Positive degree-day factors for ablation on the Greenland ice sheet studied by energy-balance modelling
Year: 1995
Type: article
Abstract: Ice ablation is related to air temperature by the positive degree-day factor. Variations of the positive degree-day factor in West Greenland are studied using an energy-balance model to simulate ablation under different conditions. Degree-day factors for simulated and measured ice ablation at Nordbogletscher and Qamanârssûp sermia agree well with values around 8 mm d−1°C−1. Degree-day factors for snow are less than half those for ice. Energy-balance modelling shows that degree-day factors vary with summer mean temperature, surface albedo and turbulence but there is only evidence of large positive degree-day factors at lower temperatures and with low albedo (0.3). The greatest effect of albedo variations (0.3–0.7) is at lower temperatures while variations in turbulence have greater effect at higher temperatures. Current models may underestimate runoff from the Greenland ice sheet by several tenths because they use a degree-day factor for melting ice that is too small for the colder parts of the ice sheet, i.e. the upper ablation area and the northerly margin.
Source: Journal of Glaciology
Author: Roger J. Braithwaite
Institution: Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W1607396770