6th Conference on Polar Meteorology and Oceanography
11th Conference on Interaction of the Sea and Atmosphere

J1.14

Improved treatment of surface processes in a dynamic-thermodynamic sea ice model

T. E. Arbetter, CIRES/Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO; and J. A. Curry and A. Alam

While significant improvements have been made in the treatment of thermodynamics in basin-scale sea ice models (e.g., multiple thermodynamic layers, multiple thickness categories), the treatment of surface processes remains nearly the same as it was 20 years ago. For example, surface albedo is solely dependent on surface temperature, and key summertime processes such as melt ponds are ignored. Here, a 4-channel spectral surface albedo treatment is included in a dynamic-thermodynamic sea ice model already having sophisticated thermodynamic treatment. Furthermore, an explicit surface melt pond parameterization which includes advection of the ponds is also included. Numerical simulations are performed over a time period which contains the SHEBA observational period, and the modeled evolution of melt ponds over the entire Arctic basin is investigated.

Joint Session 1, Air-Sea Interactions in High Latitudes: Continued
Wednesday, 16 May 2001, 1:30 PM-3:00 PM

Previous paper  Next paper

Browse or search entire meeting

AMS Home Page