Firn data compilation reveals widespread decrease of firn air content in western Greenland

Vandecrux, Baptiste; MacFerrin, Michael; Machguth, Horst; Colgan, William T.; As, Dirk van; Heilig, Achim; Stevens, C. Max; Charalampidis, Charalampos; Fausto, Robert S.; Morris, Elizabeth M.; Mosley-Thompson, Ellen; Koenig, Lora; Montgomery, Lynn N.; Miège, Clément; Simonsen, Sebastian B.; Ingeman-Nielsen, Thomas; Box, Jason E.

doi:10.5194/tc-13-845-2019

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Journal article

Firn data compilation reveals widespread decrease of firn air content in western Greenland

Vandecrux, Baptiste Department of Glaciology and Climate, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Copenhagen, Denmark - Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
MacFerrin, Michael Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA
Machguth, Horst Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Switzerland - Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Colgan, William T. Department of Glaciology and Climate, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Copenhagen, Denmark
As, Dirk van Department of Glaciology and Climate, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Copenhagen, Denmark
Heilig, Achim Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
Stevens, C. Max Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
Charalampidis, Charalampos Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Munich, Germany
Fausto, Robert S. Department of Glaciology and Climate, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Copenhagen, Denmark
Morris, Elizabeth M. Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
Mosley-Thompson, Ellen Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center and Department of Geography, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
Koenig, Lora National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA
Montgomery, Lynn N. National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA
Miège, Clément Department of Geography, Rutgers University, Piscataway, USA
Simonsen, Sebastian B. DTU Space, National Space Institute, Department of Geodynamics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Ingeman-Nielsen, Thomas Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Box, Jason E. Department of Glaciology and Climate, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Copenhagen, Denmark

11.03.2019

Published in:

The Cryosphere. - 2019, vol. 13, no. 3, p. 845–859

English The perennial snow, or firn, on the Greenland ice sheet each summer stores part of the meltwater formed at the surface, buffering the ice sheet’s contribution to sea level. We gathered observations of firn air content, indicative of the space available in the firn to retain meltwater, and find that this air content remained stable in cold regions of the firn over the last 65 years but recently decreased significantly in western Greenland.

Faculty

Faculté des sciences et de médecine

Department

Département de Géosciences

Language