Applying the energy- and water balance model for incorporation of the cryospheric component into a climate model. Part II. Modeled mass balance on the green land ice sheet surface

Abstract

The Greenland ice sheet is a very important potential source of fresh water inflow to the World Ocean under warming climate conditions. Apparently, it was the same during the Last Interglacial 130-115 thousand years ago. In order to quantify input of the Greenland ice sheet to the rise of the global mean sea level in the past or in the future, we include a surface mass balance model block into the Earth System Model. The computational algorithm is based on the calculation of energy balance on the ice sheet surface. The key tuning parameter of the model is the daily amplitude of air surface temperature. It defines the area and the rate of snow or ice melting. The range of possible values of this parameter is determined during a series of numerical experiments. High sensitivity of meltwater runoff volume to surface air temperature amplitude is revealed.