TY - JOUR
T1 - Basin-scale partitioning of Greenland ice sheet mass balance components (2007-2011)
AU - Andersen, M.L.
AU - Stenseng, L.
AU - Skourup, H.
AU - Colgan, W.
AU - Khan, S.A.
AU - Kristensen, S.S.
AU - Andersen, S.B.
AU - Box, J.E.
AU - Ahlstrøm, A.P.
AU - Fettweis, X.
AU - Forsberg, R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2015/1/1
Y1 - 2015/1/1
N2 - The current deficit in Greenland ice sheet mass balance is due to both a decrease in surface mass balance (SMB) input and an increase in ice discharge (D) output. While SMB processes are beginning to be well captured by observationally-constrained climate modeling, insight into D is relatively limited. We use InSAR-derived velocities, in combination with ice thickness observations, to quantify the mass flux (F) across a flux perimeter around the ice sheet at ~1700 m elevation. To quantify D, we correct F for SMB, as well as changes in volume due to ice dynamics, in the area downstream of the gate. Using a 1961-1990 reference climatology SMB field from the MAR regional climate model, we quantify ice sheet mass balance within eighteen basins. We find a 2007-2011 mean D of 515±57 Gtyr
-1. We find a 2007-2011 mean total mass balance of -262±21 Gtyr
-1, which is equal to a 0.73 mm yr
-1 global sea level rise contribution. This mass loss is dominated by SMB, which accounts for 61% of mass loss in the basins where partitioning is possible.
AB - The current deficit in Greenland ice sheet mass balance is due to both a decrease in surface mass balance (SMB) input and an increase in ice discharge (D) output. While SMB processes are beginning to be well captured by observationally-constrained climate modeling, insight into D is relatively limited. We use InSAR-derived velocities, in combination with ice thickness observations, to quantify the mass flux (F) across a flux perimeter around the ice sheet at ~1700 m elevation. To quantify D, we correct F for SMB, as well as changes in volume due to ice dynamics, in the area downstream of the gate. Using a 1961-1990 reference climatology SMB field from the MAR regional climate model, we quantify ice sheet mass balance within eighteen basins. We find a 2007-2011 mean D of 515±57 Gtyr
-1. We find a 2007-2011 mean total mass balance of -262±21 Gtyr
-1, which is equal to a 0.73 mm yr
-1 global sea level rise contribution. This mass loss is dominated by SMB, which accounts for 61% of mass loss in the basins where partitioning is possible.
KW - Airborne survey
KW - Flux gate
KW - Greenland ice sheet
KW - Ice discharge
KW - Mass loss partition
KW - Surface mass balance
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84910682257&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.epsl.2014.10.015
DO - 10.1016/j.epsl.2014.10.015
M3 - Article
SN - 0012-821X
VL - 409
SP - 89
EP - 95
JO - Earth and Planetary Science Letters
JF - Earth and Planetary Science Letters
ER -
