Articles | Volume 18, issue 19
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-6885-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-6885-2025
Development and technical paper
 | 
07 Oct 2025
Development and technical paper |  | 07 Oct 2025

Implementation of an intermediate-complexity snow-physics scheme (ISBA-Explicit Snow) into a sea ice model (SI3): 1D thermodynamic coupling and validation

Théo Brivoal, Virginie Guemas, Martin Vancoppenolle, Clément Rousset, and Bertrand Decharme

Related authors

Representation of the nitrogen cycle and its coupling with the carbon cycle in ISBA (SURFEX v9) the land surface model: evaluation using two Free-Air CO2 Enrichment experiment sites
Jeanne Decayeux, Bertrand Decharme, Romain Darnajoux, and Christine Delire
Geosci. Model Dev., 19, 7787–7815, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-7787-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-7787-2026, 2026
Short summary
A process-based modeling of soil organic matter physical properties for land surface models – Part 2: Global land surface simulations and mineral soil compactness adjustment
Bertrand Decharme, Diane Tzanos, Lucas Hardouin, Aaron Boone, Marie Minvielle, Patrick Le Moigne, and Rémi Gaillard
Geosci. Model Dev., 19, 7239–7277, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-7239-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-7239-2026, 2026
Short summary
Heterogeneous future Arctic Ocean primary productivity changes projected in CMIP6
Léna Champiot-Bayard, Lester Kwiatkowski, and Martin Vancoppenolle
Biogeosciences, 23, 4735–4758, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-4735-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-4735-2026, 2026
Short summary
CMIP7 data request: ocean and sea ice priorities and opportunities
Baylor Fox-Kemper, Patricia DeRepentigny, Anne Marie Treguier, Christian Stepanek, Eleanor O'Rourke, Chloe Mackallah, Alberto Meucci, Yevgeny Aksenov, Paul J. Durack, Nicole Feldl, Oluwayemi Garuba, Vanessa Hernaman, Céline Heuzé, Doroteaciro Iovino, Gaurav Madan, André L. Marquez, François Massonnet, Jenny Mecking, Dhrubajyoti Samanta, Patrick C. Taylor, Wan-Ling Tseng, and Martin Vancoppenolle
Geosci. Model Dev., 19, 6043–6078, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-6043-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-6043-2026, 2026
Short summary
Interannual variability of the winter sea ice edge in the Southern Ocean tuned by topography and oceanic transport
Hugues Goosse, Cecile Davrinche, Benjamin Richaud, Dániel Topál, Stephy Libera, Alberto C. Naveira Garabato, Alessandro Silvano, Martin Vancoppenolle, and Pablo Ortega
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1823,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1823, 2026
Short summary

Cited articles

Anderson, E. A.: A Point Energy and Mass Balance Model of a Snow Cover, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service, Office of Hydrology, 172 pp., 1976. 
Bitz, C. M. and Lipscomb, W. H.: An energy-conserving thermodynamic model of sea ice, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 104, 15669–15677, https://doi.org/10.1029/1999JC900100, 1999. 
Bitz, C. M., Holland, M. M., Weaver, A. J., and Eby, M.: Simulating the ice-thickness distribution in a coupled climate model, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 106, 2441–2463, https://doi.org/10.1029/1999JC000113, 2001. 
Bohren, C. F. and Barkstrom, B. R.: Theory of the optical properties of snow, J. Geophys. Res., 79, 4527–4535, https://doi.org/10.1029/JC079i030p04527, 1974. 
Bohren, C. F. and Beschta, R. L.: Snowpack albedo and snow density, Cold Reg. Sci. Technol., 1, 47–50, https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-232X(79)90018-1, 1979. 
Download
Short summary
Snow in polar regions is key to sea ice formation and the Earth's climate, but current climate models simplify snow cover on sea ice. This study integrates an intermediate-complexity snow-physics scheme into a sea ice model designed for climate applications. We show that modeling the temporal changes in properties such as the density and thermal conductivity of the snow layers leads to a more accurate representation of heat transfer between the underlying sea ice and the atmosphere.
Share