Project Details
Projekt
solidFIDEMO – a firn densification model for volumetric mass balances
Subject Area
Geophysics
Term
from 2018 to 2022
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 403642112
Firn describes the intermediate stage product between snow and glacier ice. The ongoing compaction of snow to ice is commonly called firn densification. Knowledge about this process is for example needed to transform measured height changes of the ice shields to mass changes or to perform climate reconstructions from ice cores.Throughout our project SolidFIDEMO we developed an efficient framework for firn densification modelling. In our previous work we used this framework and a growing amount of data to advance the development of a process based firn densification model. We were able to utilise our model within an application simulating the firn density and age at the surface of 79°N Glacier, Greenland. Furthermore, we paid special attention to the very first stage of firn densification, assessing a constitutive relation describing the process of grain boundary sliding in firn. One of our findings throughout this study was that the common one dimensional model approach in firn density modelling is not sufficient to represent the stress regime acting within the firn body.We therefore propose for a one year extension of our project. Within this one year period we want to extend our model framework to three spatial dimensions. In this way we were able to investigate the influence of horizontal stresses acting on the firn, neglected in most firn densification models so far. Further this extension would enable us to analyse the influence of surface polar glacial surface features such as snow dunes and sastrugi on the lateral variability of the firn density.As we see a strong demand from other research fields, especially from the altimetry community for firn density products, we also want to hold a two day workshop at TU Darmstadt to meet researchers from different fields within the community. We want to discuss how an interconnection between different models can be established and what kind of data products, applications and services we can provide to the community.
DFG Programme
Infrastructure Priority Programmes
