution of BC deposition and its impacts on the melting of the glaciers through radiative forcing. We find that BC distribution on the surfaces of High Asia glaciers primarily depends upon their elevations (i.e., higher sites have lower concentrations) and then upon regional BC emissions and surface melting conditions. BC concentrations in High Asia glaciers are similar to the Arctic and western American mountains but are significantly less than heavy industrialized areas such as northern China. Although Himalayan glaciers, which are important due to their water resources, are directly facing the strong emissions from South Asia, their mean BC is the lowest due to high elevations. A new finding indicated by ice core records suggested that great valleys in the eastern Himalayan section are effective pathways for BC entering the Tibetan Plateau and make increasing BC trends in the local glaciers. On average, BC deposition causes a mean forcing of ∼6 W m⁻² (roughly estimated 5% of the total forcing) in High Asia glaciers and therefore may not be a major factor impacting the melting of most glaciers.     

An examination of snow redistribution over smooth land‐fast sea ice

An understanding of temporal evolution of snow on sea ice at different spatial scales is essential for improvement of snow parameterization in sea ice models. One of the problems we face, however, is that long‐term climate data are routinely available for land and not for sea ice. In this paper, we examine the temporal evolution of snow over smooth land‐fast first‐year sea ice using observational and modelled data. Changes in probability density functions indicate that depositional and drifting events control the evolution of snow distribution. Geostatistical analysis suggests that snowdrifts increased over the study period, and the orientation was related to the meteorological conditions. At the microscale, the temporal evolution of the snowdrifts was a product of infilling in the valleys between drifts. Results using two shore‐based climate reporting stations (Paulatuk and Tuktoyuktuk, NWT) suggest that on‐ice air temperature and relative humidity can be estimated using air temperature recorded at either station. Wind speed, direction and precipitation on ice cannot be accurately estimated using meteorological data from either station. The temporal evolution of snow distribution over smooth land‐fast sea ice was modelled using SnowModel and four different forcing regimes. The results from these model runs indicate a lack of agreement between observed distribution and model outputs. The reasons for these results are lack of meteorological measurements prior to the end of January, lack of spatially adequate surface topography and discrepancies between meteorological variables on land and ice. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mass balance of the Lambert Glacier basin, East Antarctica

Since it is the largest glacier system in Antarctica, the Lambert Glacier basin plays an important role in the mass balance of the overall Antarctic ice sheet. The observed data and shallow core studies from the inland traverse investigations in recent years show that there are noticeable differences in the distribution and variability of the snow accumulation rate between east and west sides. On the east side, the accumulation is higher on the average and has increased in the past decades, while on the west side it is contrary. The ice movement measurement and the ice flux calculation indicate that the ice velocity and the flux are larger in east than in west, meaning that the major part of mass supply for the glacier is from the east side. The mass budget estimate with the latest data gives that the integrated accumulation over the upstream area of the investigation traverse route is larger than the outflow ice flux by 13%, suggesting that the glacier basin is in a positive mass balance state and the ice thickness will increase if the present climate is keeping.     

Effects of Arctic Sea Ice Decline on Weather and Climate: A Review

The areal extent, concentration and thickness of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas have strongly decreased during the recent decades, but cold, snow-rich winters have been common over mid-latitude land areas since 2005. A review is presented on studies addressing the local and remote effects of the sea ice decline on weather and climate. It is evident that the reduction in sea ice cover has increased the heat flux from the ocean to atmosphere in autumn and early winter. This has locally increased air temperature, moisture, and cloud cover and reduced the static stability in the lower troposphere. Several studies based on observations, atmospheric reanalyses, and model experiments suggest that the sea ice decline, together with increased snow cover in Eurasia, favours circulation patterns resembling the negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation and Arctic Oscillation. The suggested large-scale pressure patterns include a high over Eurasia, which favours cold winters in Europe and northeastern Eurasia. A high over the western and a low over the eastern North America have also been suggested, favouring advection of Arctic air masses to North America. Mid-latitude winter weather is, however, affected by several other factors, which generate a large inter-annual variability and often mask the effects of sea ice decline. In addition, the small sample of years with a large sea ice loss makes it difficult to distinguish the effects directly attributable to sea ice conditions. Several studies suggest that, with advancing global warming, cold winters in mid-latitude continents will no longer be common during the second half of the twenty-first century. Recent studies have also suggested causal links between the sea ice decline and summer precipitation in Europe, the Mediterranean, and East Asia.     

Projecting future sea level

Through the use of fossil fuels as an energy source, mankind is slowly changing the constitution of the atmosphere. The emission of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases changes the radiative properties of the earth/atmosphere system, and as a result climate is expected to become warmer. As a starting point for the sea-level rise scenario discussed here it is assumed that the globally-averaged increase of surface air temperatures will amount to 2 to 4°C in the second half of the next century (i.e. around 2085 AD). One of the consequences of this warming is an accelerated rise in sea level, caused by thermal expansion of ocean water and further retreat of mountain glaciers. The Greenland Ice Sheet will also decrease in size, but on the other hand, Antarctica is expected to grow slightly due to increased snowfall. Taken together, the projection for future sea level presented here suggest that by 2085 AD, global sea-level stand will be 28–66 cm higher than the present level, which implies a rate of sea-level rise of about 2 to 4 times that observed during the last 100 yr. Our scenario does not include a contribution resulting from the possible collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. If this collapse is indeed likely to occur after the major peripheral ice shelves have thinned considerably, the effects on sea level will be small in the coming 100 yr. First, the oceans surrounding Antarctica must have warmed sufficiently to reduce the winter sea-ice extent to allow circumpolar deep water to penetrate into the sub-shelf cavities, thus increasing basal melt rates on the ice shelves. Of course, on longer time scales, West Antarctica could become the major contributor to rising sea level.