scholarly journals The accuracy of satellite radar altimeter data over the Greenland Ice Sheet determined from airborne laser data

1998 ◽  
Vol 25 (16) ◽  
pp. 3177-3180 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Bamber ◽  
S. Ekholm ◽  
W. Krabill
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Altimeter Data ◽  
Radar Altimeter ◽  
Airborne Laser ◽  
Laser Data ◽  
Satellite Radar

scholarly journals Measuring geophysical parameters of the Greenland ice sheet using airborne radar altimetry

1995 ◽  
Vol 41 (139) ◽  
pp. 607-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen J. Ferraro ◽  
Calvin T. Swift
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Scattering ◽  
Altimeter Data ◽  
Radar Altimeter ◽  
Volume Scattering ◽  
Scattering Model ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Field Season ◽  
Satellite Radar

AbstractThis paper presents radar-altimeter scattering models for each of the diagenetic zones of the Greenland ice sheet. AAFE radar-altimeter waveforms obtained during the 1991 and 1993 NASA multi-sensor airborne altimetry experiments over Greenland reveal that the Ku-band return pulse changes significantly with the different diagenetic zones. These changes are due to varying amounts of surface and volume scattering in the return waveform.In the ablation and soaked zones, where surface scattering dominates the AAFE return, geophysical parameters such as rms surface height and rms surface slope are obtained by fitting the waveforms to a surface-scattering model. Waveforms from the percolation zone show that sub-sruface ice features have a much more significant effect on the return pulse than the surrounding snowpack. Model percolation waveforms, created using a combined surface- and volume-scattering model and an ice-feature distribution obtained during the 1993 field season, agree well with actual AAFE waveforms taken in the same time period. Using a combined surface- and volume-scattering model for the dry-snow-zone return waveforms, the rms surface height and slope and the attenuation coefficient of the snowpack are obtained. These scattering models not only allow geophysical parameters of the ice sheet to he measured but also help in the understanding of satellite radar-altimeter data.

scholarly journals Measuring geophysical parameters of the Greenland ice sheet using airborne radar altimetry

1995 ◽  
Vol 41 (139) ◽  
pp. 607-618
Author(s):  
Ellen J. Ferraro ◽  
Calvin T. Swift
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Scattering ◽  
Altimeter Data ◽  
Radar Altimeter ◽  
Volume Scattering ◽  
Scattering Model ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Field Season ◽  
Satellite Radar

AbstractThis paper presents radar-altimeter scattering models for each of the diagenetic zones of the Greenland ice sheet. AAFE radar-altimeter waveforms obtained during the 1991 and 1993 NASA multi-sensor airborne altimetry experiments over Greenland reveal that the Ku-band return pulse changes significantly with the different diagenetic zones. These changes are due to varying amounts of surface and volume scattering in the return waveform.In the ablation and soaked zones, where surface scattering dominates the AAFE return, geophysical parameters such as rms surface height and rms surface slope are obtained by fitting the waveforms to a surface-scattering model. Waveforms from the percolation zone show that sub-sruface ice features have a much more significant effect on the return pulse than the surrounding snowpack. Model percolation waveforms, created using a combined surface- and volume-scattering model and an ice-feature distribution obtained during the 1993 field season, agree well with actual AAFE waveforms taken in the same time period. Using a combined surface- and volume-scattering model for the dry-snow-zone return waveforms, the rms surface height and slope and the attenuation coefficient of the snowpack are obtained. These scattering models not only allow geophysical parameters of the ice sheet to he measured but also help in the understanding of satellite radar-altimeter data.

scholarly journals A comparison of Greenland ice-sheet volume changes derived from altimetry measurements

2008 ◽  
Vol 54 (185) ◽  
pp. 203-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Thomas ◽  
Curt Davis ◽  
Earl Frederick ◽  
William Krabill ◽  
Yonghong Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Altimeter Data ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Radar Altimeter ◽  
Elevation Change ◽  
Laser Altimeter ◽  
The North ◽  
Radar Waveforms ◽  
Summer Temperatures

AbstractWe compare rates of surface-elevation change on the Greenland ice sheet derived from European Remote-sensing Satellite-2 (ERS-2) radar-altimeter data with those obtained from laser-altimeter data collected over nearly the same time periods. Radar-altimeter data show more rapid thickening (9 ± 1 cm a−1 above 1500 m elevation in the north, and 3 ± 1 cm a−1 above 2000 m in the south) than the laser estimates, possibly caused by a lifting of the radar-reflection horizon associated with changes in the snowpack, such as those caused by progressively increased surface melting, as summer temperatures rise. Over all the ice sheet above 2000 m, this results in an ERS-derived volume balance ∼75 ± 15 km3 a−1 more positive than that from laser data. This bias between laser and radar estimates of elevation change varies spatially and temporally, so cannot at present be corrected without independent surveys such as those presented here. At lower elevations, comparison of detailed repeat laser surveys over Jakobshavn Isbræ with ERS results over the same time interval shows substantial ERS underestimation of ice-thinning rates. This results partly from missing data because of ‘bad’ radar waveforms over the very rough surface topography, and partly from the tendency for large radar footprints to sample preferentially local high points in the topography, thus missing regions of most rapid thinning along glacier depressions.

scholarly journals Ice-Sheet Surface Elevation and Changes Observable by Satellite Radar Altimetry

1979 ◽  
Vol 24 (90) ◽  
pp. 491-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Jay Zwally ◽  
R. L. Brooks ◽  
H. Ray Stanley ◽  
W. J. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Drainage Basin ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
The State ◽  
Surface Elevation ◽  
Radar Altimeter ◽  
Major Question ◽  
The Status ◽  
Satellite Radar ◽  
Ice Sheet Dynamics

Abstract A major question in ice-sheet dynamics is the state of balance between the net mass input and ice flow. Since an imbalance produces a change in surface elevation, the state of balance can be studied by monitoring the elevation, and this has been accomplished by surface-leveling techniques in a few locations. Due to the requirement for accurate and repetitive measurements over large areas, it is not practical to determine the status of balance of an entire ice sheet or even a major drainage basin by conventional techniques. Now, recent results from satellite-borne radar altimeter measurements over the Greenland ice sheet demonstrate the feasibility of accurately measuring and monitoring the topography of large ice masses. The application of this new technique offers the possibility of making a meaningful mass-balance determination and for detecting actual or potential ice-sheet surges.

scholarly journals Ice-Sheet Surface Topography From Seas at Radar Altimetry (Abstract only)

1982 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 351
Author(s):  
H.J. Zwally ◽  
R. Bindschadler ◽  
R.H. Thomas ◽  
Tom Martin
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheets ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Profile ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Altimeter Data ◽  
Radar Altimeter ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
Sheet Surface ◽  
Servo Tracking ◽  
The Difference

Greenland and Antarctic ice-sheet surface elevations have been obtained from Seasat radar altimeter data after computer retracking of the return waveforms. The height of the altimeter above the surface is determined from the measured time between transmission of radar pulses and their return. The altimeter servo-tracking circuit attempted to maintain the midpoint of the ramp of the return waveform in the center of 60 time gates, each equivalent to 0.47 m in range. Waveforms representing an average of 100 pulse returns were recorded each 0.1 s, corresponding to a distance interval of 662 m on the surface. Deviations of the midpoint of the waveform ramp from the central-gate position were caused by changes in range larger than the design limits of the servo-circuit, thereby producing errors in the height indicated by the altimeter. If the deviation was greater than about 25 gates (13 m range), the waveform ramp moved outside the time gates and the servo-tracking was temporarily interrupted. These larger deviations resulted in a loss of about 30% of the data over the ice sheets. Both surface undulations and the steeper slopes near the ice-sheet edge produced range velocities sufficient to cause interruption of altimeter tracking. Waveforms that remained within the 60 gates have been corrected by a computer curve-fitting procedure applied to each waveform. Preliminary contour maps of surface elevation at 100 m contour intervals have been created for much of the East Antarctic ice sheet north of 72°S and the Greenland ice sheet south of 72°N. The standard deviation of the difference in elevation at 1 032 crossover points in the retracked Greenland elevation profiles is 1.9 m, which is largely due to radial errors in determination of the satellite position. Adjustment of the radial components of the orbits to minimize the crossover differences in select regions reduces the difference to 0.25 m, which is indicative of the optimum obtainable precision over the ice sheets. This precision is comparable to the value of 0.05 to 0.10 m obtained over the oceans where waveform averages of 1 s are used. The data are sufficiently dense to permit contouring at smaller intervals (2 to 10 m) only in the regions near the maximum latitudes of ±72°. Contouring at the smaller intervals illustrates the three dimensional characteristics of some of the observed undulations. Several methods were tested for correcting slope-induced displacements, which are typical of reflection-range measurements using a wide-angle beam. The slope-induced displacement hα2/2 is about 40 m for a satellite altitude h of 800 km and a surface slope a of 10−2. In a simulation experiment, an apparent surface profile was created by computer simulation of the altimeter measurement of an actual ice-surface profile and was then corrected for slope-induced displacement. The results show that the residual error between reconstructed and actual surfaces is about 15% of the displacement. Along the sub-satellite track the data are sufficiently dense to permit such correction for along-track slope-induced displacements caused by both undulations and regional slopes, but in the other dimension the data are generally only sufficient to permit across-track correction for regional slopes.

scholarly journals Ice-Sheet Surface Topography From Seas at Radar Altimetry (Abstract only)

1982 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 351-351
Author(s):  
H.J. Zwally ◽  
R. Bindschadler ◽  
R.H. Thomas ◽  
Tom Martin
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheets ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Profile ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Altimeter Data ◽  
Radar Altimeter ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
Sheet Surface ◽  
Servo Tracking ◽  
The Difference

Greenland and Antarctic ice-sheet surface elevations have been obtained from Seasat radar altimeter data after computer retracking of the return waveforms. The height of the altimeter above the surface is determined from the measured time between transmission of radar pulses and their return. The altimeter servo-tracking circuit attempted to maintain the midpoint of the ramp of the return waveform in the center of 60 time gates, each equivalent to 0.47 m in range. Waveforms representing an average of 100 pulse returns were recorded each 0.1 s, corresponding to a distance interval of 662 m on the surface. Deviations of the midpoint of the waveform ramp from the central-gate position were caused by changes in range larger than the design limits of the servo-circuit, thereby producing errors in the height indicated by the altimeter. If the deviation was greater than about 25 gates (13 m range), the waveform ramp moved outside the time gates and the servo-tracking was temporarily interrupted. These larger deviations resulted in a loss of about 30% of the data over the ice sheets. Both surface undulations and the steeper slopes near the ice-sheet edge produced range velocities sufficient to cause interruption of altimeter tracking. Waveforms that remained within the 60 gates have been corrected by a computer curve-fitting procedure applied to each waveform.Preliminary contour maps of surface elevation at 100 m contour intervals have been created for much of the East Antarctic ice sheet north of 72°S and the Greenland ice sheet south of 72°N. The standard deviation of the difference in elevation at 1 032 crossover points in the retracked Greenland elevation profiles is 1.9 m, which is largely due to radial errors in determination of the satellite position. Adjustment of the radial components of the orbits to minimize the crossover differences in select regions reduces the difference to 0.25 m, which is indicative of the optimum obtainable precision over the ice sheets. This precision is comparable to the value of 0.05 to 0.10 m obtained over the oceans where waveform averages of 1 s are used. The data are sufficiently dense to permit contouring at smaller intervals (2 to 10 m) only in the regions near the maximum latitudes of ±72°. Contouring at the smaller intervals illustrates the three dimensional characteristics of some of the observed undulations.Several methods were tested for correcting slope-induced displacements, which are typical of reflection-range measurements using a wide-angle beam. The slope-induced displacement hα2/2 is about 40 m for a satellite altitude h of 800 km and a surface slope a of 10−2. In a simulation experiment, an apparent surface profile was created by computer simulation of the altimeter measurement of an actual ice-surface profile and was then corrected for slope-induced displacement. The results show that the residual error between reconstructed and actual surfaces is about 15% of the displacement. Along the sub-satellite track the data are sufficiently dense to permit such correction for along-track slope-induced displacements caused by both undulations and regional slopes, but in the other dimension the data are generally only sufficient to permit across-track correction for regional slopes.

Antarctic ice-shelf thickness from satellite radar altimetry

2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (203) ◽  
pp. 485-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.A. Griggs ◽  
J.L. Bamber
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Altimeter Data ◽  
Ice Thickness ◽  
Radar Altimeter ◽  
Ice Shelf ◽  
Ice Shelves ◽  
Density Correction ◽  
Ice Sheet Mass Balance ◽  
Satellite Radar

AbstractIce-shelf thickness is an important boundary condition for ice-sheet and sub-ice-shelf cavity modelling. It is required near the grounding line to calculate the ice flux used to determine ice-sheet mass balance by comparison with the upstream accumulation. In this mass budget approach, the accuracy of the ice thickness is one of the limiting factors in the calculation. We present a satellite retrieval of the ice thickness for all Antarctic ice shelves using satellite radar altimeter data from the geodetic phases of the European Remote-sensing Satellite (ERS-1) during 1994–95 supplemented by ICESat data for regions south of the ERS-1 latitudinal limit. Surface elevations derived from these instruments are interpolated on to regular grids using kriging, and converted to ice thicknesses using a modelled firn-density correction. The availability of a new spatial variable firn-density correction significantly reduces the error in ice thickness as this was previously the dominant error source. Comparison to airborne data shows good agreement, particularly when compared to SOAR CASERTZ data on the largest ice shelves. Biases range from −13.0 m for areas where the assumption of hydrostatic equilibrium breaks down, to 53.4 m in regions where marine ice may be present.

scholarly journals Ice-Sheet Surface Elevation and Changes Observable by Satellite Radar Altimetry

1979 ◽  
Vol 24 (90) ◽  
pp. 491-493
Author(s):  
H. Jay Zwally ◽  
R. L. Brooks ◽  
H. Ray Stanley ◽  
W. J. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Drainage Basin ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
The State ◽  
Surface Elevation ◽  
Radar Altimeter ◽  
Major Question ◽  
The Status ◽  
Satellite Radar ◽  
Ice Sheet Dynamics

AbstractA major question in ice-sheet dynamics is the state of balance between the net mass input and ice flow. Since an imbalance produces a change in surface elevation, the state of balance can be studied by monitoring the elevation, and this has been accomplished by surface-leveling techniques in a few locations. Due to the requirement for accurate and repetitive measurements over large areas, it is not practical to determine the status of balance of an entire ice sheet or even a major drainage basin by conventional techniques. Now, recent results from satellite-borne radar altimeter measurements over the Greenland ice sheet demonstrate the feasibility of accurately measuring and monitoring the topography of large ice masses. The application of this new technique offers the possibility of making a meaningful mass-balance determination and for detecting actual or potential ice-sheet surges.

scholarly journals Measurement of ice-sheet topography using satellite-radar interferometry

1996 ◽  
Vol 42 (140) ◽  
pp. 10-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Joughin ◽  
Dale Winebrenner ◽  
Mark Fahnestock ◽  
Ron Kwok ◽  
William Krabill
Keyword(s):  
Ice Sheets ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Displacement ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Radar Interferometry ◽  
Altimeter Data ◽  
Laser Altimeter ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Satellite Radar ◽  
Ice Sheet Topography

AbstractDetailed digital elevation models (DEMs) do not exist for much of the Greenland and Antartic ice sheets. Radar altimetry is at present the primary, in many cases the only, source of topographic data over the ice sheets, but the horizontal resolution of such data is coarse. Satellite-radar interferometry uses the phase difference between pairs of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images to measure both ice-sheet topography and surface displacement. We have applied this technique using ERS-1 SAR data to make detailed (i.e. 80 m horizontal resolution) maps of surface topography in a 100 km by 300 km strip in West Greenland, extending northward from just above Jakobshavns Isbræ. Comparison with а 76 km long line of airborne laser-altimeter data shows that We have achieved a relative accuracy of 2.5 m along the profile. These observations provide a detailed view of dynamically Supported topography near the margin of an ice sheet. In the final section We compare our estimate of topography with phase contours due to motion, and confirm our earlier analysis concerning vertical ice-sheet motion and complexity in ERS-1 SAR interferograms.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document