Improved elevation change measurement of the Greenland ice sheet from satellite radar altimetry

Author

Davis, Curt H. ; Perez, Cesar

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Missouri Univ., Columbia, MO, USA

Volume

1

fYear

1997

fDate

3-8 Aug 1997

Firstpage

397

Abstract

Elevation change measurements from satellite altimetry for the southern Greenland ice sheet (south of 72°N) are re-examined after incorporating technical advancements that significantly improve measurement accuracy. A spatial average of 33,610 crossover points between the Seasat and Geosat altimeters yields a 5.4±0.4 cm/yr growth rate from 1978 to 1988. This is over four times smaller than previously reported results. Large spatial variations in elevation change from -7 to +20 cm/yr are observed over the ice sheet for the first time. Interannual variations in elevation change of 5-10 cm/yr are also observed. Given the large spatial and interannual variations in elevation change, the 5.4±0.4 cm/yr growth rate is too small to determine whether or not the Greenland ice sheet is undergoing a long-term change due to a warmer polar climate

Keywords

glaciology; topography (Earth); AD 1978 to 1988; Greenland ice sheet; glaciology; growth rate; interannual variation; polar ice sheet; satellite radar altimetry observations; spatial variation; surface elevation change; Altimetry; Cities and towns; Electric variables measurement; Ice; Ocean temperature; Radar measurements; Satellites; Sea level; Sea measurements; Spaceborne radar;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 1997. IGARSS '97. Remote Sensing - A Scientific Vision for Sustainable Development., 1997 IEEE International

Print_ISBN

0-7803-3836-7

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/IGARSS.1997.615896

Filename

615896