Atmospheric processes and climatological characteristics of the 79N glacier (NE Greenland)

Turton J, Mölg T, van As D (2019)

Publication Type: Journal article, Original article

Publication year: 2019

Journal

Monthly Weather Review American Meteorological Society

Book Volume: 147

Pages Range: 1375-1394

Journal Issue: 4

URI: https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/MWR-D-18-0366.1

DOI: 10.1175/MWR-D-18-0366.1

Open Access Link: https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/MWR-D-18-0366.1

Abstract

The Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden glacier (the 79 fjord, henceforth referred to as 79N) has been thinning and accelerating since the early 2000s, as a result of calving episodes at the front of the glacier. As 8% of the Greenland Ice Sheet drains into 79N, changes in the stability of 79N could propagate into the interior of Greenland. Despite this concern, it is about 79N. We present the surface atmospheric processes and climatology of the 79N region from analyzes of data from four automatic weather stations (AWS) and reanalysis data from ERA interim. Over the floating section of the glacier, the annual average air temperature is -16.7°C, decreasing to -28.5°C during winter. Winds over the glacier are predominantly westerly and are of katabatic origin. Over the last 39 years the near-surface air temperature has increased at a rate of +0.08°C yr-1. In addition, we find that large, rapid (48 h) temperature increases (>10°C) occur during the five-month dark period (November-March). Eight (+/-4) warm-air events occur annually from 1979 to 2017. We use the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to simulate a particular warm-air event with above-freezing air temperatures between 30 November and 2 December 2014. The warm warm-air advection from the southeast and a subsequent increase in the longwave radiation towards the surface due to low-level cloud formation. By bringing the skin temperatures to the melting point.

Authors with CRIS profile

Jenny Turton Institut für Geographie Thomas Mölg Professur für Geographie

Involved external institutions

Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland / De Nationale Geologiske Undersøgelser for Danmark og Grønland (GEUS) DK Denmark (DK)

How to cite

APA:

Turton, J., Mölg, T., & van As, D. (2019). Atmospheric processes and climatological characteristics of the 79N glacier (NE Greenland). Monthly Weather Review, 147(4), 1375-1394. https://dx.doi.org/10.1175/MWR-D-18-0366.1

MLA:

Turton, Jenny, Thomas Mölg, and Dirk van As. "Atmospheric processes and climatological characteristics of the 79N glacier (NE Greenland)." Monthly Weather Review 147.4 (2019): 1375-1394.

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