An ice sheet model validation framework for the Greenland ice sheet

We propose a new ice sheet model validation framework - the Cryospheric Model Comparison Tool (CmCt) - that takes advantage of ice sheet altimetry and gravimetry observations collected over the past several decades and is applied here to modeling of the Greenland ice sheet. We use realistic simulati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geoscientific Model Development 2017-01, Vol.10 (1), p.255-270
Main Authors: Price, Stephen F, Hoffman, Matthew J, Bonin, Jennifer A, Howat, Ian M, Neumann, Thomas, Saba, Jack, Tezaur, Irina, Guerber, Jeffrey, Chambers, Don P, Evans, Katherine J, Kennedy, Joseph H, Lenaerts, Jan, Lipscomb, William H, Perego, Mauro, Salinger, Andrew G, Tuminaro, Raymond S, van den Broeke, Michiel R, Nowicki, Sophie M J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Altimeters
Altimetric observations
Altimetry
Analysis
Boundary conditions
Computer Science
Computer simulation
Datasets
Digital Elevation Models
Dynamic models
Earth science
Earth Sciences
Environmental aspects
Firn
Frameworks
GEOSCIENCES
Glaciation
Glaciers
Gravimetry
Greenland ice sheet
Ice
Ice sheet models
Ice sheets
Initial conditions
Laboratories
Mass balance
Mass balance of glaciers
Mathematical models
Numerical models
Outlets
Remote sensing
Satellites
Sheet modelling
Simulation
Time series
validation
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Summary:We propose a new ice sheet model validation framework - the Cryospheric Model Comparison Tool (CmCt) - that takes advantage of ice sheet altimetry and gravimetry observations collected over the past several decades and is applied here to modeling of the Greenland ice sheet. We use realistic simulations performed with the Community Ice Sheet Model (CISM) along with two idealized, non-dynamic models to demonstrate the framework and its use. Dynamic simulations with CISM are forced from 1991 to 2013 using combinations of reanalysis-based surface mass balance and observations of outlet glacier flux change. We propose and demonstrate qualitative and quantitative metrics for use in evaluating the different model simulations against the observations. We find that the altimetry observations used here are largely ambiguous in terms of their ability to distinguish one simulation from another. Based on basin- and whole-ice-sheet scale metrics, we find that simulations using both idealized conceptual models and dynamic, numerical models provide an equally reasonable representation of the ice sheet surface (mean elevation differences of
ISSN:1991-9603
1991-959X
1991-962X
1991-9603
1991-962X
DOI:10.5194/gmd-10-255-2017