Assessing the usability of remotely sensed ice temperatures for ice sheet modelling

A primary objective of CryoRad, a candidate mission for ESA's Earth Explorer 12, is to provide ice sheet wide satellite-derived observations of englacial temperatures and basal thermal states. These parameters are critical for modeling ice flow dynamics but remain significant unknowns for both the Greenland and the Antarctic Ice Sheets with implications for projections of future sea level rise.

In this study, we use PISM (Parallel Ice Sheet Model) and GRISLI (Grenoble ice sheet and land ice) for the Greenland Ice Sheet to evaluate the potential benefits and challenges of an observed englacial and subglacial temperature dataset for ice sheet modelling purposes. We provide PISM with synthetic englacial temperature fields mimicking the product derived from future CryoRad observations.  By perturbing the input temperature field and varying its horizontal resolution we investigate the response of the simulated ice dynamics and basal states, and assess the minimum required information level for usability in ice sheet model simulations. Furthermore, we examine the impact of uncertainties and systematic biases on modeled basal states and model drift.  Our results will help guide mission design and requirements.