Department of Earth Sciences PhD candidate, Joey Schnaubelt, led a new study quantifying the role of atmospheric rivers on Greenland ice sheet surface mass balance during the last interglacial. Atmosphere rivers are long, narrow bands that transport exceptional amounts of moisture and heat. They are known for causing extreme weather events. The last interglacial is a past climate that experienced a warmer Arctic and higher sea level than present-day, making it an ideal period of study for gaining insights into future climate change. Using a transient Earth system model of the last interglacial, the researchers found that atmospheric rivers drove more melting of the Greenland ice sheet early in the last interglacial due to warmer summers. In contrast, atmospheric rivers led to more snowfall over the Greenland ice sheet later in the last interglacial as summers cooled and winters warmed. Future climate simulations show more summer atmospheric rivers which will exacerbate melting of the Greenland ice sheet, like the early last interglacial.

Link to the study

Link to a UConn Today article about the research