Project Details
Projekt
Atmospheric total water vapour and mass accumulation in Antarctica: Regional climate model simulations versus satellite obser vations
Subject Area
Atmospheric Science
Term
from 2008 to 2011
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 75302604
The aim of this project is an improved information on the mean surface accumulation respectively net mass balance, its variability and its importance for the main drainage basins in Antarctica. For this aim, simulations of the water vapour distribution with a reliable simulation of synoptic-scale cyclones will be done by applying the regional climate model HIRHAM with 50 km horizontal resolution and 25 vertical levels. It was shown recently that the HIRHAM model represents the atmospheric circulation and surface processes of Antarctica with sufficient accuracy if driven by the European Reanalyses data. Since the quality of the ECMWF operational data, driving HIRHAM has been improved from 1996 by assimilation of High-resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) data the project focuses on developing data sets for the period from 1996 until 2008. The simulation results will be compared to satellite geodetic observations: namely water vapour time series from GPS and mass variations observed by the GRACE gravity field satellite mission. This comparison of independent estimates on accumulation and mass changes will significantly improve our knowledge on climatology and present-day changes in Antarctica. Both the simulations based on the regional climate model HIRHAM and satellite geodetic observations based on GPS and the GRACE mission will be extended until 2008 covering the time of the International Polar Year.
DFG Programme
Infrastructure Priority Programmes
Subproject of
SPP 1158:
Infrastructure area - Antarctic Research with Comparative Investigations in Arctic Sea Ice Areas
Participating Person
Dr. Annette Rinke
