Descripción del proyecto
Estimación del pasado, presente y futuro del balance de masa de Groenlandia
La capa de hielo de Groenlandia y sus casquetes polares periféricos están perdiendo masa a ritmos acelerados. Se estima que el 60 % de esta pérdida de masa es agua de deshielo que se escapa por los flancos de la capa de hielo. Cualquier cambio en el límite de escorrentía puede modificar la pérdida de masa y la consiguiente subida del nivel del mar. El equipo del proyecto financiado con fondos europeos CASSANDRA explorará el límite de escorrentía como un modulador potente del balance de masa de Groenlandia y hará su seguimiento a lo largo de toda la era satelital empleando archivos de detección remota. Estas series temporales del límite de escorrentía se complementan mediante mediciones de campo detalladas. Los hallazgos se utilizarán para crear modelos de hidrología de la neviza que puedan aplicarse para conciliar las estimaciones del balance de masa pasado, presente y futuro de Groenlandia.
Objetivo
Meltwater running off the flanks of the Greenland ice sheet contributes roughly 60% to its mass loss, the rest being due to calving. Only meltwater originating from below the elevation of the runoff limit leaves the ice sheet, contributing to mass loss; melt at higher elevations refreezes in the porous firn and does not drive mass loss. Therefore any shift in the runoff limit modifies mass loss and subsequent sea level rise. New evidence shows surface runoff at increasingly high elevations, outpacing the rate at which the equilibrium line elevation rises. This research proposal focuses on the runoff limit as a powerful yet poorly understood modulator of Greenland mass balance. We will track the runoff limit over the full satellite era using two of the largest and oldest remote sensing archives, Landsat and the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). We will establish time series of the runoff limit for all regions of Greenland to identify the mechanisms driving fluctuations in the runoff limit. This newly gained process understanding and a wealth of in-situ measurements will then be used to build firn hydrology models capable of simulating runoff and the associated runoff limit over time. Eventually, the firn hydrology models will be applied to reconcile estimates of Greenland past, present and future mass balance. Covering the entire satellite era and all of Greenland, the focus on the runoff limit will constitute a paradigm shift leading to major advance in our understanding of how vulnerable the surface of the ice sheet reacts to climate change and how the changing surface impacts runoff and thus Greenland's role in the global sea level budget.
Ámbito científico
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental scienceshydrology
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringsatellite technology
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringremote sensing
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-COG - Consolidator GrantInstitución de acogida
1700 Fribourg
Suiza