Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1409
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1409
08 Feb 2023
 | 08 Feb 2023

Meltwater runoff and glacier mass balance in the high Arctic: 1991–2022 simulations for Svalbard

Louise Steffensen Schmidt, Thomas V. Schuler, Erin Emily Thomas, and Sebastian Westermann

Abstract. The Arctic is undergoing increased warming compared to the global mean, which has major implications for fresh-water runoff into the oceans from seasonal snow and glaciers. Here, we present high-resolution (2.5 km) simulations of glacier mass balance, runoff and snow conditions in Svalbard from 1991–2022, one of the fastest warming regions in the Arctic. The simulations are created using the CryoGrid community model forced by both CARRA reanalysis (1991–2021) and AROME-ARCTIC forecasts (2016–2022). Updates to the water percolation and runoff scheme are implemented in the CryoGrid model for the simulations. In-situ observations available for Svalbard are used to carefully evaluate the quality of the simulations and model forcing. The overlap period of 2016–2021, when both CARRA and AROME-ARCTIC data are available, is used to evaluate the consistency between the two forcing datasets.

We find a slightly negative climatic mass balance (cmb) over the simulation period of −0.08 m w.e. yr−1, but with no statistically significant trend. The average runoff was found to be 41 Gt yr−1, with an significant increasing trend of 6.3 Gt decade−1. In addition, we find the simulated climatic mass balance and runoff using CARRA and AROME-ARCTIC forcing are similar, and differ by only 0.1 m w.e. in climatic mass balance and by 0.2 m w.e. in glacier runoff when averaged over all of Svalbard. There is, however, a clear difference over Nordenskiöldland, where AROME-ARCTIC simulates significantly higher mass balance and significantly lower runoff. This indicates that AROME-ARCTIC may provide high-quality predictions of the total mass balance of Svalbard, but regional uncertainties should be taken into consideration.

The data produced from both the CARRA and AROME-ARCTIC forced CryoGrid simulations are made publicly available, and these high resolution simulation may be re-used in a wide range of applications including studies on glacial runoff, ocean currents, and ecosystems

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Share

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

20 Jul 2023
Meltwater runoff and glacier mass balance in the high Arctic: 1991–2022 simulations for Svalbard
Louise Steffensen Schmidt, Thomas Vikhamar Schuler, Erin Emily Thomas, and Sebastian Westermann
The Cryosphere, 17, 2941–2963, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2941-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2941-2023, 2023
Short summary
Download

The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.

Short summary
Here, we present high-resolution simulations of glacier mass balance (the gain and loss of ice...
Share