Dear iTraCE Friends,
We are trying to calculate surface mass balance (SMB) using iTraCE data. Right now we are using ‘SNOW’ (snow accumulation rate), ‘RAIN’ (rain accumulation rate), ‘QSOIL’ (sublimation), and ‘QSNOMELT’ (snow melt rate) with SMB = SNOW + f RAIN - SOIL - (1-f) QSNOMELT where f is a refreeze parameterization. I would appreciate any insight about the following questions:
Many thanks for any hints!! Kirstin
We are trying to calculate surface mass balance (SMB) using iTraCE data. Right now we are using ‘SNOW’ (snow accumulation rate), ‘RAIN’ (rain accumulation rate), ‘QSOIL’ (sublimation), and ‘QSNOMELT’ (snow melt rate) with SMB = SNOW + f RAIN - SOIL - (1-f) QSNOMELT where f is a refreeze parameterization. I would appreciate any insight about the following questions:
- Is there a variable that represents the total melt rate (both snow and ice), or would calculating that require an energy balance and snow model?
- Am I missing something else if I am interested in the total SMB?
- Are there variables that represent calving and/or basal melt?
- I noticed that runoff is nonzero along the edges of the LIS. Could I use this as part of the SMB rather than melt? Does this runoff represent total melt from the LIS (accounting for refreeze as well) or is it just water that is not absorbed by soil/the ice sheet?
Many thanks for any hints!! Kirstin