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Modelling the regional climate and isotopic composition of Svalbard precipitation using REMOiso : A comparison with available GNIP and ice core data

Divine, D. V. ; Sjolte, J. LU orcid ; Isaksson, E. ; Meijer, H. A.J. ; van de Wal, R. S.W. ; Martma, T. ; Pohjola, V. ; Sturm, C. and Godtliebsen, F. (2011) In Hydrological Processes 25(24). p.3748-3759
Abstract

Simulations of a regional (approx. 50 km resolution) circulation model REMOiso with embedded stable water isotope module covering the period 1958-2001 are compared with the two instrumental climate and four isotope series (δ18O) from western Svalbard. We examine the data from ice cores drilled on Svalbard ice caps in 1997 (Lomonosovfonna, 1250 m asl) and 2005 (Holtedahlfonna, 1150 m asl) and the GNIP series from Ny-Ålesund and Isfjord Radio. The surface air temperature (SAT) and precipitation data from Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund are used to assess the skill of the model in reproducing the local climate. The model successfully captures the climate variations on the daily to multidecadal times scales although it... (More)

Simulations of a regional (approx. 50 km resolution) circulation model REMOiso with embedded stable water isotope module covering the period 1958-2001 are compared with the two instrumental climate and four isotope series (δ18O) from western Svalbard. We examine the data from ice cores drilled on Svalbard ice caps in 1997 (Lomonosovfonna, 1250 m asl) and 2005 (Holtedahlfonna, 1150 m asl) and the GNIP series from Ny-Ålesund and Isfjord Radio. The surface air temperature (SAT) and precipitation data from Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund are used to assess the skill of the model in reproducing the local climate. The model successfully captures the climate variations on the daily to multidecadal times scales although it tends to systematically underestimate the winter SAT. Analysis suggests that REMOiso performs better at simulating isotope compositions of precipitation in the winter than summer. The simulated and measured Holtedahlfonna δ18O series agree reasonably well, whereas no significant correlation has been observed between the modelled and measured Lomonosovfonna ice core isotopic series. It is shown that sporadic nature as well as variability in the amount inherent in precipitation process potentially limits the accuracy of the past SAT reconstruction from the ice core data. This effect in the study area is, however, diminished by the role of other factors controlling δ18O in precipitation, most likely sea ice extent, which is directly related with the SAT anomalies.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Forward proxy modelling, Ice cores, Regional modelling, Stable water isotopes, Svalbard climate
in
Hydrological Processes
volume
25
issue
24
pages
12 pages
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:81455141576
ISSN
0885-6087
DOI
10.1002/hyp.8100
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
29ebab5b-9a52-461f-859a-1b77bec86d0a
date added to LUP
2019-06-19 10:34:59
date last changed
2022-04-11 14:08:42
@article{29ebab5b-9a52-461f-859a-1b77bec86d0a,
  abstract     = {{<p>Simulations of a regional (approx. 50 km resolution) circulation model REMO<sub>iso</sub> with embedded stable water isotope module covering the period 1958-2001 are compared with the two instrumental climate and four isotope series (δ<sup>18</sup>O) from western Svalbard. We examine the data from ice cores drilled on Svalbard ice caps in 1997 (Lomonosovfonna, 1250 m asl) and 2005 (Holtedahlfonna, 1150 m asl) and the GNIP series from Ny-Ålesund and Isfjord Radio. The surface air temperature (SAT) and precipitation data from Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund are used to assess the skill of the model in reproducing the local climate. The model successfully captures the climate variations on the daily to multidecadal times scales although it tends to systematically underestimate the winter SAT. Analysis suggests that REMO<sub>iso</sub> performs better at simulating isotope compositions of precipitation in the winter than summer. The simulated and measured Holtedahlfonna δ<sup>18</sup>O series agree reasonably well, whereas no significant correlation has been observed between the modelled and measured Lomonosovfonna ice core isotopic series. It is shown that sporadic nature as well as variability in the amount inherent in precipitation process potentially limits the accuracy of the past SAT reconstruction from the ice core data. This effect in the study area is, however, diminished by the role of other factors controlling δ<sup>18</sup>O in precipitation, most likely sea ice extent, which is directly related with the SAT anomalies.</p>}},
  author       = {{Divine, D. V. and Sjolte, J. and Isaksson, E. and Meijer, H. A.J. and van de Wal, R. S.W. and Martma, T. and Pohjola, V. and Sturm, C. and Godtliebsen, F.}},
  issn         = {{0885-6087}},
  keywords     = {{Forward proxy modelling; Ice cores; Regional modelling; Stable water isotopes; Svalbard climate}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  number       = {{24}},
  pages        = {{3748--3759}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Hydrological Processes}},
  title        = {{Modelling the regional climate and isotopic composition of Svalbard precipitation using REMO<sub>iso</sub> : A comparison with available GNIP and ice core data}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hyp.8100}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/hyp.8100}},
  volume       = {{25}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}