An Improved Analytical Solution for the Temperature Profile of Ice Sheets

Abstract

The one-dimensional steady state analytical solution of the energy conservation equation obtained by Robin (1955, https://doi.org/10.3189/002214355793702028) is frequently used in glaciology. This solution assumes a linear change in surface velocity from a minimum value equal to minus the mass balance at the surface to zero at the bed. Here we show that this assumption of a linear velocity profile leads to large errors in the calculated temperature profile and especially in basal temperature. By prescribing a nonlinear power function of elevation above the bed for the vertical velocity profile arising from use of the Shallow Ice Approximation, we derive a new analytical solution for temperature. We show that the solution produces temperature profiles identical to numerical temperature solutions with the Shallow Ice Approximation vertical velocity near ice divides. We quantify the importance of strain heating and demonstrate that integrating the strain heating and adding it to the geothermal heat flux at the bed is a reasonable approximation for the interior regions. Our analytical solution does not include horizontal advection components, so we compare our solution with numerical solutions of a two-dimensional advection-diffusion model and assess the applicability and errors of the analytical solution away from the ice divide. We show that several parameters and assumptions impact the spatial extent of applicability of the new solution including surface mass balance rate and surface temperature lapse rate. We delineate regions of Greenland and Antarctica within which the analytical solution at any depth is likely within 2 K of the actual temperatures with horizontal advection.