Towards a better representation of Arctic hydrology in the ICON-LAND model

Le résumé fourni par la source

Recent advancements in our global land surface model, ICON-LAND, have focused on enhancing the representation of surface and soil hydrology, temperature profiles in snow pack and soil as well as the spatial structuring of land surface characteristics. These improvements are done in the framework of the Q-Arctic project and aim to provide a more realistic simulation of Arctic hydrology which is required to capture the effects of processes like permafrost degradation and its impact on Arctic soil carbon storages.Key developments include the implementation of an advanced tiling infrastructure for soil moisture dynamics, which enhance the model's ability to simulate land surface heterogeneity. This is particularly important in regions with close proximity of wet and dry surfaces, e.g. in the Arctic tundra or on hillslopes. Additionally, updates to the soil ice representation have improved the accuracy of heat transport within the soil profile. This allows for a more consistent simulation of surface temperature, as well as water and energy fluxes, which are crucial for understanding phenomena such as permafrost thawing and its implications for carbon release. These enhancements not only contribute to a better representation of Arctic processes but also improve the overall reliability of the ICON-LAND.In our presentation, we will demonstrate the effects of these improvements on the simulation of Arctic hydrology, but also explore potential weak spots in our model's land physics and the necessary steps to counter them.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.