Abstract

Abstract. The dominant mass input component of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is precipitation, whose amounts and phase are poorly constrained by observations. Here we use spaceborne radar observations from CloudSat to map the precipitation frequency and phase on the GrIS, and we use those observations, in combination with a satellite simulator to enable direct comparison between observations and model, to evaluate present-day precipitation frequency in the Community Earth System Model (CESM). The observations show that substantial variability of snowfall frequency over the GrIS exists, that snowfall occurs throughout the year, and that snowfall frequency peaks in spring and fall. Rainfall is rare over the GrIS and only occurs in regions under 2000 m elevation and in the peak summer season. Although CESM overestimates the rainfall frequency, it reproduces the spatial and seasonal variability of precipitation frequency reasonably well. Driven by the high-emission, worst-case Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 scenario, CESM indicates that rainfall frequency will increase considerably across the GrIS, and will occur at higher elevations, potentially exposing a much larger GrIS area to rain and associated meltwater refreezing, firn warming, and reduced storage capacity. This technique can be applied to evaluate precipitation frequency in other climate models and can aid in planning future satellite campaigns.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.