Surface energy balance closure over melting snow and ice from in situ measurements on the Greenland ice sheet
Accurately quantifying all the components of the surface energy balance (SEB) is a prerequisite for the reliable estimation of surface melt and the surface mass balance over ice and snow. This study quantifies the SEB closure by comparing the energy available for surface melt, determined from contin...
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Cambridge University Press
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Glaciology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143024000686/type/journal_article |
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| author | Maurice van Tiggelen Paul C. J. P. Smeets Carleen H. Reijmer Dirk van As Jason E. Box Robert S. Fausto Shfaqat Abbas Khan Eric Rignot Michiel R. van den Broeke |
| author_facet | Maurice van Tiggelen Paul C. J. P. Smeets Carleen H. Reijmer Dirk van As Jason E. Box Robert S. Fausto Shfaqat Abbas Khan Eric Rignot Michiel R. van den Broeke |
| author_sort | Maurice van Tiggelen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Accurately quantifying all the components of the surface energy balance (SEB) is a prerequisite for the reliable estimation of surface melt and the surface mass balance over ice and snow. This study quantifies the SEB closure by comparing the energy available for surface melt, determined from continuous measurements of radiative fluxes and turbulent heat fluxes, to the surface ablation measured on the Greenland ice sheet between 2003 and 2023. We find that the measured daily energy available for surface melt exceeds the observed surface melt by on average 18 ± 30 W m−2 for snow and 12 ± 54 W m−2 for ice conditions (mean ± SD), which corresponds to 46 and 10% of the average energy available for surface melt, respectively. When the surface is not melting, the daily SEB is on average closed within 5 W m−2. Based on the inter-comparison of different ablation sensors and radiometers installed on different stations, and on the evaluation of modelled turbulent heat fluxes, we conclude that measurement uncertainties prevent a better daily to sub-daily SEB closure. These results highlight the need and challenges in obtaining accurate long-term in situ SEB observations for the proper evaluation of climate models and for the validation of remote sensing products. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-640ec102247d405b835e8cc2132a6ae5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Glaciology |
| spelling | doaj-art-640ec102247d405b835e8cc2132a6ae52025-01-16T21:51:55ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Glaciology0022-14301727-56522024-01-017010.1017/jog.2024.68Surface energy balance closure over melting snow and ice from in situ measurements on the Greenland ice sheetMaurice van Tiggelen0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7898-3359Paul C. J. P. Smeets1Carleen H. Reijmer2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8299-3883Dirk van As3Jason E. Box4Robert S. Fausto5Shfaqat Abbas Khan6Eric Rignot7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3366-0481Michiel R. van den Broeke8https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4662-7565Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht (IMAU), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The NetherlandsInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht (IMAU), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The NetherlandsInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht (IMAU), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The NetherlandsGeological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Copenhagen, DenmarkGeological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Copenhagen, DenmarkGeological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Copenhagen, DenmarkDTU Space, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, DenmarkUniversity of California, Irvine, CA, USAInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht (IMAU), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The NetherlandsAccurately quantifying all the components of the surface energy balance (SEB) is a prerequisite for the reliable estimation of surface melt and the surface mass balance over ice and snow. This study quantifies the SEB closure by comparing the energy available for surface melt, determined from continuous measurements of radiative fluxes and turbulent heat fluxes, to the surface ablation measured on the Greenland ice sheet between 2003 and 2023. We find that the measured daily energy available for surface melt exceeds the observed surface melt by on average 18 ± 30 W m−2 for snow and 12 ± 54 W m−2 for ice conditions (mean ± SD), which corresponds to 46 and 10% of the average energy available for surface melt, respectively. When the surface is not melting, the daily SEB is on average closed within 5 W m−2. Based on the inter-comparison of different ablation sensors and radiometers installed on different stations, and on the evaluation of modelled turbulent heat fluxes, we conclude that measurement uncertainties prevent a better daily to sub-daily SEB closure. These results highlight the need and challenges in obtaining accurate long-term in situ SEB observations for the proper evaluation of climate models and for the validation of remote sensing products.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143024000686/type/journal_articleenergy balanceglaciological instruments and methodsice/atmosphere interactionsmelt – surfacesnow/ice surface processes |
| spellingShingle | Maurice van Tiggelen Paul C. J. P. Smeets Carleen H. Reijmer Dirk van As Jason E. Box Robert S. Fausto Shfaqat Abbas Khan Eric Rignot Michiel R. van den Broeke Surface energy balance closure over melting snow and ice from in situ measurements on the Greenland ice sheet Journal of Glaciology energy balance glaciological instruments and methods ice/atmosphere interactions melt – surface snow/ice surface processes |
| title | Surface energy balance closure over melting snow and ice from in situ measurements on the Greenland ice sheet |
| title_full | Surface energy balance closure over melting snow and ice from in situ measurements on the Greenland ice sheet |
| title_fullStr | Surface energy balance closure over melting snow and ice from in situ measurements on the Greenland ice sheet |
| title_full_unstemmed | Surface energy balance closure over melting snow and ice from in situ measurements on the Greenland ice sheet |
| title_short | Surface energy balance closure over melting snow and ice from in situ measurements on the Greenland ice sheet |
| title_sort | surface energy balance closure over melting snow and ice from in situ measurements on the greenland ice sheet |
| topic | energy balance glaciological instruments and methods ice/atmosphere interactions melt – surface snow/ice surface processes |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143024000686/type/journal_article |
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