Modeling the summertime atmospheric boundary layer at Dome C, Antarctica

Abstract

Antarctica is one of the most unique and extreme places on Earth. Climate change has caused warming and melting over many regions of the continent, contributing to sea level rise. In order to better predict future impacts of climate change, observations and modeling experiments continue to study the atmospheric variability and processes occurring at inland and coastal regions across the continent. As a contribution to the GABLS-4 boundary layer study, a single column model vertical resolution sensitivity test was performed using the WRF-SCM at Dome C. The GABLS-4 study serves as motivation for an experiment developing a 10 year atmospheric model summertime climatology over the East Antarctic Plateau using PWRF. General summertime characteristics are discussed, and comparison between model simulations and observational data show temperature and radiation biases in PWRF. A brief comparison between modeled conditions during the GABLS-4 period and 10 year averages during modeled Decembers determines that the GABLS-4 period can be considered typical for the modeled summertime climate at Dome C.