HR: 0830h
AN: C11B-0808    [PDF]
TI: Surface Temperature Lapse Rates and Regional Temperature Variability on the Prince of Wales Icefield, Ellesmere Island, Canada
AU: * Marshall, S J
EM: shawn.marshall@ucalgary.ca
AF: University of Calgary, Earth Sciences 356 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Canada
AU: Burgess, D
EM: dave.burgess@ualberta.ca
AF: University of Alberta, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences 1-26 Earth Science Bldg, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3 Canada
AU: Sharp, M J
EM: martin.sharp@ualberta.ca
AF: University of Alberta, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences 1-26 Earth Science Bldg, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3 Canada
AU: Anslow, F S
EM: fsanslow@ucalgary.ca
AF: University of Calgary, Earth Sciences 356 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Canada
AB: Surface temperature variability, net annual mass balance, and seasonal snow isotopic ratios were monitored from May 2001 to April 2003 in an array of 25 sites on the Prince of Wales Icefield, Ellesmere Island, Canada. The observational network spans the entire Icefield, an area of 180 km by 120 km, with a maximum elevation of 2020 m in the vicinity of the ice divide. Sites on the eastern margin descend to sea level, while the western margin terminates terrestrially at 450 to 620 m elevation. Hourly, daily, and monthly average temperatures from the spatial array provide a tremendous record of surface temperature lapse rates and mesoscale temperature variability on the Icefield. Observed lapse rates in the two-year record appear to have modes that are indicative of both synoptic and regional conditions, with an average rate of cooling of 4--5$^\circ$C/km. This is less than the moist- or dry-adiabatic lapse rates that are adopted for extrapolations of sea-level temperature to higher altitudes, with important implications for modeling snow and ice melt. We also examine systematic variations in the standard deviation of monthly and daily temperature, important free parameters in methods that are presently in use for glacier mass balance modeling.
DE: 1827 Glaciology (1863)
DE: 3309 Climatology (1620)
DE: 3329 Mesoscale meteorology
DE: 3349 Polar meteorology
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting