To identify and model the most important factors leading to mesoscale variability of the mass balance field on ice caps. A comprehensive study of the effect of topographic barriers on glacier mass balance and its sensitivity to climate change will be carried out
by field measuements and modelling work. As targets have been selected Vatnaj-kull (Iceland) and the Antarctic Peninsula.


The field work has two major components which are mass balance measurements (by stake measurements and
snow pits on Vatnajvkull, the major ice cap on Iceland, characteristic length scale 100 km, and by snow-level
sensors and shallow cores in the Antarctic Peninsula) and detailed meteorological measurements including the
full energy balance programme. Albedo measurements of the ice cape from satellite (AVHRR, Landsat images)
for a complete melt season will complete the programme. An attempt will be made to improve passive
microwave satellite retrievals of annual accumulation rates by incorporating the output of snow models into the
retrieval and by trying to develop a radiative transfer model for microwave radiation within the snow pack.
Satellite data will be compared with point measurements from the ground stations and be used to validate albedo
patterns generated by the mass balance model.
An energy balance model will be constructed for the entire ice cap, calibrated with results from the field work
to generate glacier mass balance and to study its sensitivity to climate change. The UK operational GCM will
be used in limited area mode to investigate the effects of the topography on the Antarctic Peninsula on the
distribution of precipitation and temperature. Model data will be verified against passive microwave brightness
temperatures from SSM/I.