Articles | Volume 18, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3333-2024
© Author(s) 2024. 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-18-3333-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
24 Jul 2024
Research article |
| 24 Jul 2024
| 24 Jul 2024
Greenland's firn responds more to warming than to cooling
Megan Thompson-Munson
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Jennifer E. Kay
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Bradley R. Markle
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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To better understand the Greenland Ice Sheet’s firn layer and its ability to buffer sea level rise by storing meltwater, we analyze firn density observations and output from two firn models. We find that both models, one physics-based and one semi-empirical, simulate realistic density and firn air content when compared to observations. The models differ in their representation of firn air content, highlighting the uncertainty in physical processes and the paucity of deep-firn measurements.
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Short summary
The upper layers of the Greenland Ice Sheet are absorbent and can store meltwater that would otherwise flow into the ocean and raise sea level. The amount of meltwater that the ice sheet can store changes when the air temperature changes. We use a model to show that warming and cooling have opposite but unequal effects. Warming has a stronger effect than cooling, which highlights the vulnerability of the Greenland Ice Sheet to modern climate change.
The upper layers of the Greenland Ice Sheet are absorbent and can store meltwater that would...
