Integrated analysis of field and satellite observations to understand the dynamics of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and elucidate the mechanism of its change

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K18176
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 63010:Environmental dynamic analysis-related
• Research Institution: National Institute of Polar Research (2019-2020); The University of Tokyo (2018)
• Principal Investigator: Tsutaki Shun 国立極地研究所, 研究教育系, 特任研究員 (40706371)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 表面質量収支 / 東南極ドローニングモードランド地域 / 南極氷床

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We analyzed the surface mass balance for 1991-2019 at about 500 points along the 1,000-km route from the coast of the Antarctic ice sheet to the Dome Fuji. The results show that the spatial distribution of the accumulation rate is high in the area where the ice sheet surface is relatively gentle and low in the steep slope. In 2009 and 2011, the accumulation rate was higher than that in other years. In our measurement area, water vapor transport events from the north caused by the synoptic-scale disturbance occurred five times in both years, and there was a large amount of snowfall. In this study, we confirmed the significant accumulation event from the field observation data and obtained new knowledge of recent mass balance change mechanisms in the region. I have been compiled the above results and prepared them for submission to a peer-reviewed international journal.

Free Research Field

雪氷学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究でまとめた雪尺観測による表面質量収支は、沿岸部から内陸ドームを網羅し、比較的高い空間分解能で30年程度の長期間に及ぶ。このため観測データが比較的乏しい東南極DML地域においては重要なデータセットである。領域気候モデルや人工衛星観測による表面質量収支の検証を通して、現在気候下における南極氷床の表面質量収支の定量的評価に貢献することが期待される。