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dc.contributor.authorSouverijns, Niels
dc.contributor.authorGossart, Alexandra
dc.contributor.authorGorodetskaya, Irina
dc.contributor.authorLhermitte, Stef
dc.contributor.authorMangold, Alexander
dc.contributor.authorLaffineur, Quentin
dc.contributor.authorDelcloo, Andy
dc.contributor.authorvan LIpzig, Nicole
dc.contributor.editorEGU
dc.contributor.editorArthern, Robert
dc.coverage.spatialAntarcticaen_US
dc.coverage.temporal2010-2018en_US
dc.date2018-06-12
dc.date.accessioned2019-05-27T14:17:00Z
dc.date.available2019-05-27T14:17:00Z
dc.identifier.citationSouverijns, N., Gossart, A., Gorodetskaya, I. V., Lhermitte, S., Mangold, A., Laffineur, Q., Delcloo, A., and van Lipzig, N. P. M.: How does the ice sheet surface mass balance relate to snowfall? Insights from a ground-based precipitation radar in East Antarctica, The Cryosphere, 12, 1987-2003, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1987-2018, 2018.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://orfeo.belnet.be/handle/internal/7287
dc.descriptionLocal surface mass balance (SMB) measurements are crucial for understanding changes in the total mass of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, including its contribution to sea level rise. Despite continuous attempts to decipher mechanisms controlling the local and regional SMB, a clear understanding of the separate components is still lacking, while snowfall measurements are almost absent. In this study, the different terms of the SMB are quantified at the Princess Elisabeth (PE) station in Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica. Furthermore, the relationship between snowfall and accumulation at the surface is investigated. To achieve this, a unique collocated set of ground-based and in situ remote sensing instrumentation (Micro Rain Radar, ceilometer, automatic weather station, among others) was set up and operated for a time period of 37 months. Snowfall originates mainly from moist and warm air advected from lower latitudes associated with cyclone activity. However, snowfall events are not always associated with accumulation. During 38 % of the observed snowfall cases, the freshly fallen snow is ablated by the wind during the course of the event. Generally, snowstorms of longer duration and larger spatial extent have a higher chance of resulting in accumulation on a local scale, while shorter events usually result in ablation (on average 17 and 12 h respectively). A large part of the accumulation at the station takes place when preceding snowfall events were occurring in synoptic upstream areas. This fresh snow is easily picked up and transported in shallow drifting snow layers over tens of kilometers, even when wind speeds are relatively low (<7 ms−1). Ablation events are mainly related to katabatic winds originating from the Antarctic plateau and the mountain ranges in the south. These dry winds are able to remove snow and lead to a decrease in the local SMB. This work highlights that the local SMB is strongly influenced by synoptic upstream conditions.en_US
dc.languageengen_US
dc.publisherEuropean Geosciences Unionen_US
dc.titleHow does the ice sheet surface mass balance relate to snowfall? Insights from a ground-based precipitation radar in East Antarcticaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
dc.subject.frascatiPhysical sciencesen_US
dc.audienceScientificen_US
dc.source.titleThe Cryosphereen_US
dc.source.volume12en_US
dc.source.page1987-2003en_US
Orfeo.peerreviewedYesen_US
dc.identifier.doidoi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1987-2018
dc.relation.belspo-projectBR/143/A2/AEROCLOUDen_US


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