Explicit representation of liquid water retention over bare ice using the SURFEX/ISBA-Crocus model: implications for mass balance at Mera glacier (Nepal)

Goutard, Audrey; Réveillet, Marion; Brun, Fanny; Six, Delphine; Fourteau, Kevin; Amory, Charles; Fettweis, Xavier; Fructus, Mathieu; Khadka, Arbindra; Lafaysse, Matthieu

doi:10.5194/tc-20-2393-2026

Articles | Volume 20, issue 4

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-2393-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-2393-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 20, issue 4

Research article

|

24 Apr 2026

Research article |

| 24 Apr 2026

Explicit representation of liquid water retention over bare ice using the SURFEX/ISBA-Crocus model: implications for mass balance at Mera glacier (Nepal)

Audrey Goutard, Marion Réveillet, Fanny Brun, Delphine Six, Kevin Fourteau, Charles Amory, Xavier Fettweis, Mathieu Fructus, Arbindra Khadka, and Matthieu Lafaysse

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-2393-2026-supplement

Data sets

Simulation outputs A. Goutard https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18504830

Model code and software

Code for paper Explicit representation of liquid water retention over bare ice using the SURFEX/ISBA-Crocus model: implications for mass balance at Mera glacier (Nepal) A. Goutard https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18500494

Short summary

A new scheme has been developed in a snowpack model (SURFEX/ISBA-Crocus), to consider the impact of liquid water dynamics on bare ice, including albedo feedback and refreezing. When applied to the Mera Glacier in Nepal, the model reveals strong seasonal effects on the energy and mass balance, with increased melting in dry seasons and significant refreezing during the monsoon. This development improves mass balance modeling under increasing rainfall and bare ice exposure due to climate warming.