Evaluating Simplified Numerical Models of Debris-Covered Glaciers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James C. Ferguson ◽  
Tobias Bolch ◽  
Andreas Vieli
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Models ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Glacier Surface ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Debris Cover ◽  
Debris Transport ◽  
Modelling Studies

<p>The transient response of debris-covered glaciers to a changing climate is governed by nonlinear feedbacks between ice dynamics, debris transport, and glacier geometry and that act over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. Current numerical models that are able to accurately represent the relevant physical processes are computationally expensive since they must track the debris transport not only at the glacier surface but also englacially. This makes such models difficult to use for simulations at the regional to global scale.</p><p>In order to address this challenge, we developed a fully coupled numerical model that solves both englacial debris transport and ice flow and includes the effect of debris cover on surface ablation. We use this model to evaluate different simplified approaches to modelling debris-covered glaciers. These simplifications include parametrized 1-D debris transport models, parametrized models of surface mass balance that include debris cover effects, and zero-dimensional models. We compare the model performances using a number of tests with an idealized synthetic glacier geometry and a range of forcings, thereby allowing for an evaluation of the relative merits of each approach. A key goal of this work is to provide guidance and tools for modelling studies involving debris cover at the regional to global scale.</p>

scholarly journals Modelling debris transport within glaciers by advection in a full-Stokes ice flow model

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Wirbel ◽  
Alexander H. Jarosch ◽  
Lindsey Nicholson
Keyword(s):  
Flow Model ◽  
Glacier Surface ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
Transport Pathways ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Glacier System ◽  
Debris Cover ◽  
Debris Transport ◽  
Extensive Surface ◽  
Paleoclimate Proxy

Abstract. Glaciers with extensive surface debris cover respond differently to climate forcing than those without supraglacial debris. In order to include debris-covered glaciers in projections of glaciogenic runoff and sea level rise and to understand the paleoclimate proxy recorded by such glaciers, it is necessary to understand the manner and timescales over which a supraglacial debris cover develops. Because debris is delivered to the glacier by processes that are heterogeneous in space and time, and these debris inclusions are altered during englacial transport through the glacier system, correctly determining where, when and how much debris is delivered to the glacier surface requires knowledge of englacial transport pathways and deformation. To achieve this, we present a model of englacial debris transport in which we couple an advection scheme to a full-Stokes ice flow model. The model performs well in numerical benchmark tests, and we present both 2-D and 3-D glacier test cases that, for a set of prescribed debris inputs, reproduce the englacial features, deformation thereof and patterns of surface emergence predicted by theory and observations of structural glaciology. In a future step, coupling this model to (i) a debris-aware surface mass balance scheme and (ii) a supraglacial debris transport scheme will enable the co-evolution of debris cover and glacier geometry to be modelled.

scholarly journals Modelling debris transport within glaciers by advection in a full-Stokes ice flow model

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Wirbel ◽  
Alexander Helmut Jarosch ◽  
Lindsey Nicholson
Keyword(s):  
Flow Model ◽  
Glacier Surface ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
Transport Pathways ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Glacier System ◽  
Debris Cover ◽  
Debris Transport ◽  
Extensive Surface ◽  
Paleoclimate Proxy

Abstract. Glaciers with extensive surface debris cover respond differently to climate forcing than those without supraglacial debris. In order to include debris-covered glaciers in projections of glaciogenic runoff and sea-level rise, and to understand the paleoclimate proxy recorded by such glaciers it is necessary to understand the manner and timescales over which a supraglacial debris cover develops. As debris is delivered to the glacier by processes that are heterogeneous in space and time, and these debris inclusions are altered during englacial transport through the glacier system, correctly determining where, when, and how much, debris is delivered to the glacier surface requires that the englacial transport pathways and deformation can be known. To achieve this, we present a model of englacial debris transport in which we couple an advection scheme to a full-Stokes ice flow model. The model performs well in numerical benchmark tests, and we present both 2D and 3D steady-state glacier test cases that, for a set of prescribed debris inputs, reproduce the englacial features, deformation thereof, and patterns of surface emergence predicted by theory and observations of structural glaciology. In a future step, coupling this model to a (i) debris-aware surface mass-balance scheme and (ii) supraglacial debris transport scheme will enable the co-evolution of debris-cover and glacier geometry to be modelled.

scholarly journals Modelling supraglacial debris-cover evolution from the single glacier to the regional scale: an application to High Mountain Asia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loris Compagno ◽  
Matthias Huss ◽  
Evan Stewart Miles ◽  
Michael James McCarthy ◽  
Harry Zekollari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Temporal Evolution ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Future Evolution ◽  
Debris Cover ◽  
Scale Modelling ◽  
Spatio Temporal

Abstract. Currently, about 12–13 % of High Mountain Asia's glacier area is debris-covered, altering its surface mass balance. However, in regional-scale modelling approaches, debris-covered glaciers are typically treated as clean-ice glaciers, leading to a potential bias when modelling their future evolution. Here, we present a new approach for modelling debris area and thickness evolution, applicable from single glaciers to the global scale. We implement the module into the Global Glacier Evolution Model (GloGEMflow), a combined mass-balance ice-flow model. The module is initialized with both glacier-specific observations of the debris’ spatial distribution and estimates of debris thickness, accounts for the fact that debris can either enhance or reduce surface melt depending on thickness, and enables representing the spatio-temporal evolution of debris extent and thickness. We calibrate and evaluate the module on a select subset of glaciers, and apply the model using different climate scenarios to project the future evolution of all glaciers in High Mountain Asia until 2100. Compared to 2020, total glacier volume is expected to decrease by between 35 ± 15 % and 80 ±11 %, which is in line with projections in the literature. Depending on the scenario, the mean debris-cover fraction is expected to increase, while mean debris thickness is modelled to show only minor changes, albeit large local thickening is expected. To isolate the influence of explicitly accounting for supraglacial debris-cover, we re-compute glacier evolution without the debris-cover module. We show that glacier geometry, area, volume and flow velocity evolve differently, especially at the level of individual glaciers. This highlights the importance of accounting for debris-cover and its spatio-temporal evolution when projecting future glacier changes.

The formation, preservation and seismic signatures of chemical heterogeneities in the lower mantle

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna J. P. Gülcher ◽  
Maxim D. Ballmer ◽  
Paul J. Tackley ◽  
Paula Koelemeijer
Keyword(s):  
Physical Properties ◽  
Lower Mantle ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Bulk Composition ◽  
Oceanic Lithosphere ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Seismic Velocities ◽  
Mantle Dynamics ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Scientific Challenge

<p>Despite stirring by vigorous convection over billions of years, the Earth’s lower mantle appears to be chemically heterogeneous on various length scales. Constraining this heterogeneity is key for assessing Earth’s bulk composition and thermochemical evolution, but remains a scientific challenge that requires cross-disciplinary efforts. On scales below ~1 km, the concept of a “marble cake” mantle has gained wide acceptance, emphasising that recycled oceanic lithosphere, deformed into streaks of depleted and enriched compositions, makes up much of the mantle. On larger scales (10s-100s of km), compositional heterogeneity may be preserved by delayed mixing of this marble cake with either intrinsically-dense or intrinsically-strong materials. Intrinsically dense materials may accumulate as piles at the core-mantle boundary, while intrinsically viscous domains (e.g., enhanced in the strong mineral bridgmanite) may survive as “blobs” in the mid-mantle for large timescales, such as plums in the mantle “plum pudding”<sup>1,2</sup>. While many studies have explored the formation and preservation of either intrinsically-dense (recycled) or intrinsically-strong (primordial) heterogeneity, only few if any have quantified mantle dynamics in the presence of different types of heterogeneity with distinct physical properties.<span> </span></p><p>To address this objective, we use state-of-the-art 2D numerical models of global-scale mantle convection in a spherical-annulus geometry. We explore the effects of the <em>(i)</em> physical properties of primordial material (density, viscosity), <em>(ii)</em> temperature/pressure dependency of viscosity, <em>(iii)</em> lithospheric yielding strength, and <em>(iv)</em> Rayleigh number on mantle dynamics and mixing. Models predict that primordial heterogeneity is preserved in the lower mantle over >4.5 Gyr as discrete blobs for high intrinsic viscosity contrast (>30x) and otherwise for a wide range of parameters. In turn, recycled oceanic crust is preserved in the lower mantle as “marble cake” streaks or piles, particularly in models with a relatively cold and stiff mantle. Importantly, these recycled crustal heterogeneities can co-exist with primordial blobs, with piles often tending to accumulate beneath the primordial domains. This suggests that the modern mantle may be in a hybrid state between the “marble cake” and “plum pudding” styles.<span> </span></p><p>Finally, we put our model predictions in context with recent discoveries from seismology. We calculate synthetic seismic velocities from predicted temperatures and compositions, and compare these synthetics to tomography models, taking into account the limited resolution of seismic tomography. Convection models including preserved bridgmanite-enriched domains along with recycled piles have the potential of reconciling recent seismic observations of lower-mantle heterogeneity<sup>3</sup> with the geochemical record from ocean-island basalts<sup>4,5</sup>, and are therefore relevant for assessing Earth’s bulk composition and long-term evolution.<span> </span></p><p><sup>1</sup> Ballmer et al. (2017), <em>Nat. Geosci</em>., 10.1038/ngeo2898<br><sup>2</sup> Gülcher et al. (in review), <em>EPSL</em>: Variable dynamic styles of primordial heterogeneity preservation in Earth’s lower mantle <br><sup>3</sup> Waszek et al. (2018), <em>Nat. Comm., </em>10.1038/s41467-017-02709-4 <br><sup>4</sup> Hofmann (1997), <em>Nature, </em>10.1038/385219a0; <br><sup>5</sup> Mundl et al. (2017), <em>Science, </em>10.1126/science.aal4179</p>

scholarly journals A data-driven approach for assessing ice-sheet mass balance in space and time

2015 ◽  
Vol 56 (70) ◽  
pp. 175-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Zammit-Mangion ◽  
Jonathan L. Bamber ◽  
Nana W. Schoen ◽  
Jonathan C. Rougier
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Mass ◽  
Smoothing Methods ◽  
Combination Methods ◽  
Wide Range

AbstractCombinations of various numerical models and datasets with diverse observation characteristics have been used to assess the mass evolution of ice sheets. As a consequence, a wide range of estimates have been produced using markedly different methodologies, data, approximation methods and model assumptions. Current attempts to reconcile these estimates using simple combination methods are unsatisfactory, as common sources of errors across different methodologies may not be accurately quantified (e.g. systematic biases in models). Here we provide a general approach which deals with this issue by considering all data sources simultaneously, and, crucially, by reducing the dependence on numerical models. The methodology is based on exploiting the different space–time characteristics of the relevant ice-sheet processes, and using statistical smoothing methods to establish the causes of the observed change. In omitting direct dependence on numerical models, the methodology provides a novel means for assessing glacio-isostatic adjustment and climate models alike, using remote-sensing datasets. This is particularly advantageous in Antarctica, where in situ measurements are difficult to obtain. We illustrate the methodology by using it to infer Antarctica’s mass trend from 2003 to 2009 and produce surface mass-balance anomaly estimates to validate the RACMO2.1 regional climate model.

scholarly journals Cloud Inhomogeneity from MODIS

2005 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 5110-5124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lazaros Oreopoulos ◽  
Robert F. Cahalan
Keyword(s):  
Optical Thickness ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Level 3 ◽  
Inhomogeneity Parameter ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

Abstract Two full months (July 2003 and January 2004) of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Atmosphere Level-3 data from the Terra and Aqua satellites are analyzed in order to characterize the horizontal variability of vertically integrated cloud optical thickness (“cloud inhomogeneity”) at global scales. The monthly climatology of cloud inhomogeneity is expressed in terms of standard parameters, initially calculated for each day of the month at spatial scales of 1° × 1° and subsequently averaged at monthly, zonal, and global scales. Geographical, diurnal, and seasonal changes of inhomogeneity parameters are examined separately for liquid and ice phases and separately over land and ocean. It is found that cloud inhomogeneity is overall weaker in summer than in winter. For liquid clouds, it is also consistently weaker for local morning than local afternoon and over land than ocean. Cloud inhomogeneity is comparable for liquid and ice clouds on a global scale, but with stronger spatial and temporal variations for the ice phase, and exhibits an average tendency to be weaker for near-overcast or overcast grid points of both phases. Depending on cloud phase, hemisphere, surface type, season, and time of day, hemispheric means of the inhomogeneity parameter ν (roughly the square of the ratio of optical thickness mean to standard deviation) have a wide range of ∼1.7 to 4, while for the inhomogeneity parameter χ (the ratio of the logarithmic to linear mean) the range is from ∼0.65 to 0.8. The results demonstrate that the MODIS Level-3 dataset is suitable for studying various aspects of cloud inhomogeneity and may prove invaluable for validating future cloud schemes in large-scale models capable of predicting subgrid variability.

scholarly journals Debris cover and the thinning of Kennicott Glacier, Alaska, Part A:in situ mass balance measurements

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leif S. Anderson ◽  
Robert S. Anderson ◽  
Pascal Buri ◽  
William H. Armstrong
Keyword(s):  
Mass Balance ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Glacier Surface ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Air Temperatures ◽  
High Resolution Imagery ◽  
Debris Cover ◽  
The Alps

Abstract. The mass balance of many Alaskan glaciers is perturbed by debris cover. Yet the effect of debris on glacier response to climate change in Alaska has largely been overlooked. In three companion papers we assess the role of debris, ice dynamics, and surface processes in thinning Kennicott Glacier. In Part A, we report in situ measurements from the glacier surface. In Part B, we develop a method to delineate ice cliffs using high-resolution imagery and produce distributed mass balance estimates. In Part C we explore feedbacks that contribute to glacier thinning. Here in Part A, we describe data collected in the summer of 2011. We measured debris thickness (109 locations), sub-debris melt (74), and ice cliff backwasting (60) data from the debris-covered tongue. We also measured air-temperature (3 locations) and internal-debris temperature (10). The mean debris thermal conductivity was 1.06 W (m C)−1, increasing non-linearly with debris thickness. Mean debris thicknesses increase toward the terminus and margin where surface velocities are low. Despite the relatively high air temperatures above thick debris, the melt-insulating effect of debris dominates. Sub-debris melt rates ranged from 6.5 cm d−1 where debris is thin to 1.25 cm d−1 where debris is thick near the terminus. Ice cliff backwasting rates varied from 3 to 14 cm d−1 with a mean of 7.1 cm d−1 and tended to increase as elevation declined and debris thickness increased. Ice cliff backwasting rates are similar to those measured on debris-covered glaciers in High Mountain Asia and the Alps.

scholarly journals Swept under the carpet: the effect of organic matter burial in global biogeochemical ocean models

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 10859-10911 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Kriest ◽  
A. Oschlies
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Benthic Fluxes ◽  
Biogeochemical Fluxes ◽  
Biogeochemical Models ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Bathypelagic Zone ◽  
Global Carbon

Abstract. Although of substantial importance for marine tracer distributions and eventually global carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen fluxes, the interaction between sinking and remineralization of organic matter, benthic fluxes and burial is not always represented consistently in global biogeochemical models. We here aim to investigate the relationships between these processes with a suite of global biogeochemical models, each simulated over millennia, and compared against observed distributions of pelagic tracers and benthic and pelagic fluxes. We concentrate on the representation of sediment-water interactions in common numerical models, and investigate their potential impact on simulated global sediment-water fluxes and nutrient and oxygen distributions. We find that model configurations with benthic burial simulate global oxygen well over a wide range of possible sinking flux parameterizations, making the model more robust with regard to uncertainties about the remineralization length scale. On a global scale, burial mostly affects oxygen in the meso- to bathypelagic zone. While all model types show an almost identical fit to observed pelagic particle flux, and the same sensitivity to particle sinking speed, comparison to observational estimates of benthic fluxes reveals a more complex pattern and may be influenced by the data distribution and methodology. Still, evaluating model results against observed pelagic and benthic fluxes of organic matter can complement model assessments based on more traditional tracers such as nutrients or oxygen. Based on a combined metric of dissolved tracers and biogeochemical fluxes, we here identify two model descriptions of burial as suitable candidates for further experiments and eventual model refinements.

scholarly journals Overview of the MOSAiC expedition – Snow and Sea Ice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel Nicolaus ◽  
Donald Perovich ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Coupled System ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Different Seasons ◽  
Remote Sensing Methods ◽  
Ice Pack ◽  
Snow And Ice

<p>Year-round observations of the properties and processes that govern the ice pack and its interaction with the atmosphere and the ocean were the key element of the MOSAiC field experiment. The aim was to completely characterize the properties of the snow and ice cover across different spatial scales over an entire annual cycle. This was done by monitoring snow and ice mass balance, observing the evolving energy budget, studying dynamical features, and by documenting snow and ice dynamics over nested spatial scales. We conducted in-situ observations at multiple scales, which will be integrated in numerical models and remote sensing methods. Overall, we performed the most comprehensive snow and sea ice program to date. Here, we summarize the observational snow and sea ice program during the drift from October 2019 to September 2020. We will present improved concepts and diagnostics of the field program and show relationships to satellite retrievals and numerical models. We will highlight individual events and characteristics of the snow and ice pack during the different seasons based on time-series that were obtained from numerous sea-ice programs of the MOSAiC ICE team. We will discuss the various activities with respect to the coupled system and the life cycle of sea ice along the transpolar drift.</p>

Natural Fluvial Ecohydraulics

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory B. Pasternak
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Models ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams ◽  
Widespread Occurrence ◽  
Societal Needs ◽  
Environmental Fluid Mechanics ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Continuum Scale ◽  
Fluvial Habitat ◽  
Societal Problems

Ecohydraulics is the study of the mechanisms that explain hierarchically nested aquatic and riparian biotic phenomena. Mechanisms are sequential actions that can be physical, biological, or an interaction between the two. Biotic phenomena consist of individual, population, and community-level conditions, behaviors, and interactions. Hierarchical nesting means that phenomena are present across a wide range of spatial scales: from the smallest fluid continuum scale to the scale of the entire Earth. Many ecohydraulic studies prominently address scaling. Under this definitional framework and given the widespread occurrence of water on Earth, ecohydraulics is the “proximal” science mediating the influence of “distal” landscape drivers (e.g., climate, geology, and topography). Historically, scientists discovered empirical correlations relating biotic conditions to both proximal and distal abiotic variables. However, when such results are applied to practical societal problems (e.g., stream barrier passage, habitat rehabilitation, and flow regime specification), the accuracy and specificity is insufficient to solve them. That has led to widespread recognition of the need for a mechanistic understanding culminating in predictive numerical models. Driven by such necessity, physical and biological scientists and engineers have formed multidisciplinary teams to work out how water and biota interact. Through its marriage of conceptual understanding with quantitative analysis, ecohydraulics is playing a central role in methodological advancements to objectively, transparently, and repeatably explain biotic phenomena at multiple spatial scales. Students involved in ecohydraulics are part of an emerging interdisciplinary generation identifying more with problem-oriented applied science that responds to societal needs to solve specific ecological problems than disciplinarians driven by curiosity and traditional socio-scientific pathways. Nevertheless, it goes too far to conclude that ecohydraulics is nothing more than the application of other sciences, with no basic developments of its own. Necessity often motivates ecohydraulicists to undertake novel experiments revealing fundamental discoveries. As a result, a reasonable distinction can be made between basic ecohydraulics for studying natural phenomena and applied ecohydraulics for rehabilitating degraded phenomena. This annotated bibliography is the first of two spanning ecohydraulics, and it tackles the former, while the second addresses the latter. Due to space limitations, this article is narrowed to natural fluvial ecohydraulics. Within this domain, there are five essential topics: environmental fluid mechanics, flora ecohydraulics, fluvial habitat, faunal ecohydraulics, and fish migration. Finally, space limitations further limit the scope to an emphasis on observational studies over numerical modeling.

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