Recent Greenland Accumulation Estimated from Regional Climate Model Simulations and Ice Core Analysis
David Ball
Recent Greenland Accumulation Estimated from Regional Climate Model
Simulations and Ice Core Analysis*
K. Dethloff
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam,
Germany
M. Schwager
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven,
Germany
J. H. Christensen and S. Kiilsholm
Danish Meteorological Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
A. Rinke and W. Dorn
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam,
Germany
F. Jung-Rothenhäusler, H. Fischer, S. Kipfstuhl, and H. Miller
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven,
Germany
(Manuscript received 2 February 2001, accepted 7 March 2002)
ABSTRACT
The accumulation defined as “precipitation minus evaporation”
over Greenland has been simulated with the high-resolution
limited-area regional climate model HIRHAM4 applied over an Arctic
integration domain. This simulation is compared with a revised
estimate of annual accumulation rate distribution over Greenland
taking into account information from a new set of ice core analyses,
based on surface sample collections from the North Greenland Traverse.
The region with accumulation rates below 150 mm yr1 in
central-northwest Greenland is much larger than previously assumed and
extends about 500 km farther to the south. It is demonstrated that
good agreement between modeled and observed regional precipitation and
accumulation patterns exists, particularly concerning the location and
the values of very low accumulation in the middle of Greenland. The
accumulation rates in the northern part of Greenland are reduced in
comparison to previous estimates. These minima are connected with a
prevailing blocking high over the Greenland ice sheet and katabatic
wind systems preventing humidity transports to central Greenland. The
model reasonably represents the synoptic situations that lead to
precipitation. Maxima of precipitation and accumulation occur at the
southwestern and southeastern coasts of Greenland and are connected
with cyclonic activity and the main storm tracks around Greenland. The
central region of the Greenland ice sheet acts as a blocking
barrier on moving weather systems and prohibits cyclones moving from
west to east across this region and, thus prevents moisture
transports.
Roger Coppock
http://www.awi-potsdam.de/www-pot/atmo/climate_sim/climate_sim.html
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