Articles | Volume 13, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1819-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1819-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
09 Jul 2019
Research article |
| 09 Jul 2019
| 09 Jul 2019
Development of physically based liquid water schemes for Greenland firn-densification models
Vincent Verjans
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1
4YW, UK
Amber A. Leeson
Lancaster Environment Centre, Data Science Institute, Lancaster
University, Lancaster, LA1 4YW, UK
C. Max Stevens
Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA, USA
Michael MacFerrin
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences,
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
Brice Noël
Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht, Utrecht
University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Michiel R. van den Broeke
Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht, Utrecht
University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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Cited
39 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Firn cold content evolution at nine sites on the Greenland ice sheet between 1998 and 2017 B. Vandecrux et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2020.30
- An evaluation of a physics-based firn model and a semi-empirical firn model across the Greenland Ice Sheet (1980–2020) M. Thompson-Munson et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2185-2023
- Depth of Liquid Water Infiltration in Greenland Firn Based on L-Band Radiometry, a Snow Physics Model, and Machine Learning T. Moon et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2026.3669024
- Physically Based Summer Temperature Reconstruction From Melt Layers in Ice Cores K. Fujita et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001590
- Firn Core Evidence of Two‐Way Feedback Mechanisms Between Meltwater Infiltration and Firn Microstructure From the Western Percolation Zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet I. McDowell et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF006752
- Meltwater and cold pump effects override climate control of grain size in polythermal glacier ice Y. Li & C. Fu https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-35538-x
- A unified kinematic wave theory for melt infiltration into firn M. Shadab et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2025.10055
- Retrieval and validation of total seasonal liquid water amounts in the percolation zone of the Greenland ice sheet using L-band radiometry A. Hossan et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4237-2025
- Time‐Domain Reflectometry Measurements and Modeling of Firn Meltwater Infiltration at DYE‐2, Greenland S. Samimi et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JF006295
- More Realistic Intermediate Depth Dry Firn Densification in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) A. Schneider et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021MS002542
- Pervasive ice sheet mass loss reflects competing ocean and atmosphere processes B. Smith et al. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaz5845
- Vertical bedrock shifts reveal summer water storage in Greenland ice sheet J. Ran et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08096-3
- Hydrologic modeling of a perennial firn aquifer in southeast Greenland O. Miller et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2022.88
- Meltwater Penetration Through Temperate Ice Layers in the Percolation Zone at DYE‐2, Greenland Ice Sheet S. Samimi et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL089211
- Meltwater percolation, impermeable layer formation and runoff buffering on Devon Ice Cap, Canada D. Ashmore et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.80
- Revisiting snow settlement with microstructural knowledge L. Védrine & P. Hagenmuller https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1257-2026
- Bayesian calibration of firn densification models V. Verjans et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3017-2020
- Firn air content changes on Antarctic ice shelves under three future warming scenarios S. Veldhuijsen et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1983-2024
- Simulations of firn processes over the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets: 1980–2021 B. Medley et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3971-2022
- The firn meltwater Retention Model Intercomparison Project (RetMIP): evaluation of nine firn models at four weather station sites on the Greenland ice sheet B. Vandecrux et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3785-2020
- Characterizations of the water retention curve of the dry-cold snowpack N. Chao et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-024-9222-7
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- Evaluation of wet snow dielectric mixing models for L-band radiometric measurement of liquid water content in Greenland's percolation zone A. Hossan et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-6077-2025
- Ice Sheet Surface and Subsurface Melt Water Discrimination Using Multi‐Frequency Microwave Radiometry A. Colliander et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL096599
- Surface Melting Drives Fluctuations in Airborne Radar Penetration in West Central Greenland I. Otosaka et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088293
- The CryoGrid community model (version 1.0) – a multi-physics toolbox for climate-driven simulations in the terrestrial cryosphere S. Westermann et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-2607-2023
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- Modelling cold firn evolution at Colle Gnifetti, Swiss/Italian Alps M. Gastaldello et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2983-2025
- Predicting mean depth and area fraction of Antarctic supraglacial melt lakes with physics-based parameterizations D. Grau et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61798-8
- Spatial and temporal patterns of snowmelt refreezing in a Himalayan catchment S. Veldhuijsen et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.101
- Greenland's firn responds more to warming than to cooling M. Thompson-Munson et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3333-2024
- Development of a Snow Load Alert System, “YukioroSignal” for Aiding Roof Snow Removal Decisions in Snowy Areas in Japan H. Hirashima et al. https://doi.org/10.20965/jdr.2020.p0688
- FDTransformer: A firn density prediction framework combining a self-attention transformer network with firn densification physics X. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.113869
- The Determination of the Snow Optical Grain Diameter and Snowmelt Area on the Greenland Ice Sheet Using Spaceborne Optical Observations B. Vandecrux et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14040932
- In situ measurements of meltwater flow through snow and firn in the accumulation zone of the SW Greenland Ice Sheet N. Clerx et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4379-2022
39 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Firn cold content evolution at nine sites on the Greenland ice sheet between 1998 and 2017 B. Vandecrux et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2020.30
- An evaluation of a physics-based firn model and a semi-empirical firn model across the Greenland Ice Sheet (1980–2020) M. Thompson-Munson et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2185-2023
- Depth of Liquid Water Infiltration in Greenland Firn Based on L-Band Radiometry, a Snow Physics Model, and Machine Learning T. Moon et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2026.3669024
- Physically Based Summer Temperature Reconstruction From Melt Layers in Ice Cores K. Fujita et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001590
- Firn Core Evidence of Two‐Way Feedback Mechanisms Between Meltwater Infiltration and Firn Microstructure From the Western Percolation Zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet I. McDowell et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF006752
- Meltwater and cold pump effects override climate control of grain size in polythermal glacier ice Y. Li & C. Fu https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-35538-x
- A unified kinematic wave theory for melt infiltration into firn M. Shadab et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2025.10055
- Retrieval and validation of total seasonal liquid water amounts in the percolation zone of the Greenland ice sheet using L-band radiometry A. Hossan et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4237-2025
- Time‐Domain Reflectometry Measurements and Modeling of Firn Meltwater Infiltration at DYE‐2, Greenland S. Samimi et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JF006295
- More Realistic Intermediate Depth Dry Firn Densification in the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) A. Schneider et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021MS002542
- Pervasive ice sheet mass loss reflects competing ocean and atmosphere processes B. Smith et al. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaz5845
- Vertical bedrock shifts reveal summer water storage in Greenland ice sheet J. Ran et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08096-3
- Hydrologic modeling of a perennial firn aquifer in southeast Greenland O. Miller et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2022.88
- Meltwater Penetration Through Temperate Ice Layers in the Percolation Zone at DYE‐2, Greenland Ice Sheet S. Samimi et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL089211
- Meltwater percolation, impermeable layer formation and runoff buffering on Devon Ice Cap, Canada D. Ashmore et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2019.80
- Revisiting snow settlement with microstructural knowledge L. Védrine & P. Hagenmuller https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1257-2026
- Bayesian calibration of firn densification models V. Verjans et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3017-2020
- Firn air content changes on Antarctic ice shelves under three future warming scenarios S. Veldhuijsen et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1983-2024
- Simulations of firn processes over the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets: 1980–2021 B. Medley et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3971-2022
- The firn meltwater Retention Model Intercomparison Project (RetMIP): evaluation of nine firn models at four weather station sites on the Greenland ice sheet B. Vandecrux et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3785-2020
- Characterizations of the water retention curve of the dry-cold snowpack N. Chao et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-024-9222-7
- Meltwater runoff and glacier mass balance in the high Arctic: 1991–2022 simulations for Svalbard L. Schmidt et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2941-2023
- Evaluation of wet snow dielectric mixing models for L-band radiometric measurement of liquid water content in Greenland's percolation zone A. Hossan et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-6077-2025
- Ice Sheet Surface and Subsurface Melt Water Discrimination Using Multi‐Frequency Microwave Radiometry A. Colliander et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL096599
- Surface Melting Drives Fluctuations in Airborne Radar Penetration in West Central Greenland I. Otosaka et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088293
- The CryoGrid community model (version 1.0) – a multi-physics toolbox for climate-driven simulations in the terrestrial cryosphere S. Westermann et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-2607-2023
- The Community Firn Model (CFM) v1.0 C. Stevens et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-4355-2020
- Large interannual variability in supraglacial lakes around East Antarctica J. Arthur et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29385-3
- Extreme melt season ice layers reduce firn permeability across Greenland R. Culberg et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22656-5
- Uncertainty in East Antarctic Firn Thickness Constrained Using a Model Ensemble Approach V. Verjans et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL092060
- The Greenland Firn Compaction Verification and Reconnaissance (FirnCover) dataset, 2013–2019 M. MacFerrin et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-955-2022
- Modelling cold firn evolution at Colle Gnifetti, Swiss/Italian Alps M. Gastaldello et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2983-2025
- Predicting mean depth and area fraction of Antarctic supraglacial melt lakes with physics-based parameterizations D. Grau et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61798-8
- Spatial and temporal patterns of snowmelt refreezing in a Himalayan catchment S. Veldhuijsen et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.101
- Greenland's firn responds more to warming than to cooling M. Thompson-Munson et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3333-2024
- Development of a Snow Load Alert System, “YukioroSignal” for Aiding Roof Snow Removal Decisions in Snowy Areas in Japan H. Hirashima et al. https://doi.org/10.20965/jdr.2020.p0688
- FDTransformer: A firn density prediction framework combining a self-attention transformer network with firn densification physics X. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.113869
- The Determination of the Snow Optical Grain Diameter and Snowmelt Area on the Greenland Ice Sheet Using Spaceborne Optical Observations B. Vandecrux et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14040932
- In situ measurements of meltwater flow through snow and firn in the accumulation zone of the SW Greenland Ice Sheet N. Clerx et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4379-2022
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 03 Jun 2026
Short summary
Firn models rely on empirical approaches for representing the percolation and refreezing of meltwater through the firn column. We develop liquid water schemes of different levels of complexity for firn models and compare their performances with respect to observations of density profiles from Greenland. Our results demonstrate that physically advanced water schemes do not lead to better agreement with density observations. Uncertainties in other processes contribute more to model discrepancy.
Firn models rely on empirical approaches for representing the percolation and refreezing of...
