On the Contribution of Clouds to Greenland Ice Sheet Mass Loss

The Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) has become one of the main contributors to global mean sea level rise, predominantly explained by a decreasing surface mass balance (SMB). Clouds are known to have a strong influence on the surface energy budget, which in consequence impacts the SMB. For example, the potentially important role of thin liquid-bearing clouds over Greenland in enhancing ice sheet melt has recently gained interest. Yet, current research is spatially and temporally limited, focusing on particular events and cloud types, while the large-scale impact of all clouds on the SMB remains unknown. Using a unique cloud product covering the entire GrIS over the period 2007-2010, consisting of active satellite remote sensing data, ground-based observations and climate model data, together with snow model simulations, we investigate the cloud radiative effect over the GrIS and the consequences for the SMB. We show a strong sensitivity of the GrIS to clouds, with a complex interplay between enhanced and reduced mass loss. We further distinguish between ice-only and liquid-bearing clouds, temporal and spatial variations in cloud impacts, and we demonstrate the large spread in simulated clouds by state-of-the-art climate models. Our results therefore urge the need for accurate cloud representations in climate models, to improve future projections of GrIS SMB and global sea level rise.status: publishe