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A Wind-Driven Snow Redistribution Module for Alpine3d V3.3.0: Adaptations Designed for Downscaling Ice Sheet Surface Mass Balance Ice sheets gain mass via snow accumulation at the ice sheet surface, which is the primary component of surface mass balance. On the Antarctic ice sheet, winds redistribute snow resulting in surface mass balance that is variable in both space and time. Representing wind-driven snow redistribution processes in models is critical for local assessments of surface mass balance, repeat altimetry studies, and interpretation of ice core accumulation records. To this end, we have adapted Alpine3D, an existing distributed snow modeling framework, to downscale Antarctic surface mass balance to horizontal resolutions up to 1 km. In particular, we have introduced a new two-dimensional advection-based wind-driven snow redistribution module that is driven by an offline coupling between WindNinja, a wind downscaling model, and Alpine3D. We then show that large accumulation variability can be at least partially explained by terrain-induced wind speed variations which subsequently redistribute snow around rolling topography. By comparing Alpine3D to airborne-derived snow accumulation measurements within a testing domain over Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica, we demonstrate that our Alpine3D downscaling approach improves surface mass balance estimates when compared to MERRA-2, a global atmospheric reanalysis which we use as atmospheric forcing. In particular, when compared to MERRA-2, Alpine3D reduces simulated surface mass balance root mean squared error by 23.4 mm w.e.yr−1 (13%) and increases variance explained by 24%. Despite these improvements, Alpine3D still underestimates observed accumulation variability, thus providing an opportunity for future model improvement.
Document ID
20230009236
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Accepted Manuscript (Version with final changes)
Authors
Eric Keenan
(University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, Colorado, United States)
Nander Wever ORCID
(University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, Colorado, United States)
Jan T. M. Lenaerts ORCID
(University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, Colorado, United States)
Brooke Medley
(Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, United States)
Date Acquired
June 20, 2023
Publication Date
June 8, 2023
Publication Information
Publication: Geoscientific Model Development
Publisher: Copernicus
Volume: 16
Issue: 11
Issue Publication Date: June 1, 2023
ISSN: 1991-959X
e-ISSN: 1991-9603
e-ISBN: Public
URL: https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/16/3203/2023/
Subject Category
Geosciences (General)
Funding Number(s)
WBS: 444491.02.80.01.03
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Portions of document may include copyright protected material.
Technical Review
External Peer Committee
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