Chinese Journal of Polar Research ›› 2023, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (3): 371-382.DOI: 10.13679/j.jdyj.20220412

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Numerical simulation of Marie Byrd Land ice sheet, West Antarctica,using constrained Elmer/Ice parameters

Yang Shuhu, Lyu Jinlei, Niu Lihang, Zhang Yun, Han Yanling, Hong Zhonghua   

  1. College of Information Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China

  • Online:2023-09-30 Published:2023-09-30

Abstract:

Remaining uncertainties considerably limit the simulation accuracy when evaluating the geothermal flux at the bottom of the Marie Byrd Land ice sheet, West Antarctica, and its temporal evolution. Investigating the influence of the geothermal flux on the ice sheet temperature and velocity field is essential. In this study, based on the bedrock elevation and surface elevation data from BedMachine Antarctica V2 updated in 2021, the surface temperature, surface mass balance and geothermal flux were added as boundary conditions, the diagnostic simulations of the part of the West Antarctic Marie Byrd Land (76.8°S–77.3°S, 138°W– 142°W) were conducted with the Full-Stokes, three-dimensional Elmer/Ice model. The parameters of the basal slip coefficient and Glen enhancement factor in Elmer/Ice were constrained by the remote sensing surface ice flow data from the MEaSUREs project (MEaSUREs In-SAR-Based Antarctica Ice Velocity Map) updated in 2020 by the National Snow and Ice Data Center. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) between the simulated and remotely-sensed surface ice flow velocities was used as an evaluation index to optimize model parameters for regional simulations. The minimum RMSE (4.140 m·a–1) was obtained for a basal friction coefficient of 0.1 and a Glen enhancement factor of 0.26. The ice-sheet velocity, temperature, and stress field were derived using these parameter values and several estimates of the geothermal flux. Experimental results show that the temperature field variations at the base of the ice sheet were greatly related to geothermal flux variations.

Key words: Antarctic ice sheet, Marie Byrd Land, Elmer/Ice, MEaSUREs, surface velocity