The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Simulating the mass balance and salinity of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice. 1. Model description and validation

Simulating the mass balance and salinity of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice. 1. Model description and validation
Simulating the mass balance and salinity of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice. 1. Model description and validation
This paper is the first part of a twofold contribution dedicated to the new version of the Louvain-la-Neuve sea ice model LIM3. In this part, LIM3 is described and its results are compared with observations. LIM3 is a C-grid dynamic–thermodynamic model, including the representation of the subgrid-scale distributions of ice thickness, enthalpy, salinity and age. Brine entrapment and drainage as well as brine impact on ice thermodynamics are explicitly included. LIM3 is embedded into the ocean modelling system NEMO, using OPA9, a hydrostatic, primitive equation, finite difference ocean model in the 2° × 2°cos configuration ORCA2. Model performance is evaluated by performing a hindcast of the Arctic and Antarctic sea ice packs, forced by a combination of daily NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and various climatologies. The annual cycle of sea ice growth and decay is very realistically captured with ice area, thickness, drift and snow depth in good agreement with observations. In the Arctic, the simulated geographical distributions of ice thickness and concentration are significantly improved when compared with earlier versions of LIM. Model deficiencies feature an overestimation (underestimation) of ice thickness in the Beaufort gyre (around the North Pole) as well as an underestimation of ice thickness in the Southern Ocean. The simulated first year/multiyear sea ice limit agrees with observations. The values and distribution of sea ice age in the perennial ice zone are different from satellite-derived values, which is attributed to the different definitions of ice age. In conclusion, in light of the exhaustive sea ice analysis presented here, LIM3 is found to be an appropriate tool for large-scale sea ice and climate simulations.
Sea ice, Model, Thickness, Salinity, Age, Arctic, Antarctic
1463-5003
33-53
Vancoppenolle, Martin
c48d03ee-16ea-4e82-9119-c38d79093714
Fichefet, Thierry
7b3028c8-1af9-4671-b041-51022a13bf73
Goosse, Hugues
33c33c55-356b-48ec-be78-3e9eb5d04f29
Bouillon, Sylvain
02664ff3-1e95-4227-a462-9e2ff510d118
Madec, Gurvan
ffb28deb-4bbd-4a4c-914f-492f813e4864
Morales Maqueda, Miguel Angel
98890f60-12dd-4a4c-a23d-a2f82f460c38
Vancoppenolle, Martin
c48d03ee-16ea-4e82-9119-c38d79093714
Fichefet, Thierry
7b3028c8-1af9-4671-b041-51022a13bf73
Goosse, Hugues
33c33c55-356b-48ec-be78-3e9eb5d04f29
Bouillon, Sylvain
02664ff3-1e95-4227-a462-9e2ff510d118
Madec, Gurvan
ffb28deb-4bbd-4a4c-914f-492f813e4864
Morales Maqueda, Miguel Angel
98890f60-12dd-4a4c-a23d-a2f82f460c38

Vancoppenolle, Martin, Fichefet, Thierry, Goosse, Hugues, Bouillon, Sylvain, Madec, Gurvan and Morales Maqueda, Miguel Angel (2008) Simulating the mass balance and salinity of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice. 1. Model description and validation. Ocean Modelling, 27 (1-2), 33-53. (doi:10.1016/j.ocemod.2008.10.005). (Submitted)

Record type: Article

Abstract

This paper is the first part of a twofold contribution dedicated to the new version of the Louvain-la-Neuve sea ice model LIM3. In this part, LIM3 is described and its results are compared with observations. LIM3 is a C-grid dynamic–thermodynamic model, including the representation of the subgrid-scale distributions of ice thickness, enthalpy, salinity and age. Brine entrapment and drainage as well as brine impact on ice thermodynamics are explicitly included. LIM3 is embedded into the ocean modelling system NEMO, using OPA9, a hydrostatic, primitive equation, finite difference ocean model in the 2° × 2°cos configuration ORCA2. Model performance is evaluated by performing a hindcast of the Arctic and Antarctic sea ice packs, forced by a combination of daily NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and various climatologies. The annual cycle of sea ice growth and decay is very realistically captured with ice area, thickness, drift and snow depth in good agreement with observations. In the Arctic, the simulated geographical distributions of ice thickness and concentration are significantly improved when compared with earlier versions of LIM. Model deficiencies feature an overestimation (underestimation) of ice thickness in the Beaufort gyre (around the North Pole) as well as an underestimation of ice thickness in the Southern Ocean. The simulated first year/multiyear sea ice limit agrees with observations. The values and distribution of sea ice age in the perennial ice zone are different from satellite-derived values, which is attributed to the different definitions of ice age. In conclusion, in light of the exhaustive sea ice analysis presented here, LIM3 is found to be an appropriate tool for large-scale sea ice and climate simulations.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Submitted date: 2008
Keywords: Sea ice, Model, Thickness, Salinity, Age, Arctic, Antarctic

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 64321
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/64321
ISSN: 1463-5003
PURE UUID: 327810b5-db27-4a37-8746-320ea51c4449

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 09 Dec 2008
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 11:48

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Martin Vancoppenolle
Author: Thierry Fichefet
Author: Hugues Goosse
Author: Sylvain Bouillon
Author: Gurvan Madec
Author: Miguel Angel Morales Maqueda

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×