Runoff and mass balance of the Greenland ice sheet: 1958-2003

被引:181
作者
Hanna, E [1 ]
Huybrechts, P
Janssens, I
Cappelen, J
Steffen, K
Stephens, A
机构
[1] Univ Sheffield, Dept Geog, Sheffield S10 2TN, S Yorkshire, England
[2] Danish Meteorol Inst, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
[3] Alfred Wegener Inst, D-27515 Bremerhaven, Germany
[4] Vrije Univ Brussels, Dept Geog, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
[5] Univ Colorado, Cooperat Inst Res Environm Sci, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
[6] Rutherford Appleton Lab, British Atmospher Data Ctr, Didcot OX11 0QX, Oxon, England
关键词
D O I
10.1029/2004JD005641
中图分类号
P4 [大气科学(气象学)];
学科分类号
0706 ; 070601 ;
摘要
Meteorological models were used to retrieve annual accumulation, runoff, and surface mass balance on a 5 km x 5 km grid for the Greenland ice sheet for 1958 - 2003. We present the first such history that provides insight into seasonal and interannual variability, which should prove useful for those studying the ice sheet. Derived runoff was validated by means of a control model run and independent in situ data. Modeled accumulation has already been validated using shallow ice core data. Surface mass balance (SMB) responds rapidly on a yearly basis to changing meteorological ( surface air temperature and precipitation) forcing. There are distinct signals in runoff and SMB following three major volcanic eruptions. Runoff losses from the ice sheet were 264 (+/- 26) km(3) yr(-1) in 1961 - 1990 and 372 (+/- 37) km(3) yr(-1) in 1998 - 2003. Significantly rising runoff since the 1990s has been partly offset by increased precipitation. Our best estimate of overall mass balance declined from 22 (+/- 51) km(3) yr(-1) in 1961 - 1990 to - 36 (+/- 59) km(3) yr(-1) in 1998 - 2003, which is not statistically significant. Additional dynamical factors that cause an acceleration of ice flow near the margins, and possible enhanced iceberg calving, may have led to a more negative mass balance in the past few years than suggested here. The implication is a significant and accelerating recent contribution from the ice sheet to global sea level rise, with 0.15 mm yr(-1) from declining SMB alone over the last 6 years.
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页数:16
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