Strategies for regional modeling of surface mass balance at the Monte Sarmiento Massif, Tierra del Fuego
Temme, Franziska
University of Erlangen Nuremberg
Farias-Barahona, David
University of Erlangen Nuremberg
Seehaus, Thorsten
University of Erlangen Nuremberg
Jana, Ricardo
Inst Antart Chileno
Arigony-Neto, Jorge
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande
Arndt, Anselm
Humboldt University of Berlin
Sauter, Tobias
Humboldt University of Berlin
Schneider, Christoph
Humboldt University of Berlin
Fuerst, Johannes J.
University of Erlangen Nuremberg
Journal
Cryosphere
ISSN
1994-0416
1994-0424
Open Access
gold
Volume
17
Start page
2343
End page
2365
This study investigates strategies for calibration of surface mass balance (SMB) models in the Monte Sarmiento Massif (MSM), Tierra del Fuego, with the goal of achieving realistic simulations of the regional SMB. Applied calibration strategies range from a local single-glacier calibration to a regional calibration with the inclusion of a snowdrift parameterization. We apply four SMB models of different complexity. In this way, we examine the model transferability in space, the benefit of regional mass change observations and the advantage of increasing the complexity level regarding included processes. Measurements include ablation and ice thickness observations at Schiaparelli Glacier as well as elevation changes and flow velocity from satellite data for the entire study site. Performance of simulated SMB is validated against geodetic mass changes and stake observations of surface melting. Results show that transferring SMB models in space is a challenge, and common practices can produce distinctly biased estimates. Model performance can be significantly improved by the use of remotely sensed regional observations. Furthermore, we have shown that snowdrift does play an important role in the SMB in the Cordillera Darwin, where strong and consistent winds prevail. The massif-wide average annual SMB between 2000 and 2022 falls between -0.28 and -0.07 m w.e. yr(-1), depending on the applied model. The SMB is mainly controlled by surface melting and snowfall. The model intercomparison does not indicate one obviously best-suited model for SMB simulations in the MSM.