The recent warming trend in North Greenland. Issue 12 (28th June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Orsi, Anais J.; Kawamura, Kenji; Masson‐Delmotte, Valerie; Fettweis, Xavier; Box, Jason E.; Dahl‐Jensen, Dorthe; Clow, Gary D.; Landais, Amaelle; Severinghaus, Jeffrey P.
• Is Part Of: Geophysical research letters. Volume 44:Issue 12(2017)
• Page Start: 6235
• Page End: 6243
• Publication Date: 2017-06-28
• Subjects: Greenland ice sheet -- borehole temperature -- surface warming; Geophysics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Periodicals; Lunar geology -- Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1002/2016GL072212
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0094-8276

Abstract

Abstract: The Arctic is among the fastest warming regions on Earth, but it is also one with limited spatial coverage of multidecadal instrumental surface air temperature measurements. Consequently, atmospheric reanalyses are relatively unconstrained in this region, resulting in a large spread of estimated 30 year recent warming trends, which limits their use to investigate the mechanisms responsible for this trend. Here we present a surface temperature reconstruction over 1982–2011 at NEEM (North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling Project, 51°W, 77°N), in North Greenland, based on the inversion of borehole temperature and inert gas isotope data. We find that NEEM has warmed by 2.7 ± 0.33°C over the past 30 years, from the long‐term 1900–1970 average of −28.55 ± 0.29°C. The warming trend is principally caused by an increase in downward longwave heat flux. Atmospheric reanalyses underestimate this trend by 17%, underlining the need for more in situ observations to validate reanalyses. Key Points: NEEM (North West Greenland) has been warming by 2.7 plus/minus 0.3°C over 1982‐2011 The 30 year warm anomaly is exceptional in the context of the past 230 years The trend is principally caused by an increase in downward longwave heat flux