Articles | Volume 19, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2105-2025
© Author(s) 2025. 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-19-2105-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Brief communication
| 
19 Jun 2025
Brief communication |
| 19 Jun 2025
| 19 Jun 2025
Brief communication: Improving lake ice modeling in ORCHIDEE-FLake model using MODIS albedo data
Zacharie Titus
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, IPSL, CEA-CNRS-Université Paris-Saclay, Orme des Merisiers, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91190, France
present address: Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, IPSL, Sorbonne Université, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, ENS, Palaiseau, 91120, France
Amélie Cuynet
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, IPSL, CEA-CNRS-Université Paris-Saclay, Orme des Merisiers, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91190, France
Elodie Salmon
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, IPSL, CEA-CNRS-Université Paris-Saclay, Orme des Merisiers, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91190, France
Catherine Ottlé
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, IPSL, CEA-CNRS-Université Paris-Saclay, Orme des Merisiers, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91190, France
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Zacharie Titus, Marine Bonazzola, Hélène Chepfer, Artem Feofilov, Marie-Laure Roussel, Benjamin Witschas, and Sophie Bastin
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2065, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2065, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
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Aeolus spaceborne Doppler Wind Lidar observes perfectly co-located vertical profiles of clouds and vertical profiles of horizontal wind that can be used to study cloud-wind interactions. At regional scale, we show that over the Indian Ocean, high cloud fractions increase when the Tropical Easterly Jet is active. At a smaller scale, we observe for the first time from space differences in the wind profiles within the cloud and its surrounding clear sky, that can be imputed to convective motions.
Zacharie Titus, Marine Bonazzola, Hélène Chepfer, Artem Feofilov, Marie-Laure Roussel, Benjamin Witschas, and Sophie Bastin
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2065, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2065, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
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Aeolus spaceborne Doppler Wind Lidar observes perfectly co-located vertical profiles of clouds and vertical profiles of horizontal wind that can be used to study cloud-wind interactions. At regional scale, we show that over the Indian Ocean, high cloud fractions increase when the Tropical Easterly Jet is active. At a smaller scale, we observe for the first time from space differences in the wind profiles within the cloud and its surrounding clear sky, that can be imputed to convective motions.
Juliette Bernard, Elodie Salmon, Marielle Saunois, Shushi Peng, Penélope Serrano-Ortiz, Antoine Berchet, Palingamoorthy Gnanamoorthy, Joachim Jansen, and Philippe Ciais
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 863–883, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-863-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-863-2025, 2025
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Despite their importance, uncertainties remain in the evaluation of the drivers of temporal variability of methane emissions from wetlands on a global scale. Here, a simplified global model is developed, taking advantage of advances in remote-sensing data and in situ observations. The model reproduces the large spatial and temporal patterns of emissions, albeit with limitations in the tropics due to data scarcity. This model, while simple, can provide valuable insights into sensitivity analyses.
Thu Hang Nguyen, Philippe Ciais, Liyang Liu, Yi Xi, Chunjing Qiu, Elodie Salmon, Aram Kalhori, Christophe Guimbaud, Matthias Peichl, Joshua L. Ratcliffe, Koffi Dodji Noumonvi, and Xuefei Li
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-352, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-352, 2025
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We simulate virtual drainage at 10 pristine peatland sites. Over time, the emission factors of CO2 flux decrease and the reduction of CH4 emissions is amplified. The sensitivities of flux changes to drainage are primarily controlled by initial CO2 and CH4 fluxes, initial soil carbon content, peat vegetation community, air temperature and initial water table depth. Using GWP100, our simulation suggested only very small net GHG emission changes when peatland is drained for 50 years.
Luis-Enrique Olivera-Guerra, Catherine Ottlé, Nina Raoult, and Philippe Peylin
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 261–290, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-261-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-261-2025, 2025
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We assimilate the recent ESA-CCI land surface temperature (LST) product to optimize parameters of a land surface model (ORCHIDEE). We test different assimilation strategies to evaluate the best strategy over various in situ stations across Europe. We also provide advice on how to assimilate this LST product to better simulate LST and surface energy fluxes. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of this optimization, which is essential to better simulate future projections.
Gab Abramowitz, Anna Ukkola, Sanaa Hobeichi, Jon Cranko Page, Mathew Lipson, Martin G. De Kauwe, Samuel Green, Claire Brenner, Jonathan Frame, Grey Nearing, Martyn Clark, Martin Best, Peter Anthoni, Gabriele Arduini, Souhail Boussetta, Silvia Caldararu, Kyeungwoo Cho, Matthias Cuntz, David Fairbairn, Craig R. Ferguson, Hyungjun Kim, Yeonjoo Kim, Jürgen Knauer, David Lawrence, Xiangzhong Luo, Sergey Malyshev, Tomoko Nitta, Jerome Ogee, Keith Oleson, Catherine Ottlé, Phillipe Peylin, Patricia de Rosnay, Heather Rumbold, Bob Su, Nicolas Vuichard, Anthony P. Walker, Xiaoni Wang-Faivre, Yunfei Wang, and Yijian Zeng
Biogeosciences, 21, 5517–5538, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5517-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5517-2024, 2024
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This paper evaluates land models – computer-based models that simulate ecosystem dynamics; land carbon, water, and energy cycles; and the role of land in the climate system. It uses machine learning and AI approaches to show that, despite the complexity of land models, they do not perform nearly as well as they could given the amount of information they are provided with about the prediction problem.
Sylvie Charbit, Christophe Dumas, Fabienne Maignan, Catherine Ottlé, Nina Raoult, Xavier Fettweis, and Philippe Conesa
The Cryosphere, 18, 5067–5099, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5067-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5067-2024, 2024
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The evolution of the Greenland ice sheet is highly dependent on surface melting and therefore on the processes operating at the snow–atmosphere interface and within the snow cover. Here we present new developments to apply a snow model to the Greenland ice sheet. The performance of this model is analysed in terms of its ability to simulate ablation processes. Our analysis shows that the model performs well when compared with the MAR regional polar atmospheric model.
Juliette Bernard, Catherine Prigent, Carlos Jimenez, Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, Bernhard Lehner, Elodie Salmon, Philippe Ciais, Zhen Zhang, Shushi Peng, and Marielle Saunois
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-466, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-466, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for ESSD
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Wetlands are responsible for about a third of global emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. We have developed the GIEMS-MethaneCentric (GIEMS-MC) dataset to represent the dynamics of wetland extent on a global scale (0.25°x0.25° resolution, monthly time step). This updated resource combines satellite data and existing wetland databases, covering 1992 to 2020. Consistent maps of other methane-emitting surface waters (lakes, rivers, reservoirs, rice paddies) are also provided.
Nina Raoult, Simon Beylat, James M. Salter, Frédéric Hourdin, Vladislav Bastrikov, Catherine Ottlé, and Philippe Peylin
Geosci. Model Dev., 17, 5779–5801, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-5779-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-5779-2024, 2024
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We use computer models to predict how the land surface will respond to climate change. However, these complex models do not always simulate what we observe in real life, limiting their effectiveness. To improve their accuracy, we use sophisticated statistical and computational techniques. We test a technique called history matching against more common approaches. This method adapts well to these models, helping us better understand how they work and therefore how to make them more realistic.
Yi Xi, Chunjing Qiu, Yuan Zhang, Dan Zhu, Shushi Peng, Gustaf Hugelius, Jinfeng Chang, Elodie Salmon, and Philippe Ciais
Geosci. Model Dev., 17, 4727–4754, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-4727-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-4727-2024, 2024
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The ORCHIDEE-MICT model can simulate the carbon cycle and hydrology at a sub-grid scale but energy budgets only at a grid scale. This paper assessed the implementation of a multi-tiling energy budget approach in ORCHIDEE-MICT and found warmer surface and soil temperatures, higher soil moisture, and more soil organic carbon across the Northern Hemisphere compared with the original version.
Mickaël Lalande, Martin Ménégoz, Gerhard Krinner, Catherine Ottlé, and Frédérique Cheruy
The Cryosphere, 17, 5095–5130, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5095-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5095-2023, 2023
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This study investigates the impact of topography on snow cover parameterizations using models and observations. Parameterizations without topography-based considerations overestimate snow cover. Incorporating topography reduces snow overestimation by 5–10 % in mountains, in turn reducing cold biases. However, some biases remain, requiring further calibration and more data. Assessing snow cover parameterizations is challenging due to limited and uncertain data in mountainous regions.
Martin Schwartz, Philippe Ciais, Aurélien De Truchis, Jérôme Chave, Catherine Ottlé, Cedric Vega, Jean-Pierre Wigneron, Manuel Nicolas, Sami Jouaber, Siyu Liu, Martin Brandt, and Ibrahim Fayad
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 4927–4945, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-4927-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-4927-2023, 2023
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As forests play a key role in climate-related issues, their accurate monitoring is critical to reduce global carbon emissions effectively. Based on open-access remote-sensing sensors, and artificial intelligence methods, we created high-resolution tree height, wood volume, and biomass maps of metropolitan France that outperform previous products. This study, based on freely available data, provides essential information to support climate-efficient forest management policies at a low cost.
Nina Raoult, Sylvie Charbit, Christophe Dumas, Fabienne Maignan, Catherine Ottlé, and Vladislav Bastrikov
The Cryosphere, 17, 2705–2724, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2705-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2705-2023, 2023
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Greenland ice sheet melting due to global warming could significantly impact global sea-level rise. The ice sheet's albedo, i.e. how reflective the surface is, affects the melting speed. The ORCHIDEE computer model is used to simulate albedo and snowmelt to make predictions. However, the albedo in ORCHIDEE is lower than that observed using satellites. To correct this, we change model parameters (e.g. the rate of snow decay) to reduce the difference between simulated and observed values.
Jan Polcher, Anthony Schrapffer, Eliott Dupont, Lucia Rinchiuso, Xudong Zhou, Olivier Boucher, Emmanuel Mouche, Catherine Ottlé, and Jérôme Servonnat
Geosci. Model Dev., 16, 2583–2606, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-2583-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-2583-2023, 2023
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The proposed graphs of hydrological sub-grid elements for atmospheric models allow us to integrate the topographical elements needed in land surface models for a realistic representation of horizontal water and energy transport. The study demonstrates the numerical properties of the automatically built graphs and the simulated water flows.
Kandice L. Harper, Céline Lamarche, Andrew Hartley, Philippe Peylin, Catherine Ottlé, Vladislav Bastrikov, Rodrigo San Martín, Sylvia I. Bohnenstengel, Grit Kirches, Martin Boettcher, Roman Shevchuk, Carsten Brockmann, and Pierre Defourny
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 1465–1499, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1465-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-1465-2023, 2023
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We built a spatially explicit annual plant-functional-type (PFT) dataset for 1992–2020 exhibiting intra-class spatial variability in PFT fractional cover at 300 m. For each year, 14 maps of percentage cover are produced: bare soil, water, permanent snow/ice, built, managed grasses, natural grasses, and trees and shrubs, each split into leaf type and seasonality. Model simulations indicate significant differences in simulated carbon, water, and energy fluxes in some regions using this new set.
Anthony Bernus and Catherine Ottlé
Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 4275–4295, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-4275-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-4275-2022, 2022
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The lake model FLake was coupled to the ORCHIDEE land surface model to simulate lake energy balance at global scale with a multi-tile approach. Several simulations were performed with various atmospheric reanalyses and different lake depth parameterizations. The simulated lake surface temperature showed good agreement with observations (RMSEs of the order of 3 °C). We showed the large impact of the atmospheric forcing on lake temperature. We highlighted systematic errors on ice cover phenology.
Elodie Salmon, Fabrice Jégou, Bertrand Guenet, Line Jourdain, Chunjing Qiu, Vladislav Bastrikov, Christophe Guimbaud, Dan Zhu, Philippe Ciais, Philippe Peylin, Sébastien Gogo, Fatima Laggoun-Défarge, Mika Aurela, M. Syndonia Bret-Harte, Jiquan Chen, Bogdan H. Chojnicki, Housen Chu, Colin W. Edgar, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Lawrence B. Flanagan, Krzysztof Fortuniak, David Holl, Janina Klatt, Olaf Kolle, Natalia Kowalska, Lars Kutzbach, Annalea Lohila, Lutz Merbold, Włodzimierz Pawlak, Torsten Sachs, and Klaudia Ziemblińska
Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 2813–2838, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-2813-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-2813-2022, 2022
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A methane model that features methane production and transport by plants, the ebullition process and diffusion in soil, oxidation to CO2, and CH4 fluxes to the atmosphere has been embedded in the ORCHIDEE-PEAT land surface model, which includes an explicit representation of northern peatlands. This model, ORCHIDEE-PCH4, was calibrated and evaluated on 14 peatland sites. Results show that the model is sensitive to temperature and substrate availability over the top 75 cm of soil depth.
Zun Yin, Catherine Ottlé, Philippe Ciais, Feng Zhou, Xuhui Wang, Polcher Jan, Patrice Dumas, Shushi Peng, Laurent Li, Xudong Zhou, Yan Bo, Yi Xi, and Shilong Piao
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 1133–1150, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1133-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1133-2021, 2021
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We improved the irrigation module in a land surface model ORCHIDEE and developed a dam operation model with the aim to investigate how irrigation and dams affect the streamflow fluctuations of the Yellow River. Results show that irrigation mainly reduces the annual river flow. The dam operation, however, mainly affects streamflow variation. By considering two generic operation rules, flood control and base flow guarantee, our dam model can sustainably improve the simulation accuracy.
Zun Yin, Catherine Ottlé, Philippe Ciais, Matthieu Guimberteau, Xuhui Wang, Dan Zhu, Fabienne Maignan, Shushi Peng, Shilong Piao, Jan Polcher, Feng Zhou, Hyungjun Kim, and other China-Trend-Stream project members
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 5463–5484, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-5463-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-5463-2018, 2018
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Simulations in China were performed in ORCHIDEE driven by different forcing datasets: GSWP3, PGF, CRU-NCEP, and WFDEI. Simulated soil moisture was compared to several datasets to evaluate the ability of ORCHIDEE in reproducing soil moisture dynamics. Results showed that ORCHIDEE soil moisture coincided well with other datasets in wet areas and in non-irrigated areas. It suggested that the ORCHIDEE-MICT was suitable for further hydrological studies in China.
Matthieu Guimberteau, Dan Zhu, Fabienne Maignan, Ye Huang, Chao Yue, Sarah Dantec-Nédélec, Catherine Ottlé, Albert Jornet-Puig, Ana Bastos, Pierre Laurent, Daniel Goll, Simon Bowring, Jinfeng Chang, Bertrand Guenet, Marwa Tifafi, Shushi Peng, Gerhard Krinner, Agnès Ducharne, Fuxing Wang, Tao Wang, Xuhui Wang, Yilong Wang, Zun Yin, Ronny Lauerwald, Emilie Joetzjer, Chunjing Qiu, Hyungjun Kim, and Philippe Ciais
Geosci. Model Dev., 11, 121–163, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-121-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-121-2018, 2018
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Improved projections of future Arctic and boreal ecosystem transformation require improved land surface models that integrate processes specific to these cold biomes. To this end, this study lays out relevant new parameterizations in the ORCHIDEE-MICT land surface model. These describe the interactions between soil carbon, soil temperature and hydrology, and their resulting feedbacks on water and CO2 fluxes, in addition to a recently developed fire module.
Hector Simon Benavides Pinjosovsky, Sylvie Thiria, Catherine Ottlé, Julien Brajard, Fouad Badran, and Pascal Maugis
Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 85–104, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-85-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-85-2017, 2017
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The objective of this work is to deliver the adjoint model of SECHIBA obtained with software called YAO, in order to perform 4D-VAR data assimilation. The SECHIBA module of the ORCHIDEE land surface model describes the exchanges of water and energy between the surface and the atmosphere. A distributed version is available when only the land surface temperature is used as an observation, with two examples and documentation.
Yiying Chen, James Ryder, Vladislav Bastrikov, Matthew J. McGrath, Kim Naudts, Juliane Otto, Catherine Ottlé, Philippe Peylin, Jan Polcher, Aude Valade, Andrew Black, Jan A. Elbers, Eddy Moors, Thomas Foken, Eva van Gorsel, Vanessa Haverd, Bernard Heinesch, Frank Tiedemann, Alexander Knohl, Samuli Launiainen, Denis Loustau, Jérôme Ogée, Timo Vessala, and Sebastiaan Luyssaert
Geosci. Model Dev., 9, 2951–2972, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-2951-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-2951-2016, 2016
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In this study, we compiled a set of within-canopy and above-canopy measurements of energy and water fluxes, and used these data to parametrize and validate the new multi-layer energy budget scheme for a range of forest types. An adequate parametrization approach has been presented for the global-scale land surface model (ORCHIDEE-CAN). Furthermore, model performance of the new multi-layer parametrization was compared against the existing single-layer scheme.
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Discipline: Other | Subject: Freshwater Ice
Reconstructing ice phenology of a lake with complex surface cover: a case study of Lake Ulansu during 1941–2023
Measurements of frazil ice flocs in rivers
Assessment of the impact of dam reservoirs on river ice cover – an example from the Carpathians (central Europe)
Forward modelling of synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) backscatter during lake ice melt conditions using the Snow Microwave Radiative Transfer (SMRT) model
A comparison of constant false alarm rate object detection algorithms for iceberg identification in L- and C-band SAR imagery of the Labrador Sea
Fusion of Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager and Geostationary Ocean Color Imager for hourly monitoring surface morphology of lake ice with high resolution in Chagan Lake of Northeast China
Mechanisms and effects of under-ice warming water in Ngoring Lake of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Tricentennial trends in spring ice break-ups on three rivers in northern Europe
Climate warming shortens ice durations and alters freeze and break-up patterns in Swedish water bodies
Sunlight penetration dominates the thermal regime and energetics of a shallow ice-covered lake in arid climate
Dam type and lake location characterize ice-marginal lake area change in Alaska and NW Canada between 1984 and 2019
River ice phenology and thickness from satellite altimetry: potential for ice bridge road operation and climate studies
Giant ice rings in southern Baikal: multi-satellite data help to study ice cover dynamics and eddies under ice
Ice roughness estimation via remotely piloted aircraft and photogrammetry
Analyses of Peace River Shallow Water Ice Profiling Sonar data and their implications for the roles played by frazil ice and in situ anchor ice growth in a freezing river
Creep and fracture of warm columnar freshwater ice
Climate change and Northern Hemisphere lake and river ice phenology from 1931–2005
Methane pathways in winter ice of a thermokarst lake–lagoon–coastal water transect in north Siberia
Continuous in situ measurements of anchor ice formation, growth, and release
Proglacial icings as records of winter hydrological processes
Investigation of spatial and temporal variability of river ice phenology and thickness across Songhua River Basin, northeast China
Observation-derived ice growth curves show patterns and trends in maximum ice thickness and safe travel duration of Alaskan lakes and rivers
Puzhen Huo, Peng Lu, Bin Cheng, Miao Yu, Qingkai Wang, Xuewei Li, and Zhijun Li
The Cryosphere, 19, 849–868, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-849-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-849-2025, 2025
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We developed a new method for retrieving lake ice phenology for a lake with complex surface cover. The method is particularly useful for mixed-pixel satellite data. We implement this method on Lake Ulansu, a lake characterized by complex shorelines and aquatic plants in northwestern China. In connection with a random forest model, we reconstructed the longest lake ice phenology in China.
Chuankang Pei, Jiaqi Yang, Yuntong She, and Mark Loewen
The Cryosphere, 18, 4177–4196, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4177-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4177-2024, 2024
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Frazil flocs are aggregates of frazil ice particles that form in supercooled water. As they grow, they rise to the river surface, contributing to ice cover formation. We measured the properties of frazil flocs in rivers for the first time using underwater imaging. We found that the floc size distributions follow a lognormal distribution and mean floc size decreases linearly as the local Reynolds number increases. Floc volume concentration has a power law correlation with the relative depth.
Maksymilian Fukś
The Cryosphere, 18, 2509–2529, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2509-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2509-2024, 2024
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This paper presents a method for determining the impact of dam reservoirs on the occurrence of ice cover on rivers downstream of their location. It was found that the operation of dam reservoirs reduces the duration of ice cover and significantly affects the ice regime of rivers. Based on the results presented, it can be assumed that dam reservoirs play an important role in transforming ice conditions on rivers.
Justin Murfitt, Claude Duguay, Ghislain Picard, and Juha Lemmetyinen
The Cryosphere, 18, 869–888, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-869-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-869-2024, 2024
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This research focuses on the interaction between microwave signals and lake ice under wet conditions. Field data collected for Lake Oulujärvi in Finland were used to model backscatter under different conditions. The results of the modelling likely indicate that a combination of increased water content and roughness of different interfaces caused backscatter to increase. These results could help to identify areas where lake ice is unsafe for winter transportation.
Laust Færch, Wolfgang Dierking, Nick Hughes, and Anthony P. Doulgeris
The Cryosphere, 17, 5335–5355, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5335-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5335-2023, 2023
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Icebergs in open water are a risk to maritime traffic. We have compared six different constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detectors on overlapping C- and L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images for the detection of icebergs in open water, with a Sentinel-2 image used for validation. The results revealed that L-band gives a slight advantage over C-band, depending on which detector is used. Additionally, the accuracy of all detectors decreased rapidly as the iceberg size decreased.
Qian Yang, Xiaoguang Shi, Weibang Li, Kaishan Song, Zhijun Li, Xiaohua Hao, Fei Xie, Nan Lin, Zhidan Wen, Chong Fang, and Ge Liu
The Cryosphere, 17, 959–975, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-959-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-959-2023, 2023
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A large-scale linear structure has repeatedly appeared on satellite images of Chagan Lake in winter, which was further verified as being ice ridges in the field investigation. We extracted the length and the angle of the ice ridges from multi-source remote sensing images. The average length was 21 141.57 ± 68.36 m. The average azimuth angle was 335.48° 141.57 ± 0.23°. The evolution of surface morphology is closely associated with air temperature, wind, and shoreline geometry.
Mengxiao Wang, Lijuan Wen, Zhaoguo Li, Matti Leppäranta, Victor Stepanenko, Yixin Zhao, Ruijia Niu, Liuyiyi Yang, and Georgiy Kirillin
The Cryosphere, 16, 3635–3648, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3635-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3635-2022, 2022
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The under-ice water temperature of Ngoring Lake has been rising based on in situ observations. We obtained results showing that strong downward shortwave radiation is the main meteorological factor, and precipitation, wind speed, downward longwave radiation, air temperature, ice albedo, and ice extinction coefficient have an impact on the range and rate of lake temperature rise. Once the ice breaks, the lake body releases more energy than other lakes, whose water temperature remains horizontal.
Stefan Norrgård and Samuli Helama
The Cryosphere, 16, 2881–2898, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2881-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2881-2022, 2022
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We examined changes in the dates of ice break-ups in three Finnish rivers since the 1700s. The analyses show that ice break-ups nowadays occur earlier in spring than in previous centuries. The changes are pronounced in the south, and both rivers had their first recorded years without a complete ice cover in the 21st century. These events occurred during exceptionally warm winters and show that climate extremes affect the river-ice regime in southwest Finland differently than in the north.
Sofia Hallerbäck, Laurie S. Huning, Charlotte Love, Magnus Persson, Katarina Stensen, David Gustafsson, and Amir AghaKouchak
The Cryosphere, 16, 2493–2503, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2493-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2493-2022, 2022
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Using unique data, some dating back to the 18th century, we show a significant trend in shorter ice duration, later freeze, and earlier break-up dates across Sweden. In recent observations, the mean ice durations have decreased by 11–28 d and the chance of years with an extremely short ice cover duration (less than 50 d) have increased by 800 %. Results show that even a 1 °C increase in air temperatures can result in a decrease in ice duration in Sweden of around 8–23 d.
Wenfeng Huang, Wen Zhao, Cheng Zhang, Matti Leppäranta, Zhijun Li, Rui Li, and Zhanjun Lin
The Cryosphere, 16, 1793–1806, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1793-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1793-2022, 2022
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Thermal regimes of seasonally ice-covered lakes in an arid region like Central Asia are not well constrained despite the unique climate. We observed annual and seasonal dynamics of thermal stratification and energetics in a shallow arid-region lake. Strong penetrated solar radiation and high water-to-ice heat flux are the predominant components in water heat balance. The under-ice stratification and convection are jointly governed by the radiative penetration and salt rejection during freezing.
Brianna Rick, Daniel McGrath, William Armstrong, and Scott W. McCoy
The Cryosphere, 16, 297–314, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-297-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-297-2022, 2022
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Glacial lakes impact societies as both resources and hazards. Lakes form, grow, and drain as glaciers thin and retreat, and understanding lake evolution is a critical first step in assessing their hazard potential. We map glacial lakes in Alaska between 1984 and 2019. Overall, lakes grew in number and area, though lakes with different damming material (ice, moraine, bedrock) behaved differently. Namely, ice-dammed lakes decreased in number and area, a trend lost if dam type is not considered.
Elena Zakharova, Svetlana Agafonova, Claude Duguay, Natalia Frolova, and Alexei Kouraev
The Cryosphere, 15, 5387–5407, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5387-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5387-2021, 2021
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The paper investigates the performance of altimetric satellite instruments to detect river ice onset and melting dates and to retrieve ice thickness of the Ob River. This is a first attempt to use satellite altimetry for monitoring ice in the challenging conditions restrained by the object size. A novel approach permitted elaboration of the spatiotemporal ice thickness product for the 400 km river reach. The potential of the product for prediction of ice road operation was demonstrated.
Alexei V. Kouraev, Elena A. Zakharova, Andrey G. Kostianoy, Mikhail N. Shimaraev, Lev V. Desinov, Evgeny A. Petrov, Nicholas M. J. Hall, Frédérique Rémy, and Andrey Ya. Suknev
The Cryosphere, 15, 4501–4516, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4501-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4501-2021, 2021
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Giant ice rings are a beautiful and puzzling natural phenomenon. Our data show that ice rings are generated by lens-like warm eddies below the ice. We use multi-satellite data to analyse lake ice cover in the presence of eddies in April 2020 in southern Baikal. Unusual changes in ice colour may be explained by the competing influences of atmosphere above and the warm eddy below the ice. Tracking ice floes also helps to estimate eddy currents and their influence on the upper water layer.
James Ehrman, Shawn Clark, and Alexander Wall
The Cryosphere, 15, 4031–4046, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4031-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4031-2021, 2021
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This research proposes and tests new methods for the estimation of the surface roughness of newly formed river ice covers. The hypothesis sought to determine if surface ice roughness was indicative of the subsurface. Ice roughness has consequences for winter flow characteristics of rivers and can greatly impact river ice jams. Remotely piloted aircraft and photogrammetry were used, and good correlation was found between the observed surface ice roughness and estimated subsurface ice roughness.
John R. Marko and David R. Topham
The Cryosphere, 15, 2473–2489, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2473-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2473-2021, 2021
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Acoustic backscattering data from Peace River frazil events are interpreted to develop a quantitative model of interactions between ice particles in the water column and riverbed ice layers. Two generic behaviours, evident in observed time variability, are linked to differences in the relative stability of in situ anchor ice layers which develop at the beginning of each frazil interval and are determined by cooling rates. Changes in these layers are shown to control water column frazil content.
Iman E. Gharamti, John P. Dempsey, Arttu Polojärvi, and Jukka Tuhkuri
The Cryosphere, 15, 2401–2413, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2401-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2401-2021, 2021
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We study the creep and fracture behavior of 3 m × 6 m floating edge-cracked rectangular plates of warm columnar freshwater S2 ice under creep/cyclic-recovery loading and monotonic loading to fracture. Under the testing conditions, the ice response was elastic–viscoplastic; no significant viscoelasticity or major recovery was detected. There was no clear effect of the creep/cyclic loading on the fracture properties: failure load and crack opening displacements at crack growth initiation.
Andrew M. W. Newton and Donal J. Mullan
The Cryosphere, 15, 2211–2234, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2211-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2211-2021, 2021
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This paper investigates changes in the dates of ice freeze-up and breakup for 678 Northern Hemisphere lakes and rivers from 1931–2005. From 3510 time series, the results show that breakup dates have gradually occurred earlier through time, whilst freeze-up trends have tended to be significantly more variable. These data combined show that the number of annual open-water days has increased through time for most sites, with the magnitude of change at its largest in more recent years.
Ines Spangenberg, Pier Paul Overduin, Ellen Damm, Ingeborg Bussmann, Hanno Meyer, Susanne Liebner, Michael Angelopoulos, Boris K. Biskaborn, Mikhail N. Grigoriev, and Guido Grosse
The Cryosphere, 15, 1607–1625, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1607-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1607-2021, 2021
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Thermokarst lakes are common on ice-rich permafrost. Many studies have shown that they are sources of methane to the atmosphere. Although they are usually covered by ice, little is known about what happens to methane in winter. We studied how much methane is contained in the ice of a thermokarst lake, a thermokarst lagoon and offshore. Methane concentrations differed strongly, depending on water body type. Microbes can also oxidize methane in ice and lower the concentrations during winter.
Tadros R. Ghobrial and Mark R. Loewen
The Cryosphere, 15, 49–67, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-49-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-49-2021, 2021
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Anchor ice typically forms on riverbeds during freeze-up and can alter the river ice regime. Most of the knowledge on anchor ice mechanisms has been attributed to lab experiments. This study presents for the first time insights into anchor ice initiation, growth, and release in rivers using an underwater camera system. Three stages of growth and modes of release have been identified. These results will improve modelling capabilities in predicting the effect of anchor ice on river ice regimes.
Anna Chesnokova, Michel Baraër, and Émilie Bouchard
The Cryosphere, 14, 4145–4164, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4145-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4145-2020, 2020
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In the context of a ubiquitous increase in winter discharge in cold regions, our results show that icing formations can help overcome the lack of direct observations in these remote environments and provide new insights into winter runoff generation. The multi-technique approach used in this study provided important information about the water sources active during the winter season in the headwaters of glacierized catchments.
Qian Yang, Kaishan Song, Xiaohua Hao, Zhidan Wen, Yue Tan, and Weibang Li
The Cryosphere, 14, 3581–3593, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3581-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3581-2020, 2020
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Using daily ice records of 156 hydrological stations across Songhua River Basin, we examined the spatial variability in the river ice phenology and river ice thickness from 2010 to 2015 and explored the role of snow depth and air temperature on the ice thickness. Snow cover correlated with ice thickness significantly and positively when the freshwater was completely frozen. Cumulative air temperature of freezing provides a better predictor than the air temperature for ice thickness modeling.
Christopher D. Arp, Jessica E. Cherry, Dana R. N. Brown, Allen C. Bondurant, and Karen L. Endres
The Cryosphere, 14, 3595–3609, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3595-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3595-2020, 2020
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River and lake ice thickens at varying rates geographically and from year to year. We took a closer look at ice growth across a large geographic region experiencing rapid climate change, the State of Alaska, USA. Slower ice growth was most pronounced in northern Alaskan lakes over the last 60 years. Western and interior Alaska ice showed more variability in thickness and safe travel duration. This analysis provides a comprehensive evaluation of changing freshwater ice in Alaska.
Cited articles
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Short summary
The representation of lake ice dynamics is key to model water–atmosphere energy and mass transfers in cold environments. The use of albedo satellite products to constrain the modeling of ice coverage appears to be very suitable and valuable. In this work, we show how the modeling of lake albedo and ice phenology in the land surface model ORCHIDEE was improved by accounting for fractional ice cover calibrated against lake surface albedo data.
The representation of lake ice dynamics is key to model water–atmosphere energy and mass...
