Simulation of blowing snow over the antarctic ice sheet

Abstract

A preliminary simulation of blowing snow over the Antarctic continent made with a mesoscale atmospheric model is presented. Sensitivity experiments show that the increase of surface friction arising in conjunction with blowing snow has a relatively more important impact on the dynamics of strong katabatic winds than previously supposed. Sublimation in blowing snow over the Antarctic continent also contributes to the global sea-level budget. It is found that this contribution is of the same order of magnitude as the estimated present sea-level rise.