Enhanced Spatial Resolution Surface Melting over the Antarctic Peninsula (1958 - to date) from a Regional Climate Model Validated through Remote Sensing Observations

Abstract: This award supports a project to generate first-time validated enhanced spatial resolution (5-10 km) maps of surface melting over the Antarctic Peninsula for the period 1958 - to date from the outputs of a regional climate model and different downscaling techniques. These maps will be assessed and validated through new high spatial resolution (2.25 km) surface melting maps obtained from the QuikSCAT satellite for the period 1999 - 2009. The intellectual merit of this work is that it would be the first time that the outputs of a regional climate model would be used to study surface melting over Antarctica at such high spatial resolution and the first time that such results are validated by means of an observational tool that has such a large spatial coverage and high spatial resolution. The results generated in this study would also provide a first-time opportunity to study the melt distribution over the Peninsula and its correlation with climate drivers, such as the Southern Annual Mode (SAM) and the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) at these unprecedented spatial scales. The enhanced resolution melting maps will also offer a unique opportunity to study melting trends and patterns over specific regions of the Peninsula, such as the Wilkins and the Larsen A and B ice shelves and evaluate whether the extreme melting observed during the recent collapses was unprecedented over the + 50 years. The broader impacts of the project are that it will integrate research and education by fully supporting one female undergrad student, a PhD student and partially supporting a PostDoc. The work will be done at a minority-serving institution and the PhD student who worked on the development of the high-resolution melting data set from QuikSCAT will become the PostDoc who will work on this project. Teaching and learning will be supported by incorporating research results into graduate and undergrad level courses and will be disseminated over the web and through appropriate channels. Results from this project will also benefit the society at large as they will improve our understanding of the links between atmospheric patterns and surface melting and they will contribute to improving estimates of sea level rise from the Antarctica continent.

摘要：本资助项目旨在依托区域气候模型输出结果与多种降尺度技术，生成1958年至今南极半岛地表融化的首次经过验证的高空间分辨率（5-10千米）分布图。该分布图将通过1999-2009年间由QuikSCAT卫星获取的2.25千米高空间分辨率地表融化观测图开展评估与验证。
本研究的学术创新之处在于：首次采用区域气候模型输出结果开展南极半岛地表融化的高空间分辨率研究，且首次借助兼具大范围空间覆盖与高空间分辨率特性的观测工具对该类结果进行验证。本研究生成的成果还将首次提供研究契机，在前所未有的空间尺度下探究南极半岛融化分布及其与南方年际模（Southern Annual Mode, SAM）、厄尔尼诺-南方涛动（El Niño-Southern Oscillation, ENSO）等气候驱动因子的相关性。此外，该高分辨率融化分布图还将为研究南极半岛特定区域（如威尔金斯冰架、拉森A与B冰架）的融化趋势与格局提供独特契机，并可评估近期冰架崩解期间观测到的极端融化事件在过去50余年中是否属于首次出现。
本项目的综合影响体现为科研与教育的深度融合：将全额资助1名女性本科生与1名博士生，并部分支持1名博士后。研究工作将在少数族裔服务型院校开展，曾参与构建QuikSCAT高分辨率融化数据集的博士生将以博士后身份参与本项目。教学层面，本研究将把科研成果融入研究生与本科课程，并通过网络及合适渠道进行传播推广。本项目成果还将惠及全社会：可加深我们对大气环流模式与地表融化之间关联的理解，助力提升南极大陆贡献的海平面上升相关估算精度。