Snow Mass Recharge of the Greenland Ice Sheet Fueled by Intense Atmospheric River

Jakobshavn glacier, West Greenland [image credit: Wikipedia]

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Jakobshavn glacier, West Greenland [image credit: Wikipedia]

A new study explains how ‘atmospheric rivers can positively impact Greenland’s [snow] mass balance’. The conclusion is that this applies ‘under certain conditions’, for example that the snow doesn’t warm up too much and turn to rain. While the focus of climate worriers and the media is usually on the sea ice, the volumes of snow falling on nearby land masses can get overlooked.
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From the study: Plain Language Summary
Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are transient channels of intense water vapor that can account for up to 90% of the poleward moisture transport from mid-latitudes.

Though short-lived, these events can deliver extreme amounts of heat and rainfall that are reported to accelerate ice mass loss across the Arctic.

In this study, we explore the potential of ARs to also deliver intense snowfall and thereby replenish the mass health of the Greenland ice sheet.

To this end, we sampled firn (snow transitioning to ice) from the upper accumulation area of Southeast Greenland and, when combined with meteorological observations, found that an intense AR in mid-March 2022 delivered over 11 billion tons of snow mass to this region of the ice sheet.

We show that this immense snowfall not only recharged the snowpack and offset Greenland’s ice mass loss by 8%, but it also delayed the onset of summer melt in 2022 by 11 days.

Depending on their seasonal timing, we find that the impact of ARs on ice sheet health is more nuanced than previously thought, and under their forecast intensification they could significantly recharge Greenland’s mass balance.
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Image: Jakobshavn glacier, West Greenland [image credit: Wikipedia]