Abstract
In recent years, the Greenland ice sheet has been losing mass at an average rate of 262 ± 21 Gt yr–1 (2007–2011; Andersen et al. 2015). Part of this mass loss was due to increases in melt, reducing the surface mass budget (Enderlin et al. 2014). Also, the acceleration of many marine-terminating outlet glaciers increased the dynamic mass loss (Rignot et al. 2008). Both mass-loss mechanisms are linked to recent increases in atmospheric and oceanic temperatures (Dutton et al. 2015). For instance, in summer 2012 Greenland experienced exceptionally warm atmospheric conditions, causing nearly the entire ice-sheet surface to melt for two periods of several days (Nghiem et al. 2012) and contributing to the largest annual ice-sheet mass loss on record (Khan et al. 2015). This is in contrast to a return to more average conditions in 2015 (Tedesco et al. in press).
Highlights
Kangerlussuaq Nuuk3.9 5.3 1.8 30 0.8 0.89 0.94 0.2 0.4 184 ± 43 climate. Greenland studies often use the 1961–1990 period, during which the ice sheet is assumed to have been in nearsteady state (e.g. Braithwaite et al 1992; Rignot et al 2008)
In recent years, the Greenland ice sheet has been losing mass at an average rate of 262 ± 21 Gt yr–1 (2007–2011; Andersen et al 2015)
C. 20 automatic weather stations were distributed over eight regions of the Greenland ice sheet (Fig. 1), primarily in the ablation area where surface melting is most prominent (Van As et al 2011)
Summary
3.9 5.3 1.8 30 0.8 0.89 0.94 0.2 0.4 184 ± 43 climate. Greenland studies often use the 1961–1990 period, during which the ice sheet is assumed to have been in nearsteady state (e.g. Braithwaite et al 1992; Rignot et al 2008). Greenland studies often use the 1961–1990 period, during which the ice sheet is assumed to have been in nearsteady state The main aim of this study is to reference PROMICE-measured ablation to this 1961–1990 ‘climate normal’. In order to determine the 1961–1990 reference climate, we need observational records spanning that period and recent years. The only continuous and (on these time scales) relevant Greenland data series that exist have been recorded in coastal areas, by weather stations of the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI). For this study we selected those DMI time series that were gathered closest to the PROMICE weather station sites and were initiated before 1961 (Fig. 1). The earliest measurements (primarily of air temperature) were taken in the 1700s; several continuous records date back to the mid to late 1800s (Fig. 2)
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