Extended Abstract (476K)J4.4
Climate variability and trends along the western slope of the Greenland Ice Sheet during 1991–2004
Konrad Steffen, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO; and N. Cullen and R. Huff
The first automatic weather station of the Program for Arctic Regional Climate Assessment (PARCA) was installed at the equilibrium line altitude near Jakobshavn (~ 70º N), at the Swiss Camp in 1991. The objectives of the Greenland Climate Network (C-Net) stations are to measure hourly, daily, annual and interannual variability in accumulation rate, surface climatology and surface energy balance parameters at selected locations on the ice sheet, and to monitor near-surface snow density at the AWS locations for the assessment of snow. The statistical analysis of the Swiss Camp temperature record reveals large interannual variability in all seasons with increasing temperatures throughout the recording period. The annual mean temperature increased from -14.7º C (1991) to -10.8º (2003), mean spring temperatures increased from -17.2º C to -13.6º C, and fall temperatures show a similar trend from -13.8º C to -10.3º C for the 1991 to 2004 record. The largest increase of 6º C was observed for mean winter temperatures, ranging from -25.3º C (1991) to -19.3º C (2003). However, also the largest variability was observed during the winter months. Similar analyses for other climatological parameters such as wind speed, radiation, and firn temperatures will be presented. All these parameters indicate trends from a cooler climate in the early 90’s to a warmer climate in the more recent time. Along with the climatological record, glaciological observations such as mass balance, precipitation, and ice flow at the ELA will be discussed in view of the above mentioned variability.
Joint Session 4, Climate of the Northern High Latitudes (Joint Session with the Eight Conference on Polar Meteorology and the 16th Symposium on Global Change & Climate Variations) (parallel with Session 15)
Thursday, 13 January 2005, 1:30 PM-3:15 PM
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