Influence of the height of Antarctic ice sheet on its climate

The influence of the height of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) on its climate is investigated through numerical modeling, using NCAR-CESM-CAM5, which is found to be one of the best performing models over the region. The investigation reveals that on the reduction of its height, the troposphere over Antarctica will become warmer and wetter, annual precipitation and snow accumulation would enhance, and there will be a net enhancement in southward energy transport towards the Antarctic from the lower latitudes. The response will be opposite if the height of the AIS increases. The effect is found to be driven by the radiation imbalance developed from the changes in the outgoing longwave radiation at the top of the atmosphere due to perturbations in the ice sheet's elevation. An increase (decrease) in precipitation will occur on reduction (enhancement) of the AIS, which will try to stabilize its height, but this will be accompanied by an increase (decrease) in the surface temperature, which would have an opposite effect. A significant influence of the AIS elevation was also felt on the surface winds, stationary waves, and the eddy-driven jet around the continent, highlighting the impact that changes in the height of AIS have on the surrounding atmospheric circulation.