Name

Michael Gallagher, NOAA/CIRES

Title

Understanding Greenland ice sheet mass changes and daily snowfall variability, a regional atmospheric circulation perspective

Abstract

Snowfall is the major source of mass for the Greenland ice sheet but the spatial and temporal variability of snowfall and the connections between snowfall and mass balance have so far been inadequately quantified. By characterizing local atmospheric circulation and utilizing CloudSat spaceborne radar observations of snowfall, a detailed spatial analysis of snowfall variability and its relationship to Greenland mass balance is presented. Seasonal snowfall variability is analyzed to create first-of-their kind maps of the daily spatial variability in snowfall from observations across Greenland connected to common regional circulation patterns. The results indicate that snowfall over the interior of Greenland varies by up to a factor of five depending on regional circulation conditions, and the unique impact of various circulation regimes is provided in detail. Finally, using independent observations of mass changes made by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), the results of the snowfall mass analysis are verified and there is general agreement between these disparate observations. Overall, this work presents unique signal processing and machine learning methods for spaceborne observations to gain insight into key atmospheric processes impacting the Greenland ice sheet.

Date

Tuesday April 5, 2022, 11:15-12:15   

Place

 C609 Rossbysalen, MISU, Svante Arrhenius väg 16C, 6th floor
 

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