Role of diurnal processes in the seasonal evolution of sea ice and its snow cover

Hanesiak, John; Barber, David G.; Flato, Gregory M.

doi:10.1029/1999jc900054

Cited by 33 publications

(18 citation statements)

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“…To simulate the sea ice‐atmosphere interaction in a realistic way, a model that properly resolves the temporal evolution of the internal ice temperature profile associated with relatively fast changes in forcing is required [ Hanesiak et al , 1999; Ukita and Martinson , 2001]. Since the response of snow and ice is relatively slow (from hours to months depending on the snow or ice thickness) in comparison with changes in the atmospheric forcing, thermal inertia of the thermal system must be considered to properly simulate the snow and ice internal temperature profiles, the basal ice growth, the onset of melt, the ablation rate, and even the breakup date for the ice pack.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A multilayer sigma‐coordinate thermodynamic sea ice model: Validation against Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA)/Sea Ice Model Intercomparison Project Part 2 (SIMIP2) data

Huwald¹,

Tremblay

Blatter

2005

J. Geophys. Res.

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[1] A new multilayer sigma-coordinate thermodynamic sea ice model is presented. The model employs a coordinate transformation which maps the thickness of the snow and ice slabs onto unity intervals and thus enables automatic relayering when the snow or ice thickness changes. This is done through an advection term which naturally appears in the transformed energy equation. Unlike previous approaches, the model conserves the total energy per layer (Jm À2 as opposed to Jm À3 ), which takes into account the changes in internal energy associated with thickness changes. This model was then tested against observational data from the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) experiment in the context of the Sea Ice Model Intercomparison Project, Part 2, Thermodynamics (SIMIP2). In general, the model reproduces the observed internal snowice temperature and the ice thickness evolution very well. Results show that the ice thickness evolution is very sensitive to the ocean heat flux (F ocn ) and the thickness of the snow cover in winter. Given that the spatial variability in snow depth at small scale is large, the specification of the snow depth temporal evolution is crucial for an intercomparison project. Since F ocn in SIMIP2 is calculated as a residual of the observed basal growth rates and heat conduction, the salinity of newly formed ice used in the simulations must be consistent with that used to derive F ocn . Simulated and observed snow surface and snow-ice interface temperatures suggest that not enough heat is conducted through the snow layer even when using a snow thermal conductivity as large as 0.50 Wm À1 K À1 (value derived from observed snow and ice internal temperature profiles). A surface energy budget of simulated and observed energy fluxes confirms this finding.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A multilayer sigma‐coordinate thermodynamic sea ice model: Validation against Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA)/Sea Ice Model Intercomparison Project Part 2 (SIMIP2) data

Huwald¹,

Tremblay

Blatter

2005

J. Geophys. Res.

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“…The ice and snow models are coupled at the top ice layer with similar thermal properties (temperature, density, thermal conductivity, and heat capacity). Heat fluxes from the snow model are incorporated into the ice model, which computes the new ice temperatures; the temperatures are in turn fed back into the snow model at each time step (Hanesiak, Barber, & Flato, 1999). The sea-ice model is similar to that of Semtner (1976) but is even closer to that of Ebert and Curry (1993).…”

Section: Model Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling of Ocean Shallow Convection under Fast Ice in the Arctic

April

2014

Atmosphere-Ocean

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Ocean convection in the Antarctic has been studied many times and has been revealed to be responsible for ice-cover reduction. In the Arctic, proof of that phenomenon has not been documented. It is believed that this phenomenon happens on a smaller scale in the Arctic when local circulation of deep warmer water melts and slows ice production. An example of this is the North Water (NOW) polynya in northern Baffin Bay. A polynya is an area of open water in an otherwise ice-covered area. As ice forms under the fast ice near the boundary of the polynya, ocean salts (brine) are ejected from the newly formed ice. This water, which has an increased concentration of salt, sinks and is replaced by warmer water from below, and this slows ice formation. In our study a coupled one-dimensional thermodynamic snow-fast ice model incorporating ocean heat flux input via a shallow convection model was used. Ice thickness was calculated using a thermodynamic model that included a current-induced entrainment model and a convection model to account for brine rejection during ice growth. Atmospheric observations from Grise Fiord and Thule and ocean profiles around the NOW polynya near these sites were used as input to the model. This purely thermodynamic study enables us to obtain ice thickness values that can be compared with qualitative observations. This modelling study compares two sites related to the NOW polynya. The results indicate that the shallow convection model simulates the reduction of fast ice near Thule but not near Grise Fiord.RÉSUMÉ [Traduit par la rédaction] La convection océanique dans l'Antarctique a été étudiée à de nombreuses reprises et il ressort qu'elle est la cause de la réduction de la couverture de glace. Dans l'Arctique, aucune preuve de l'existence de ce phénomène n'a pas été documentée. On croit que ce phénomène se produit à une plus petite échelle dans l'Arctique quand la circulation locale d'eau profonde plus chaude fait fondre la glace ou en ralentit la production. La polynie des eaux du Nord, dans le nord de la baie de Baffin, en est un exemple. Une polynie est une superficie d'eau libre dans une région autrement couverte de glace. À mesure que la glace se forme sous la banquise côtière près de la lisière de la polynie, le sel océanique (saumure) se trouve éjecté de la glace nouvellement formée. Cette eau, dont la concentration en sel est plus forte, s'enfonce et est remplacée de l'eau plus chaude d'en dessous, et cela ralentit la formation de la glace. Dans cette étude, nous avons utilisé un modèle thermodynamique unidimensionnel couplé neige-banquise côtière incorporant l'effet du flux de chaleur océanique au moyen d'un modèle de convection peu profonde. L'épaisseur de la glace a été calculée à l'aide d'un modèle thermodynamique qui incorporait un modèle d'entrainement par le courant ainsi qu'un modèle de convection pour tenir compte du rejet de saumure durant la croissance de la glace. Les observations atmosphériques de Grise Fiord et de Thule et les profiles océaniques entourant la polynie des e...

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“…The presence of small amounts of water in liquid phase can also have a dramatic effect on increasing shortwave transmission within naturally occurring snow on sea ice (Yang et al, 1999). The net longwave flux (L* = L↓ -L↑) is determined by temperature and humidity profiles in the lower atmosphere and the surface temperature of the snow (Hanesiak et al, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Passive microwave remote sensing of seasonal snow-covered sea ice

Langlois

Barber

2007

Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment

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The Arctic is thought to be an area where we can expect to see the fi rst and strongest signs of global-scale climate variability and change. We have already begun to see a reduction in: (1) the aerial extent of sea ice at about 3% per decade and (2) ice thickness at about 40%. At the current rate of reduction we can expect a seasonally ice-free Arctic by midway through this century given the current changes in thermodynamic processes controlling sea-ice freeze-up and decay. Many of the factors governing the thermodynamic processes of sea ice are strongly tied to the presence and geophysical state of snow on sea ice, yet snow on sea ice remains poorly studied. In this review, we provide a summary of the current state of knowledge pertaining to the geophysical, thermodynamic and dielectric properties of snow on sea ice. We fi rst give a detailed description of snow thermophysical properties such as thermal conductivity, diffusivity and specifi c heat and how snow geophysical/electrical properties and the seasonal surface energy balance affect them. We also review the different microwave emission and scattering mechanisms associated with snow-covered fi rst-year sea ice. Finally, we discuss the annual evolution of the Arctic system through snow thermodynamic (heat/mass transfer, metamorphism) and aeolian processes, with linkages to microwave remote sensing that have yet to be defi ned from an annual perspective in the Arctic.

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Role of diurnal processes in the seasonal evolution of sea ice and its snow cover

Cited by 33 publications

References 18 publications

A multilayer sigma‐coordinate thermodynamic sea ice model: Validation against Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA)/Sea Ice Model Intercomparison Project Part 2 (SIMIP2) data

A multilayer sigma‐coordinate thermodynamic sea ice model: Validation against Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA)/Sea Ice Model Intercomparison Project Part 2 (SIMIP2) data

Modelling of Ocean Shallow Convection under Fast Ice in the Arctic

Passive microwave remote sensing of seasonal snow-covered sea ice

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