Pioneering the state of the art in the Greenland ice sheet climate system study

• Project/Area Number: 17KK0017
• Research Category: Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Environmental dynamic analysis
• Research Institution: Japan, Meteorological Research Institute
• Principal Investigator: Niwano Masashi 気象庁気象研究所, 気象予報研究部, 主任研究官 (10515026)
• Project Period (FY): 2018 – 2023
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2023)
• Budget Amount: ¥13,390,000 (Direct Cost: ¥10,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥3,090,000)
• Keywords: グリーンランド氷床 / 気候変動 / 温暖化 / 表面質量収支 / 質量収支 / 雪氷物理状態 / 極域気候モデル / 氷床上降雨 / 雪氷 / NHM-SMAP / 極地雪氷観測 / 氷床上降水 / 氷床上降雪・降水観測 / GrSMBMIP / 数値モデリング / 衛星リモートセンシング / 海水準変動 / 北極 / 雪氷質量収支

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To investigate rapidly changing snow and ice physical conditions on the Greenland ice sheet, we developed the state-of-the-art polar regional climate model NHM-SMAP and evaluated/analyzed the model from various aspects with Prof. Jason Box (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland GEUS). Through collaborative studies and several international model inter-comparison projects that we participated in/contributed to, we demonstrated the reliability of the NHM-SMAP model. In addition, we unveiled for the first time that rainfall on the present-day Greenland ice sheet is increasing significantly. As a result of this collaborative study, some papers were cited by the IPCC AR7 WG1 report, six papers (one as lead author and five as coauthor) were published, and several types of outreach activities (one international documentary film, one highlight in the Air Greenland in-flight magazine, and several highlights in Japanese media) were performed successfully.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

グリーンランド氷床は、急速に進展している地球温暖化の影響を非常に大きく受ける領域の１つである。そのため、IPCCなどを始めとして世界的な注目度は非常に高い。しかし、我が国による現在気候下のグリーンランド氷床全域を俯瞰する研究はほとんど行われてきていなかった。本国際共同研究を成功裏に成し遂げたことにより、地球温暖化の状況下のグリーンランド氷床全域で進行する多様な雪氷物理状態変化に着目する研究を日本として実施することが可能となった。今後は、本研究を更に発展させて世界をリードする研究を創生していき、得られる最先端の知見を随時一般に還元していくことが必要不可欠である。

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] デンマーク・グリーンランド地質調査所GEUS(デンマーク) (2018)
• [Journal Article] Greenland ice sheet rainfall climatology, extremes and atmospheric river rapids (2023)
  • Author(s): Box Jason E.、Nielsen Kristian P.、Yang Xiaohua、Niwano Masashi、Wehrl? Adrien、van As Dirk、Fettweis Xavier、K?ltzow Morten A. ?.、Palmason Bolli、Fausto Robert S.、van den Broeke Michiel R.、Huai Baojuan、Ahlstr?m Andreas P.、Langley Kirsty、Dachauer Armin、No?l Brice
  • Journal Title: Meteorological Applications Volume: 30 Issue: 4
  • DOI: 10.1002/met.2134
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Estimation of Seasonal Snow Mass Balance all over Japan Using a High-Resolution Atmosphere-Snow Model Chain (2022)
  • Author(s): Niwano Masashi、Suya Masami、Nagaya Koichi、Yamaguchi Satoru、Matoba Sumito、Harada Ikuo、Ohkawara Nozomu
  • Journal Title: SOLA Volume: 18 Issue: 0 Pages: 193-198
  • DOI: 10.2151/sola.2022-031
  • ISSN: 1349-6476
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] The Determination of the Snow Optical Grain Diameter and Snowmelt Area on the Greenland Ice Sheet Using Spaceborne Optical Observations (2022)
  • Author(s): Vandecrux Baptiste、Box Jason E.、Wehrle Adrien、Kokhanovsky Alexander A.、Picard Ghislain、Niwano Masashi、Horhold Maria、Faber Anne-Katrine、Steen-Larsen Hans Christian
  • Journal Title: Remote Sensing Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Pages: 932-932
  • DOI: 10.3390/rs14040932
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Rainfall on the Greenland Ice Sheet: Present‐Day Climatology From a High‐Resolution Non‐Hydrostatic Polar Regional Climate Model (2021)
  • Author(s): Niwano M.、Box J. E.、Wehrle A.、Vandecrux B.、Colgan W. T.、Cappelen J.
  • Journal Title: Geophysical Research Letters Volume: 48 Issue: 15
  • DOI: 10.1029/2021gl092942
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Quantifying relative contributions of lightabsorbing particles from domestic and foreign sources on snow melt at Sapporo, Japan during the 2011窶?2012 winter (2021)
  • Author(s): Niwano, M., M. Kajino, T. Kajikawa, T. Aoki, Y. Kodama, T. Tanikawa, and S. Matoba
  • Journal Title: Geophys. Res. Lett. Volume: 48 Issue: 16
  • DOI: 10.1029/2021gl093940
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Physically based model of the contribution of red snow algal cells to temporal changes in albedo in northwest Greenland (2021)
  • Author(s): Yukihiko Onuma, Nozomu Takeuchi, Sota Tanaka, Naoko Nagatsuka, Masashi Niwano, and Teruo Aoki
  • Journal Title: The Cryosphere Volume: 14 Issue: 6 Pages: 2087-2101
  • DOI: 10.5194/tc-14-2087-2020
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Scientific and Human Errors in a Snow Model Intercomparison (2021)
  • Author(s): Menard Cecile B. et al.
  • Journal Title: Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Volume: 102 Issue: 1 Pages: E61-E79
  • DOI: 10.1175/bams-d-19-0329.1
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Greenland bare-ice albedo from PROMICE automatic weather station measurements and Sentinel-3 satellite observations (2021)
  • Author(s): Wehrl? Adrien、Box Jason E.、Niwano Masashi、Anesio Alexandre M.、Fausto Robert S.
  • Journal Title: GEUS Bulletin Volume: 47 Pages: 5284-5284
  • DOI: 10.34194/geusb.v47.5284
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] 氷床表面質量収支の実態とそのモデリングの試み：2020年夏最新版 (2021)
  • Author(s): 庭野匡思, 青木輝夫, 橋本明弘, 大島 長, 梶野瑞王, 大沼友貴彦, 藤田耕史, 山口 悟, 島田利元, 竹内 望, 津滝 俊, 本山秀明, 石井正好, 杉山 慎, 平沢尚彦, 阿部彩子
  • Journal Title: 雪氷 Volume: 83 Pages: 27-50
  • NAID: 130008081872
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] SIGMA及び関連プロジェクトによるグリーンランド氷床上の大気・雪氷・雪氷微生物研究－ ArCS IIプロジェクトへのつながり － (2021)
  • Author(s): 青木輝夫, 的場澄人, 庭野匡思, 朽木勝幸, 谷川朋範, 竹内望, 山口悟, 本山秀明, 藤田耕史, 山崎哲秀, 飯塚芳徳, 堀雅裕, 島田利元, 植竹淳, 永塚尚子, 大沼友貴彦, 橋本明弘, 石元裕史, 田中泰宙, 大島長, 梶野瑞王, 足立光司, 黒﨑豊, 杉山慎, 津滝俊, 東久美子, 八久保晶弘, 川上薫, 木名瀨健
  • Journal Title: 雪氷 Volume: 83 Pages: 169-191
  • NAID: 130008093538
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Firn cold content evolution at nine sites on the Greenland ice sheet between 1998 and 2017 (2020)
  • Author(s): Vandecrux B.、Fausto R. S.、van As D.、Colgan W.、Langen P. L.、Haubner K.、Ingeman-Nielsen T.、Heilig A.、Stevens C. M.、MacFerrin M.、Niwano M.、Steffen K.、Box J.E.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Glaciology Volume: 66 Issue: 258 Pages: 591-602
  • DOI: 10.1017/jog.2020.30
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Reconstruction of Sea Ice Concentration in Northern Baffin Bay Using Deuterium Excess in a Coastal Ice Core From the Northwestern Greenland Ice Sheet (2020)
  • Author(s): Kurosaki Y., Matoba S., Iizuka Y., Niwano M., Tanikawa T., Ando T., Hori A., Miyamoto A., Fujita S. and Aoki T.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres Volume: 125 Issue: 16
  • DOI: 10.1029/2019jd031668
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] GrSMBMIP: intercomparison of the modelled 1980?2012 surface mass balance over the Greenland Ice Sheet (2020)
  • Author(s): Fettweis Xavier et al.
  • Journal Title: The Cryosphere Volume: 14 Issue: 11 Pages: 3935-3958
  • DOI: 10.5194/tc-14-3935-2020
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] The firn meltwater Retention Model Intercomparison Project (RetMIP): evaluation of nine firn models at four weather station sites on the Greenland ice sheet (2020)
  • Author(s): Vandecrux Baptiste et al.
  • Journal Title: The Cryosphere Volume: 14 Issue: 11 Pages: 3785-3810
  • DOI: 10.5194/tc-14-3785-2020
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Near-surface snow physics data from a dog-sled traverse expedition in the northwest Greenland ice sheet during 2018 spring (2020)
  • Author(s): Niwano, M., Yamaguchi, S., Yamasaki, T., and Aoki. T.
  • Journal Title: Polar Data Journal Volume: 4 Pages: 133-144
  • DOI: 10.20575/00000019
  • NAID: 120006900542
  • ISSN: 2432-6771
  • URL: http://id.nii.ac.jp/1434/00000019/
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Impact of observation-based snow albedo parameterization on global ocean simulation results (2020)
  • Author(s): Toyoda, T., T. Aoki, M. Niwano, T. Tanikawa, L. S. Urakawa, H. Tsujino, H. Nakano, K. Sakamoto, N. Hirose, and G. Yamanaka
  • Journal Title: Polar Science Volume: na Pages: 100521-100521
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.polar.2020.100521
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Meteorological and evaluation datasets for snow modelling at 10 reference sites: description of in situ and bias-corrected reanalysis data (2019)
  • Author(s): M?nard C?cile B.、Essery Richard、Barr Alan、Bartlett Paul、Derry Jeff、Dumont Marie、Fierz Charles、Kim Hyungjun、Kontu Anna、Lejeune Yves、Marks Danny、Niwano Masashi、Raleigh Mark、Wang Libo、Wever Nander
  • Journal Title: Earth System Science Data Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Pages: 865-880
  • DOI: 10.5194/essd-11-865-2019
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Cloud-driven modulations of Greenland ice sheet surface melt (2019)
  • Author(s): Niwano Masashi、Hashimoto Akihiro、Aoki Teruo
  • Journal Title: Scientific Reports Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Pages: 10380-10380
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46152-5
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Retrieval of Snow Properties from the Sentinel-3 Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (2019)
  • Author(s): Kokhanovsky Alexander、Lamare Maxim、Danne Olaf、Brockmann Carsten、Dumont Marie、Picard Ghislain、Arnaud Laurent、Favier Vincent、Jourdain Bruno、Le Meur Emmanuel、Di Mauro Biagio、Aoki Teruo、Niwano Masashi、et al.
  • Journal Title: Remote Sensing Volume: 11 Issue: 19 Pages: 2280-2280
  • DOI: 10.3390/rs11192280
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] グリーンランド氷床における近年の急激な雪氷質量損失 －現地観測と数値モデルによるメカニズム理解の試み－ (2019)
  • Author(s): 庭野匡思
  • Journal Title: 天気 Volume: 66(3) Pages: 225-230
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Presentation] Recent updates of the polar regional climate model NHM-SMAP (2023)
  • Author(s): Niwano, M.
  • Organizer: Polar CORDEX Workshop 2023
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Bare ice darkening impacts on northwestern Greenland ice sheet runoff (2022)
  • Author(s): Niwano, M., Box, J. E., Fettweis, X., and Wehrle, A.
  • Organizer: AGU Fall Meeting 2022
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Rainfall on the Greenland ice sheet: Present-day states estimated from a high-resolution non-hydrostatic polar (2022)
  • Author(s): Niwano, M.
  • Organizer: IASC NAG online meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Challenges to model complex snow-atmosphere interaction processes in the Greenland ice sheet (2021)
  • Author(s): Niwano, M.
  • Organizer: IMAU (Utrecht University) online seminar
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] グリーンランド氷床では今、何が起きているのか？ー温暖化の最前線からの報告ー (2021)
  • Author(s): 庭野匡思
  • Organizer: 一般社団法人日本太陽エネルギー学会太陽光発電部会 第３２回セミナー気象・環境セミナー 「気候変動」
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Greenland surface processes from PROMICE automatic weather station measurements and Sentinel-3 satellite observations (2020)
  • Author(s): Wehrle, A., Box, J., Niwano, M., Anesio, A. M. B., and Fausto, R. S.
  • Organizer: 2020 AGU Fall Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Cloud-driven modulations of Greenland ice sheet surface melt, from 2012 to 2014 (2019)
  • Author(s): Niwano, M., A. Hashimoto, and T. Aoki
  • Organizer: 2019 AGU Fall Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Heat budget of Greenland firn: observed and simulated changes from 1998-2015 (2019)
  • Author(s): Vandecrux, B., R. Fausto, D. van As, W. Colgan, P. Langen, K. Sampson, K. Steffen, K. Haubner, T. Ingemann-Nielsen, M. Niwano, and J. Box
  • Organizer: EGU General Assembly 2019
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Utilization of satellite-derived surface snow physical properties to improve the performance of the SMAP physical snowpack model (2019)
  • Author(s): Niwano, M. and J. E. Box
  • Organizer: IASC Workshop on tthe dynamics and mass budget of Arctic glaciers & proglacial marine ecosystems
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 極域気候モデルNHM-SMAP (2019)
  • Author(s): 庭野匡思
  • Organizer: 2018年度 第2回 次世代陸モデル開発・応用・社会実装に関する合同ワークショップ
• [Remarks] 気象研究所報道発表
  • URL: https://www.mri-jma.go.jp/Topics/R03/030823/press_030823.html
• [Remarks] NHM-SMAP v1.00 for the Greenland domain
  • URL: https://climate.mri-jma.go.jp/~m-niwano/NHM-SMAP_v1.00_GrIS-now/
• [Remarks] 近年のグリーンランド氷床の融解量評価に関する国際共同研究に貢献しました
  • URL: https://www.mri-jma.go.jp/Topics/R02/021113a/021113_oshirase.html