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O'Connor, F. M.
Johnson, C. E.
Morgenstern, O.
Abraham, N. L.
Braesicke, P.
Dalvi, M.
Folberth, G. A.
Sanderson, M. G.
Telford, P. J.
Voulgarakis, A.
Young, P. J.
Zeng, G.
Collins, W. J.
Pyle, J. A. (2014). Evaluation of the new UKCA climate-composition model – Part 2: The Troposphere. Geoscientific Model Development, 7(1), 41–91.
Abstract: In this paper, we present a description of the tropospheric chemistry component of the UK Chemistry and Aerosols (UKCA) model which has been coupled to the Met Office Hadley Centre's HadGEM family of climate models. We assess the model's transport and scavenging processes, in particular focussing on convective transport, boundary layer mixing, wet scavenging and inter-hemispheric exchange. Simulations with UKCA of the short-lived radon tracer suggest that modelled distributions are comparable to those of other models and the comparison with observations indicate that apart from a few locations, boundary layer mixing and convective transport are effective in the model as a means of vertically redistributing surface emissions of radon. Comparisons of modelled lead tracer concentrations with observations suggest that UKCA captures surface concentrations in both hemispheres very well, although there is a tendency to underestimate the observed geographical and interannual variability in the Northern Hemisphere. In particular, UKCA replicates the shape and absolute concentrations of observed lead profiles, a key test in the evaluation of a model's wet scavenging scheme. The timescale for inter-hemispheric transport, calculated in the model using a simple krypton tracer experiment, does appear to be long relative to other models and could indicate deficiencies in tropical deep convection and/or insufficient boundary layer mixing. We also describe the main components of the tropospheric chemistry and evaluate it against observations and other tropospheric chemistry models. In particular, from a climate forcing perspective, present-day observed surface methane concentrations and tropospheric ozone concentrations are reproduced very well by the model, thereby making it suitable for long centennial integrations as well as studies of biogeochemical feedbacks. Results from both historical and future simulations with UKCA tropospheric chemistry are presented. Future projections of tropospheric ozone vary with the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP). In RCP2.6, for example, tropospheric ozone increases up to 2010 and then declines by 13% of its year-2000 global mean by the end of the century. In RCP8.5, tropospheric ozone continues to rise steadily throughout the 21st century, with methane being the main driving factor. Finally, we highlight aspects of the UKCA model which are undergoing and/or have undergone recent developments and are suitable for inclusion in a next-generation Earth System Model.
Programme: 416
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Berthier E, Vincent C, Magnússon E, Gunnlaugsson Á Þ, Pitte P, Le Meur E, Masiokas M, Ruiz L, Pálsson F, Belart J M C, Wagnon P, . (2014). Glacier topography and elevation changes derived from Pléiades sub-meter stereo images
. 1994-0416, 8(6), 2275–2291.
Abstract: In response to climate change, most glaciers are losing mass and hence contribute to sea-level rise. Repeated and accurate mapping of their surface topography is required to estimate their mass balance and to extrapolate/calibrate sparse field glaciological measurements. In this study we evaluate the potential of sub-meter stereo imagery from the recently launched Pléiades satellites to derive digital elevation models (DEMs) of glaciers and their elevation changes. Our five evaluation sites, where nearly simultaneous field measurements were collected, are located in Iceland, the European Alps, the central Andes, Nepal and Antarctica. For Iceland, the Pléiades DEM is also compared to a lidar DEM. The vertical biases of the Pléiades DEMs are less than 1 m if ground control points (GCPs) are used, but reach up to 7 m without GCPs. Even without GCPs, vertical biases can be reduced to a few decimetres by horizontal and vertical co-registration of the DEMs to reference altimetric data on ice-free terrain. Around these biases, the vertical precision of the Pléiades DEMs is ±1 m and even ±0.5 m on the flat glacier tongues (1σ confidence level). Similar precision levels are obtained in the accumulation areas of glaciers and in Antarctica. We also demonstrate the high potential of Pléiades DEMs for measuring seasonal, annual and multi-annual elevation changes with an accuracy of 1 m or better if cloud-free images are available. The negative region-wide mass balances of glaciers in the Mont-Blanc area (−1.04 ± 0.23 m a−1 water equivalent, w.e.) are revealed by differencing Satellite pour l'Observation de la Terre 5 (SPOT 5) and Pléiades DEMs acquired in August 2003 and 2012, confirming the accelerated glacial wastage in the European Alps.
Programme: 1053
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Legrand M, Preunkert S, Frey M, Bartels-Rausch Th, Kukui A, King M D, Savarino J, Kerbrat M, Jourdain B, . (2014). Large mixing ratios of atmospheric nitrous acid (HONO) at Concordia (East Antarctic Plateau) in summer: a strong source from surface snow?
. 1680-7316, 14(18), 9963–9976.
Abstract: During the austral summer 2011/2012 atmospheric nitrous acid (HONO) was investigated for the second
time at the Concordia site (75060 S, 123330 E), located on the East Antarctic Plateau, by deploying a long-path absorption photometer (LOPAP). Hourly mixing ratios of HONO measured in December 2011/January 2012 (35±5.0 pptv) were similar to those measured in December 2010/January
2011 (30.4±3.5 pptv). The large value of the HONO mixing ratio at the remote Concordia site suggests a local source of HONO in addition to weak production from oxidation of
NO by the OH radical. Laboratory experiments demonstrate that surface snow removed from Concordia can produce gasphase HONO at mixing ratios half that of the NOx mixing ratio produced in the same experiment at typical temperatures encountered at Concordia in summer. Using these lab data and the emission flux of NOx from snow estimated from the vertical gradient of atmospheric concentrations measured during the campaign, a mean diurnal HONO snow emission ranging between 0.5 and 0.8×109 molecules cm-2 s-1 is calculated. Model calculations indicate that, in addition to around 1.2 pptv of HONO produced by the NO oxidation, these HONO snow emissions can only explain 6.5 to 10.5 pptv of HONO in the atmosphere at Concordia. To explain the difference between observed and simulated HONO mixing ratios, tests were done both in the field and at lab to explore the possibility that the presence of HNO4 had biased the measurements of HONO.
Programme: 1011
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Barral H, Genthon C, Trouvilliez A, Brun C, Amory C, . (2014). Blowing snow in coastal Adélie Land, Antarctica: three atmospheric-moisture issues
. TC, 8(5), 1905–1919.
Abstract: Three years of blowing snow observations and associated meteorology along a 7-m mast at site D17 in coastal Adelie Land are presented. The observations are used to address 3 atmospheric moisture issues related to the occurrence of blowing snow, a feature which largely affects many regions of Antarctica: 1) Blowing snow sublimation raises close to saturation the moisture content of the surface atmosphere, and atmospheric models and meteorological analyzes that do not carry blowing snow parameterizations areaffected by a systematic dry bias; 2) While snowpack modeling with a parameterization of surface snow erosion by wind can reproduce the variability of snow accumulation and ablation, ignoring the high levels of atmospheric moisture content associated with blowing snow results in overestimating surface sublimation affecting the energy budget of the snow-pack; 3) the well-known profile method to calculate turbulent moisture fluxes is not applicable when blowing snow occurs, because moisture gradients are weak due to blowing snow sublimation, and the impact of measurement uncertainties are strongly amplified in case of strong winds.
Keywords: Antarctica, Snowpack, Surface Mass Balance, Katabatic flow, Blowing snow, Sublimation, Latent Heat Fluxes, Moisture, Observation, Modelling, Profile method,Monin and Obukhov similarity theory, Uncertainty propagation
Programme: 1013
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Yver Kwok C, Laurent O, Guemri A, Philippon C, Wastine B, Rella C W, Vuillemin C, Truong F, Delmotte M, Kazan V, Darding M, Lebègue B, Kaiser C, Ramonet M, . (2015). Comprehensive laboratory and field testing of cavity ring-down spectroscopy analyzers measuring H2O, CO2, CH4 and CO
. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions, 8(4), 4219–4272.
Abstract: To develop an accurate measurement network of greenhouse gases, instruments in the field need to be stable and precise and thus require infrequent calibrations and a low consumption of consumables. For about ten years, cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) analyzers have been available that meet these stringent requirements for precision and stability. Here, we present the results of tests of CRDS instruments in the laboratory (47 instruments) and in the field (15 instruments). The precision and stability of the measurements are studied. We demonstrate that, thanks to rigorous testing, newer models generally perform better than older models, especially in terms of reproducibility between instruments. In the field, we see the importance of individual diagnostics during the installation phase, and we show the value of calibration and target gases that assess the quality of the data. Finally, we formulate recommendations for use of these analyzers in the field.
Programme: 416
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Domine F, Barrere M, Sarrazin D, Morin S, Arnaud L, . (2015). Automatic monitoring of the effective thermal conductivity of snow in a low-Arctic shrub tundra
. TC, 9(3), 1265–1276.
Abstract: The effective thermal conductivity of snow, keff, is a critical variable which determines the temperature gradient in the snowpack and heat exchanges between the ground and the atmosphere through the snow. Its accurate knowledge is therefore required to simulate snow metamorphism, the ground thermal regime, permafrost stability, nutrient recycling and vegetation growth. Yet, few data are available on the seasonal evolution of snow thermal conductivity in the Arctic. We have deployed heated needle probes on low-Arctic shrub tundra near Umiujaq, Quebec, (N56340; W76290) and monitored automatically the evolution of keff for two consecutive winters, 2012–2013 and 2013–2014, at four heights in the snowpack. Shrubs are 20 cm high dwarf birch. Here, we develop an algorithm for the automatic determination of keff from the heating curves and obtain 404 keff values. We evaluate possible errors and biases associated with the use of the heated needles. The time evolution of keff is very different for both winters. This is explained by comparing the meteorological conditions in both winters, which induced different conditions for snow metamorphism. In particular, important melting events in the second year increased snow hardness, impeding subsequent densification and increase in thermal conductivity.We conclude that shrubs have very important impacts on snow physical evolution: (1) shrubs absorb light and facilitate snow melt under intense radiation; (2) the dense twig network of dwarf birch prevent snow compaction, and therefore keff increase; (3) the low density depth hoar that forms within shrubs collapsed in late winter, leaving a void that was not filled by snow.
Programme: 1042
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Libois Q, Picard G, Arnaud L, Dumont M, Lafaysse M, Morin S, Lefebvre E, . (2015). Summertime evolution of snow specific surface area close to the surface on the Antarctic Plateau
. The Cryosphere, 9(4). Retrieved July 6, 2024, from http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-2383-2015
Abstract: On the Antarctic Plateau, snow specific surface area (SSA) close to the surface shows complex variations at daily to seasonal scales which affect the surface albedo and in turn the surface energy budget of the ice sheet. While snow metamorphism, precipitation and strong wind events are known to drive SSA variations, usually in opposite ways, their relative contributions remain unclear. Here, a comprehensive set of SSA observations at Dome C is analysed with respect to meteorological conditions to assess the respective roles of these factors. The results show an average two-to-three-fold SSA decrease from October to February in the topmost 10 cm, in response to the increase of air temperature and absorption of solar radiation in the snowpack during spring and summer. Surface SSA is also characterised by significant daily to weekly variations, due to the deposition of small crystals with SSA up to 100 m2 kg−1 onto the surface during snowfall and blowing snow events. To complement these field observations, the detailed snowpack model Crocus is used to simulate SSA, with the intent to further investigate the previously found correlation between inter-annual variability of summer SSA decrease and summer precipitation amount. To this end, Crocus parameterizations have been adapted to Dome C conditions, and the model was forced by ERA-Interim reanalysis. It successfully matches the observations at daily to seasonal time scales, except for few cases when snowfalls are not captured by the reanalysis. On the contrary, the inter-annual variability of summer SSA decrease is poorly simulated when compared to 14 years of microwave satellite data sensititve to the near surface SSA. A simulation with disabled summer precipitation confirms the weak influence in the model of the precipitation on metamorphism, with only 6 % enhancement. However we found that disabling strong wind events in the model is sufficient to reconciliate the simulations with the observations. This suggests that Crocus reproduces well the contributions of metamorphism and precipitation on surface SSA, but that snow compaction by the wind might be overestimated in the model.
Programme: 1110
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Amory C, Trouvilliez A, Gallée H, Favier V, Naaim-Bouvet F, Genthon C, Agosta C, Piard L, Bellot H, . (2015). Comparison between observed and simulated aeolian snow mass fluxes in Adélie Land, East Antarctica
. TC, 9(4), 1373–1383.
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Bès de Berc M, Grunberg M, Engels F, . (2015). How to create a very-low-cost, very-low-power, credit-card-sized and real-time-ready datalogger
(Vol. 40). Copernicus GmbH.
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Frey M M, Roscoe H K, Kukui A, Savarino J, France J L, King M D, Legrand M, Preunkert S, . (2015). Atmospheric nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2) at Dome C, East Antarctica, during the OPALE campaign
. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 15(14), 7859–7875.
Abstract: Mixing ratios of the atmospheric nitrogen oxides NO and NO2 were measured as part of the OPALE (Oxidant Production in Antarctic Lands & Export) campaign at Dome C, East Antarctica (75.1° S, 123.3° E, 3233 m), during December 2011 to January 2012. Profiles of NOx mixing ratios of the lower 100 m of the atmosphere confirm that, in contrast to the South Pole, air chemistry at Dome C is strongly influenced by large diurnal cycles in solar irradiance and a sudden collapse of the atmospheric boundary layer in the early evening. Depth profiles of mixing ratios in firn air suggest that the upper snowpack at Dome C holds a significant reservoir of photolytically produced NO2 and is a sink of gas-phase ozone (O3). First-time observations of bromine oxide (BrO) at Dome C show that mixing ratios of BrO near the ground are low, certainly less than 5 pptv, with higher levels in the free troposphere. Assuming steady state, observed mixing ratios of BrO and RO2 radicals are too low to explain the large NO2 : NO ratios found in ambient air, possibly indicating the existence of an unknown process contributing to the atmospheric chemistry of reactive nitrogen above the Antarctic Plateau. During 2011–2012, NOx mixing ratios and flux were larger than in 2009–2010, consistent with also larger surface O3 mixing ratios resulting from increased net O3 production. Large NOx mixing ratios at Dome C arise from a combination of continuous sunlight, shallow mixing height and significant NOx emissions by surface snow (FNOx). During 23 December 2011–12 January 2012, median FNOx was twice that during the same period in 2009–2010 due to significantly larger atmospheric turbulence and a slightly stronger snowpack source. A tripling of FNOx in December 2011 was largely due to changes in snowpack source strength caused primarily by changes in NO3- concentrations in the snow skin layer, and only to a secondary order by decrease of total column O3 and associated increase in NO3- photolysis rates. A source of uncertainty in model estimates of FNOx is the quantum yield of NO3- photolysis in natural snow, which may change over time as the snow ages.
Programme: 903
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