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Temperature and Wind Climate of the Antarctic Peninsula as Simulated by a High-Resolution Regional Atmospheric Climate Model

van Wessem, J.M.; Reijmer, C.H.; van de Berg, W.J.; van den Broeke, M.R.; Cook, A.J.; van Ulft, L.H.; van Meijgaard, E.

Temperature and Wind Climate of the Antarctic Peninsula as Simulated by a High-Resolution Regional Atmospheric Climate Model Thumbnail


Authors

J.M. van Wessem

C.H. Reijmer

W.J. van de Berg

M.R. van den Broeke

A.J. Cook

L.H. van Ulft

E. van Meijgaard



Abstract

The latest polar version of the Regional Atmospheric Climate Model (RACMO2.3) has been applied to the Antarctic Peninsula (AP). In this study, the authors present results of a climate run at 5.5 km for the period 1979–2013, in which RACMO2.3 is forced by ERA-Interim atmospheric and ocean surface fields, using an updated AP surface topography. The model results are evaluated with near-surface temperature and wind measurements from 12 manned and automatic weather stations and vertical profiles from balloon soundings made at three stations. The seasonal cycle of near-surface temperature and wind is simulated well, with most biases still related to the limited model resolution. High-resolution climate maps of temperature and wind showing that the AP climate exhibits large spatial variability are discussed. Over the steep and high mountains of the northern AP, large west-to-east climate gradients exist, while over the gentle southern AP mountains the near-surface climate is dominated by katabatic winds. Over the flat ice shelves, where katabatic wind forcing is weak, interannual variability in temperature is largest. Finally, decadal trends of temperature and wind are presented, and it is shown that recently there has been distinct warming over the northwestern AP and cooling over the rest of the AP, related to changes in sea ice cover.

Citation

van Wessem, J., Reijmer, C., van de Berg, W., van den Broeke, M., Cook, A., van Ulft, L., & van Meijgaard, E. (2015). Temperature and Wind Climate of the Antarctic Peninsula as Simulated by a High-Resolution Regional Atmospheric Climate Model. Journal of Climate, 28(18), 7306-7326. https://doi.org/10.1175/jcli-d-15-0060.1

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date Sep 11, 2015
Publication Date Sep 11, 2015
Deposit Date Oct 21, 2015
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Journal of Climate
Print ISSN 0894-8755
Electronic ISSN 1520-0442
Publisher American Meteorological Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 28
Issue 18
Pages 7306-7326
DOI https://doi.org/10.1175/jcli-d-15-0060.1

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Copyright Statement
© 2015 American Meteorological Society




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