Publication Date:
2021-01-27
Description:
Surface mass balance (SMB) distribution and
its temporal and spatial variability is an essential input parameter in mass balance studies. Different methods were used, compared and integrated (stake farms, ice
cores, snow radar, surface morphology, remote sensing) at eight sites along a transect from Terra Nova Bay (TNB) to Dome C (DC) (East Antarctica), to provide detailed information on the SMB. Spatial variability measurements show that the measured maximum snow
accumulation (SA) in a 15 km area is well correlated to firn temperature. Wind-driven sublimation processes, controlled by the surface slope in the wind direction, have a huge impact (up to 85% of snow precipitation)
on SMB and are significant in terms of past, present and future SMB evaluations. The snow redistribution process is local and has a strong impact on the annual variability of accumulation. The spatial variability of
SMB at the kilometre scale is one order of magnitude higher than its temporal variability (20–30%) at the centennial time scale. This high spatial variability is due
to wind-driven sublimation. Compared with our SMB calculations, previous compilations generally over-estimate SMB, up to 65% in some areas.
Description:
Published
Description:
803-813
Description:
3.8. Geofisica per l'ambiente
Description:
JCR Journal
Description:
reserved
Keywords:
East Antarctica
;
Surface Mass Balance
;
Snow accumulation
;
GPR
;
GPS
;
02. Cryosphere::02.02. Glaciers::02.02.02. Cryosphere/atmosphere Interaction
;
02. Cryosphere::02.02. Glaciers::02.02.06. Mass balance
Repository Name:
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
Type:
article
