Enhanced Spatial Resolution Surface Melting over the Antarctic Peninsula (1958 - to date) from a Regional Climate Model Validated through Remote Sensing Observations

1141973/Tedesco该奖项支持一个项目，根据区域气候模型和不同的降尺度技术的输出，生成1958年至今南极半岛表面融化的首次有效的增强空间分辨率（5-10公里）地图。将通过从QuikSCAT卫星获得的1999 - 2009年期间新的高空间分辨率（2.25公里）表面融化图对这些图进行评估和验证。这项工作的学术价值是，这将是第一次以如此高的空间分辨率利用区域气候模型的结果来研究南极洲的表面融化情况，也是第一次通过具有如此大的空间覆盖范围和高的空间分辨率的观测工具来验证这些结果。这项研究产生的结果还将首次提供机会，研究半岛的融化分布及其与气候驱动因素的相关性，如南方年度模式（SAM）和厄尔尼诺南方涛动（ENSO）在这些前所未有的空间尺度。增强分辨率的融化地图还将提供一个独特的机会来研究半岛特定地区的融化趋势和模式，如威尔金斯和拉森A和B冰架，并评估最近崩溃期间观察到的极端融化是否是50年来前所未有的。该项目更广泛的影响是，它将通过全面支持一名女本科生，一名博士生和部分支持PostDoc来整合研究和教育。这项工作将在一个为少数民族服务的机构完成，负责开发QuikSCAT高分辨率融化数据集的博士生将成为从事该项目的PostDoc。将通过将研究成果纳入研究生和本科生课程来支持教学，并将通过网络和适当渠道传播。这一项目的成果也将使整个社会受益，因为它们将提高我们对大气模式与表面融化之间联系的理解，并将有助于改进对南极大陆海平面上升的估计。

1141973/TedescoThis award supports a project to generate first-time validated enhanced spatial resolution (5-10 km) maps of surface melting over the Antarctic Peninsula for the period 1958 - to date from the outputs of a regional climate model and different downscaling techniques. These maps will be assessed and validated through new high spatial resolution (2.25 km) surface melting maps obtained from the QuikSCAT satellite for the period 1999 - 2009. The intellectual merit of this work is that it would be the first time that the outputs of a regional climate model would be used to study surface melting over Antarctica at such high spatial resolution and the first time that such results are validated by means of an observational tool that has such a large spatial coverage and high spatial resolution. The results generated in this study would also provide a first-time opportunity to study the melt distribution over the Peninsula and its correlation with climate drivers, such as the Southern Annual Mode (SAM) and the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) at these unprecedented spatial scales. The enhanced resolution melting maps will also offer a unique opportunity to study melting trends and patterns over specific regions of the Peninsula, such as the Wilkins and the Larsen A and B ice shelves and evaluate whether the extreme melting observed during the recent collapses was unprecedented over the + 50 years. The broader impacts of the project are that it will integrate research and education by fully supporting one female undergrad student, a PhD student and partially supporting a PostDoc. The work will be done at a minority-serving institution and the PhD student who worked on the development of the high-resolution melting data set from QuikSCAT will become the PostDoc who will work on this project. Teaching and learning will be supported by incorporating research results into graduate and undergrad level courses and will be disseminated over the web and through appropriate channels. Results from this project will also benefit the society at large as they will improve our understanding of the links between atmospheric patterns and surface melting and they will contribute to improving estimates of sea level rise from the Antarctica continent.