Gone with the wind. Wind-blown snow in Antarctica from a modelling and observational perspective

Gone with the wind :Wind-blown snow in Antarctica from a modelling and observational perspective Recent findings point out the importance of ice shelf dynamics to control the mass balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS). Ice shelves exert a buttressing effect on the ice sheet and their disappearance can trigger enhanced ice discharge into the oceans, in turn increasing the sea level rise. Currently, the main concern is directed towards basal mass balance of the ice shelves. Yet, not much is known about the effect of wind-induced processes on the health of the ice shelves: the surface energy balance and surface melt of the ice shelves is affected by processes such as drifting snow, frequent at the surface of the AIS. Regional climate models are often used to investigate current and future evolution of the AIS surface mass balance (SMB) but sill lack an accurate drifting snow parametrization. We propose here to use unprecedented long-term ground observations to validate satellite retrievals. Then, we investigate the representation of accumulation by regional climate models and reanalyses (driving models for regional climate modelling) over the AIS. Finally, we include a blowing snow routine in a regional climate model recently adapted for Antarctic conditions.status: publishe