Articles | Volume 6, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-6-345-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-6-345-2025
Research article
 | 
02 Apr 2025
Research article |  | 02 Apr 2025

Investigating the influence of changing ice surfaces on gravity wave formation impacting glacier boundary layer flow with large-eddy simulations

Brigitta Goger, Ivana Stiperski, Matthis Ouy, and Lindsey Nicholson

Data sets

lukasumek/WRF_LES_diagnostics: WRF_LES_diagnostics L. Umek https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3901119

Scientific colour maps F. Crameri https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8035877

Model code and software

WRF Version 4.1 WRF https://github.com/wrf-model/WRF/releases/tag/v4.1

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Short summary
We study with numerical simulations whether changing glacier ice surfaces impacts the atmospheric boundary layer structure over a glacier. Under north-westerly flow, a gravity wave forms over the glacier valley. When the surrounding upstream glaciers are removed, the gravity wave is weakened and breaks earlier. This leads to stronger turbulent mixing over the remaining glacier and to higher temperatures. We suggest that glaciers influence each other and should be studied as a connected system.
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