Mapping the aerodynamic roughness of the Greenland Ice Sheet surface using ICESat-2: evaluation over the K-transect

Maurice van Tiggelen; Paul Smeets; Carleen Reijmer; Bert Wouters; Jakob Steiner; Emile Nieuwstraten; Walter Immerzeel; Michiel van den Broeke

doi:10.5194/tc-15-2601-2021

Mapping the aerodynamic roughness of the Greenland Ice Sheet surface using ICESat-2: evaluation over the K-transect

Maurice van Tiggelen, Paul Smeets, Carleen Reijmer, Bert Wouters, Jakob Steiner, Emile Nieuwstraten, Walter Immerzeel, Michiel van den Broeke

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The aerodynamic roughness of heat, moisture, and momentum of a natural surface are important parameters in atmospheric models, as they co-determine the intensity of turbulent transfer between the atmosphere and the surface. Unfortunately this parameter is often poorly known, especially in remote areas where neither high-resolution elevation models nor eddy-covariance measurements are available. In this study we adapt a bulk drag partitioning model to estimate the aerodynamic roughness length (z0m) such that it can be applied to 1D (i.e. unidirectional) elevation profiles, typically measured by laser altimeters. We apply the model to a rough ice surface on the K-transect (west Greenland Ice Sheet) using UAV photogrammetry, and we evaluate the modelled roughness against in situ eddy-covariance observations. We then present a method to estimate the topography at 1 m horizontal resolution using the ICESat-2 satellite laser altimeter, and we demonstrate the high precision of the satellite elevation profiles against UAV photogrammetry. The currently available satellite profiles are used to map the aerodynamic roughness during different time periods along the K-transect, that is compared to an extensive dataset of in situ observations. We find a considerable spatiooral variability in z0m, ranging between 10-4 m for a smooth snow surface and 10-1 m for rough crevassed areas, which confirms the need to incorporate a variable aerodynamic roughness in atmospheric models over ice sheets.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2601-2621
Number of pages	21
Journal	The Cryosphere
Volume	15
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2601-2021
Publication status	Published - 11 Jun 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgements. The authors thank all the people and institutes that help maintain the instruments in the field. We are grateful to Nanna Karlsson, Dirk van As, and Giorgio Cover for their support in the field. This work is funded by the Utrecht University and by the Netherlands Polar Programme (NPP), of the Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research, section Earth and Life Sciences (NWO/ALWOP.431). This work was carried out on the Dutch national e-infrastructure with the support of SURF Cooperative. Jakob F. Steiner and Walter W. Immerzeel acknowledge support by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research NWO (016.181.308) and European Research Council (676819). The views and interpretations in this publication are those of the authors and are not necessarily attributable to ICIMOD.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Maurice van Tiggelen et al.

Keywords

ICESat-2
Greenland
Roughness
UAV
Eddy covariance

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Cite this

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title = "Mapping the aerodynamic roughness of the Greenland Ice Sheet surface using ICESat-2: evaluation over the K-transect",

abstract = "The aerodynamic roughness of heat, moisture, and momentum of a natural surface are important parameters in atmospheric models, as they co-determine the intensity of turbulent transfer between the atmosphere and the surface. Unfortunately this parameter is often poorly known, especially in remote areas where neither high-resolution elevation models nor eddy-covariance measurements are available. In this study we adapt a bulk drag partitioning model to estimate the aerodynamic roughness length (z0m) such that it can be applied to 1D (i.e. unidirectional) elevation profiles, typically measured by laser altimeters. We apply the model to a rough ice surface on the K-transect (west Greenland Ice Sheet) using UAV photogrammetry, and we evaluate the modelled roughness against in situ eddy-covariance observations. We then present a method to estimate the topography at 1 m horizontal resolution using the ICESat-2 satellite laser altimeter, and we demonstrate the high precision of the satellite elevation profiles against UAV photogrammetry. The currently available satellite profiles are used to map the aerodynamic roughness during different time periods along the K-transect, that is compared to an extensive dataset of in situ observations. We find a considerable spatiooral variability in z0m, ranging between 10-4 m for a smooth snow surface and 10-1 m for rough crevassed areas, which confirms the need to incorporate a variable aerodynamic roughness in atmospheric models over ice sheets. ",

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note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgements. The authors thank all the people and institutes that help maintain the instruments in the field. We are grateful to Nanna Karlsson, Dirk van As, and Giorgio Cover for their support in the field. This work is funded by the Utrecht University and by the Netherlands Polar Programme (NPP), of the Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research, section Earth and Life Sciences (NWO/ALWOP.431). This work was carried out on the Dutch national e-infrastructure with the support of SURF Cooperative. Jakob F. Steiner and Walter W. Immerzeel acknowledge support by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research NWO (016.181.308) and European Research Council (676819). The views and interpretations in this publication are those of the authors and are not necessarily attributable to ICIMOD. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Maurice van Tiggelen et al.",

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doi = "10.5194/tc-15-2601-2021",

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AU - Wouters, Bert

AU - Steiner, Jakob

AU - Nieuwstraten, Emile

AU - Immerzeel, Walter

AU - van den Broeke, Michiel

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N2 - The aerodynamic roughness of heat, moisture, and momentum of a natural surface are important parameters in atmospheric models, as they co-determine the intensity of turbulent transfer between the atmosphere and the surface. Unfortunately this parameter is often poorly known, especially in remote areas where neither high-resolution elevation models nor eddy-covariance measurements are available. In this study we adapt a bulk drag partitioning model to estimate the aerodynamic roughness length (z0m) such that it can be applied to 1D (i.e. unidirectional) elevation profiles, typically measured by laser altimeters. We apply the model to a rough ice surface on the K-transect (west Greenland Ice Sheet) using UAV photogrammetry, and we evaluate the modelled roughness against in situ eddy-covariance observations. We then present a method to estimate the topography at 1 m horizontal resolution using the ICESat-2 satellite laser altimeter, and we demonstrate the high precision of the satellite elevation profiles against UAV photogrammetry. The currently available satellite profiles are used to map the aerodynamic roughness during different time periods along the K-transect, that is compared to an extensive dataset of in situ observations. We find a considerable spatiooral variability in z0m, ranging between 10-4 m for a smooth snow surface and 10-1 m for rough crevassed areas, which confirms the need to incorporate a variable aerodynamic roughness in atmospheric models over ice sheets.

AB - The aerodynamic roughness of heat, moisture, and momentum of a natural surface are important parameters in atmospheric models, as they co-determine the intensity of turbulent transfer between the atmosphere and the surface. Unfortunately this parameter is often poorly known, especially in remote areas where neither high-resolution elevation models nor eddy-covariance measurements are available. In this study we adapt a bulk drag partitioning model to estimate the aerodynamic roughness length (z0m) such that it can be applied to 1D (i.e. unidirectional) elevation profiles, typically measured by laser altimeters. We apply the model to a rough ice surface on the K-transect (west Greenland Ice Sheet) using UAV photogrammetry, and we evaluate the modelled roughness against in situ eddy-covariance observations. We then present a method to estimate the topography at 1 m horizontal resolution using the ICESat-2 satellite laser altimeter, and we demonstrate the high precision of the satellite elevation profiles against UAV photogrammetry. The currently available satellite profiles are used to map the aerodynamic roughness during different time periods along the K-transect, that is compared to an extensive dataset of in situ observations. We find a considerable spatiooral variability in z0m, ranging between 10-4 m for a smooth snow surface and 10-1 m for rough crevassed areas, which confirms the need to incorporate a variable aerodynamic roughness in atmospheric models over ice sheets.

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KW - Roughness

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KW - Eddy covariance

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U2 - 10.5194/tc-15-2601-2021

DO - 10.5194/tc-15-2601-2021

M3 - Article

SN - 1994-0416

VL - 15

SP - 2601

EP - 2621

JO - The Cryosphere

JF - The Cryosphere

IS - 6

ER -

Mapping the aerodynamic roughness of the Greenland Ice Sheet surface using ICESat-2: evaluation over the K-transect

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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