Observed and Parameterized Roughness Lengths for Momentum and Heat Over Rough Ice Surfaces

Maurice van Tiggelen; Paul Smeets; Carleen Reijmer; Michiel van den Broeke; Dirk Van As; Jason E. Box; Robert S. Fausto

doi:10.1029/2022JD036970

Observed and Parameterized Roughness Lengths for Momentum and Heat Over Rough Ice Surfaces

Maurice van Tiggelen, Paul Smeets, Carleen Reijmer, Michiel van den Broeke, Dirk Van As, Jason E. Box, Robert S. Fausto

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

Abstract

Turbulent heat fluxes, that is, the sensible heat flux and latent heat flux, are important sources/sinks of energy for surface melt over glaciers and ice sheets. Therefore, credible simulations of for example, future Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss need an accurate description of these fluxes. However, the parameterization of surface turbulent heat fluxes in climate models requires knowledge about the surface roughness lengths for momentum, heat and moisture, which are currently either unknown or tuned to indirect observations. In this study we take advantage of a large data set of eddy covariance observations acquired during multiple years and at multiple sites over the Greenland Ice Sheet. These in-situ observations are used to develop an improved parameterization for the roughness length for momentum, and update the parameterization for the roughness lengths for heat and moisture over rough ice surfaces. The newly derived parameterizations are implemented in a surface energy balance model that is used to compute surface melt. Sensitivity experiments confirm the high sensitivity of surface melt to the chosen roughness length models. The new parameterization models the sensible heat flux to within 10 W m⁻², and the cumulative ice ablation within 10% at three out of four sites. Two case studies demonstrate the important contribution of the turbulent heat fluxes to surface ablation. The presented roughness parameterizations can be implemented in climate models to improve the physical representation of surface roughness over rough snow and ice surfaces, which is expected to improve the modeled turbulent heat fluxes and thus surface melt.

Original language	English
Article number	e2022JD036970
Number of pages	19
Journal	Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
Volume	128
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JD036970
Publication status	Published - 27 Jan 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors thank the reviewers for their constructive comments. The authors wish to thank all the persons and institutes that help to maintain the instruments in the field. Giorgio Cover is acknowledged for the help in developing and maintaining the recent eddy covariance stations. Brice Noël is kindly acknowledged for the help with RACMO2.3p2 data. Allan Pedersen, Christopher Shields and Adrien Wehrlé are thanked for their assistance during the yearly maintenance at QAS_L in 2019 and 2020, and the team of Blue Ice Explorer is thanked for the support out of Narsarsuaq. Data from the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE) and the Greenland Analogue Project (GAP) were provided by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) at http://www.promice.dk . This work is funded by Utrecht University and by the Netherlands Polar Program (NPP), of the Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research, section Earth and Life Sciences (NWO/ALWOP.431). This publication was supported by PROTECT. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 869304, PROTECT contribution number 40. This publication was also supported by the Netherlands Earth System Science Centre (NESSC).

Funding Information:
The authors thank the reviewers for their constructive comments. The authors wish to thank all the persons and institutes that help to maintain the instruments in the field. Giorgio Cover is acknowledged for the help in developing and maintaining the recent eddy covariance stations. Brice Noël is kindly acknowledged for the help with RACMO2.3p2 data. Allan Pedersen, Christopher Shields and Adrien Wehrlé are thanked for their assistance during the yearly maintenance at QAS_L in 2019 and 2020, and the team of Blue Ice Explorer is thanked for the support out of Narsarsuaq. Data from the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE) and the Greenland Analogue Project (GAP) were provided by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) at http://www.promice.dk. This work is funded by Utrecht University and by the Netherlands Polar Program (NPP), of the Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research, section Earth and Life Sciences (NWO/ALWOP.431). This publication was supported by PROTECT. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 869304, PROTECT contribution number 40. This publication was also supported by the Netherlands Earth System Science Centre (NESSC).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023. The Authors.

Keywords

eddy covariance
Greenland ice sheet
melt events
roughness
sensible heat flux
surface fluxes

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This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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JGR Atmospheres - 2023 - Tiggelen - Observed and Parameterized Roughness Lengths for Momentum and Heat Over Rough IceFinal published version, 4.06 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Observed and Parameterized Roughness Lengths for Momentum and Heat Over Rough Ice Surfaces",

abstract = "Turbulent heat fluxes, that is, the sensible heat flux and latent heat flux, are important sources/sinks of energy for surface melt over glaciers and ice sheets. Therefore, credible simulations of for example, future Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss need an accurate description of these fluxes. However, the parameterization of surface turbulent heat fluxes in climate models requires knowledge about the surface roughness lengths for momentum, heat and moisture, which are currently either unknown or tuned to indirect observations. In this study we take advantage of a large data set of eddy covariance observations acquired during multiple years and at multiple sites over the Greenland Ice Sheet. These in-situ observations are used to develop an improved parameterization for the roughness length for momentum, and update the parameterization for the roughness lengths for heat and moisture over rough ice surfaces. The newly derived parameterizations are implemented in a surface energy balance model that is used to compute surface melt. Sensitivity experiments confirm the high sensitivity of surface melt to the chosen roughness length models. The new parameterization models the sensible heat flux to within 10 W m−2, and the cumulative ice ablation within 10\% at three out of four sites. Two case studies demonstrate the important contribution of the turbulent heat fluxes to surface ablation. The presented roughness parameterizations can be implemented in climate models to improve the physical representation of surface roughness over rough snow and ice surfaces, which is expected to improve the modeled turbulent heat fluxes and thus surface melt.",

keywords = "eddy covariance, Greenland ice sheet, melt events, roughness, sensible heat flux, surface fluxes",

author = "\{van Tiggelen\}, Maurice and Paul Smeets and Carleen Reijmer and \{van den Broeke\}, Michiel and \{Van As\}, Dirk and Box, \{Jason E.\} and Fausto, \{Robert S.\}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors thank the reviewers for their constructive comments. The authors wish to thank all the persons and institutes that help to maintain the instruments in the field. Giorgio Cover is acknowledged for the help in developing and maintaining the recent eddy covariance stations. Brice No{\"e}l is kindly acknowledged for the help with RACMO2.3p2 data. Allan Pedersen, Christopher Shields and Adrien Wehrl{\'e} are thanked for their assistance during the yearly maintenance at QAS\_L in 2019 and 2020, and the team of Blue Ice Explorer is thanked for the support out of Narsarsuaq. Data from the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE) and the Greenland Analogue Project (GAP) were provided by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) at http://www.promice.dk . This work is funded by Utrecht University and by the Netherlands Polar Program (NPP), of the Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research, section Earth and Life Sciences (NWO/ALWOP.431). This publication was supported by PROTECT. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 869304, PROTECT contribution number 40. This publication was also supported by the Netherlands Earth System Science Centre (NESSC). Funding Information: The authors thank the reviewers for their constructive comments. The authors wish to thank all the persons and institutes that help to maintain the instruments in the field. Giorgio Cover is acknowledged for the help in developing and maintaining the recent eddy covariance stations. Brice No{\"e}l is kindly acknowledged for the help with RACMO2.3p2 data. Allan Pedersen, Christopher Shields and Adrien Wehrl{\'e} are thanked for their assistance during the yearly maintenance at QAS\_L in 2019 and 2020, and the team of Blue Ice Explorer is thanked for the support out of Narsarsuaq. Data from the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE) and the Greenland Analogue Project (GAP) were provided by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) at http://www.promice.dk. This work is funded by Utrecht University and by the Netherlands Polar Program (NPP), of the Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research, section Earth and Life Sciences (NWO/ALWOP.431). This publication was supported by PROTECT. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 869304, PROTECT contribution number 40. This publication was also supported by the Netherlands Earth System Science Centre (NESSC). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023. The Authors.",

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AU - van Tiggelen, Maurice

AU - Smeets, Paul

AU - Reijmer, Carleen

AU - van den Broeke, Michiel

AU - Van As, Dirk

AU - Box, Jason E.

AU - Fausto, Robert S.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank the reviewers for their constructive comments. The authors wish to thank all the persons and institutes that help to maintain the instruments in the field. Giorgio Cover is acknowledged for the help in developing and maintaining the recent eddy covariance stations. Brice Noël is kindly acknowledged for the help with RACMO2.3p2 data. Allan Pedersen, Christopher Shields and Adrien Wehrlé are thanked for their assistance during the yearly maintenance at QAS_L in 2019 and 2020, and the team of Blue Ice Explorer is thanked for the support out of Narsarsuaq. Data from the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE) and the Greenland Analogue Project (GAP) were provided by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) at http://www.promice.dk . This work is funded by Utrecht University and by the Netherlands Polar Program (NPP), of the Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research, section Earth and Life Sciences (NWO/ALWOP.431). This publication was supported by PROTECT. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 869304, PROTECT contribution number 40. This publication was also supported by the Netherlands Earth System Science Centre (NESSC). Funding Information: The authors thank the reviewers for their constructive comments. The authors wish to thank all the persons and institutes that help to maintain the instruments in the field. Giorgio Cover is acknowledged for the help in developing and maintaining the recent eddy covariance stations. Brice Noël is kindly acknowledged for the help with RACMO2.3p2 data. Allan Pedersen, Christopher Shields and Adrien Wehrlé are thanked for their assistance during the yearly maintenance at QAS_L in 2019 and 2020, and the team of Blue Ice Explorer is thanked for the support out of Narsarsuaq. Data from the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE) and the Greenland Analogue Project (GAP) were provided by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) at http://www.promice.dk. This work is funded by Utrecht University and by the Netherlands Polar Program (NPP), of the Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research, section Earth and Life Sciences (NWO/ALWOP.431). This publication was supported by PROTECT. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 869304, PROTECT contribution number 40. This publication was also supported by the Netherlands Earth System Science Centre (NESSC). Publisher Copyright: © 2023. The Authors.

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N2 - Turbulent heat fluxes, that is, the sensible heat flux and latent heat flux, are important sources/sinks of energy for surface melt over glaciers and ice sheets. Therefore, credible simulations of for example, future Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss need an accurate description of these fluxes. However, the parameterization of surface turbulent heat fluxes in climate models requires knowledge about the surface roughness lengths for momentum, heat and moisture, which are currently either unknown or tuned to indirect observations. In this study we take advantage of a large data set of eddy covariance observations acquired during multiple years and at multiple sites over the Greenland Ice Sheet. These in-situ observations are used to develop an improved parameterization for the roughness length for momentum, and update the parameterization for the roughness lengths for heat and moisture over rough ice surfaces. The newly derived parameterizations are implemented in a surface energy balance model that is used to compute surface melt. Sensitivity experiments confirm the high sensitivity of surface melt to the chosen roughness length models. The new parameterization models the sensible heat flux to within 10 W m−2, and the cumulative ice ablation within 10% at three out of four sites. Two case studies demonstrate the important contribution of the turbulent heat fluxes to surface ablation. The presented roughness parameterizations can be implemented in climate models to improve the physical representation of surface roughness over rough snow and ice surfaces, which is expected to improve the modeled turbulent heat fluxes and thus surface melt.

AB - Turbulent heat fluxes, that is, the sensible heat flux and latent heat flux, are important sources/sinks of energy for surface melt over glaciers and ice sheets. Therefore, credible simulations of for example, future Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss need an accurate description of these fluxes. However, the parameterization of surface turbulent heat fluxes in climate models requires knowledge about the surface roughness lengths for momentum, heat and moisture, which are currently either unknown or tuned to indirect observations. In this study we take advantage of a large data set of eddy covariance observations acquired during multiple years and at multiple sites over the Greenland Ice Sheet. These in-situ observations are used to develop an improved parameterization for the roughness length for momentum, and update the parameterization for the roughness lengths for heat and moisture over rough ice surfaces. The newly derived parameterizations are implemented in a surface energy balance model that is used to compute surface melt. Sensitivity experiments confirm the high sensitivity of surface melt to the chosen roughness length models. The new parameterization models the sensible heat flux to within 10 W m−2, and the cumulative ice ablation within 10% at three out of four sites. Two case studies demonstrate the important contribution of the turbulent heat fluxes to surface ablation. The presented roughness parameterizations can be implemented in climate models to improve the physical representation of surface roughness over rough snow and ice surfaces, which is expected to improve the modeled turbulent heat fluxes and thus surface melt.

KW - eddy covariance

KW - Greenland ice sheet

KW - melt events

KW - roughness

KW - sensible heat flux

KW - surface fluxes

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DO - 10.1029/2022JD036970

M3 - Article

SN - 2169-897X

VL - 128

JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

IS - 2

M1 - e2022JD036970

ER -

Observed and Parameterized Roughness Lengths for Momentum and Heat Over Rough Ice Surfaces

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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