NSIDC Cryosphere Seminar with David Clemens-Sewall

But why is the snow gone? Observations and modeling of snow redistribution on Arctic sea ice with David Clemens-Sewall
ABSTRACT: In-situ observations of snow on level Arctic sea ice at MOSAiC revealed a puzzling disconnect: precipitation estimates exceed snow accumulation on level ice by about a factor of three. This difference has major impacts on the rate of ice growth in the winter (due to snow’s insulating properties) and the rate of ice melt in the summer (due to snow’s reflecting properties). Thus, it is critical that we understand the source of the discrepancy between precipitation and accumulation and accurately represent the relevant processes in models.
We show that, at MOSAiC, snow was redistributed by the wind into drifts around pressure ridges (especially new ridges) and onto the surface of young ice via a combination of traditional snow depth measurements, Terrestrial Laser Scanning, and stable water isotopes. In contrast to expectations, minimal snow was lost into open water in leads during typical wintertime conditions. Finally, we explore the implications of this redistribution in the CICE sea ice model and discuss priorities for accurately parameterizing sub-grid-scale snow redistribution.
Bio: David Clemens-Sewall studies snow and ice in the polar regions through a combination of in-situ observations and climate modeling. After completing his PhD at the Thayer school of Engineering at Dartmouth, he recently began a Postdoc at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Currently, he is working on translating process-level understanding from field campaigns into the CICE sea ice model. Prior to working on Arctic sea ice, he primarily studied snow and firn on Antarctic ice sheets. He lives in Denver with his fiancée and an ever-expanding collection of bikes and skis.
 
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