scholarly journals ICE SHEET ELEVATION MAPPING AND CHANGE DETECTION WITH THE ICE, CLOUD AND LAND ELEVATION SATELLITE-2

2019 ◽  
Vol XLII-2/W13 ◽  
pp. 1747-1751 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. M. Csatho ◽  
A. F. Schenk ◽  
T. Neumann
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Change Detection ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Surface Elevation ◽  
Elevation Change ◽  
Laser Altimetry ◽  
Calibration And Validation ◽  
Ice Cloud ◽  
Surface Elevation Change

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> On September 15, 2018, ICESat-2 (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation satellite) was successfully launched to measure ice sheet and glacier elevation change, sea ice freeboard, and vegetation. This paper describes the computation of surface elevation change rates obtained with SERAC (Surface Elevation Reconstruction And Change detection) from ICESat-2 observations. After summarizing some relevant aspects of ICESat-2 and its sole instrument ATLAS (Advanced Topographic Laser Altimetry System) the paper focuses on how we calculate time series of elevation change rates from ICESat-2’s data product ATL03. Since real ICESat-2 data suitable for generating time series of several time epochs are not yet available, we used simulated data for this study. We will start generating time series from real ICESat-2 data after the conclusion of the ongoing calibration and validation phase and we expect to present real-world examples at the WG III/9 meeting in June, 2019 in Enschede, The Netherlands.</p>

scholarly journals Four decades of surface elevation change of the Antarctic Ice Sheet from multi-mission satellite altimetry

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludwig Schröder ◽  
Martin Horwath ◽  
Reinhard Dietrich ◽  
Veit Helm
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Satellite Altimetry ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Elevation ◽  
Elevation Change ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
Mission Satellite ◽  
Surface Elevation Change ◽  
Precipitation Anomalies ◽  
The Antarctic

Abstract. We developed an approach for a multi-mission satellite altimetry analysis over the Antarctic Ice Sheet which comprises Seasat, Geosat, ERS-1, ERS-2, Envisat, ICESat and CryoSat-2. In a first step we apply a consistent reprocessing of the radar alitmetry data which improves the measurement precision by up to 50 %. We then perform a joint repeat altimetry analysis of all missions. We estimate inter-mission offsets by approaches adapted to the temporal overlap or non-overlap and to the similarity or dissimilarity of involved altimetry techniques. Hence, we obtain monthly grids forming a combined surface elevation change time series. Owing to the early missions Seasat and Geosat, the time series span almost four decades from 07/1978 to 12/2017 over 25 % of the ice sheet area (coastal regions of East Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula). Since the launch of ERS-1 79 % of the ice sheet area is covered by observations. Over this area, we obtain a negative volume trend of −34 ± 5 km3 yr−1 for the more than 25-year period (04/1992–12/2017). These volume losses have significantly accelerated to a rate of −170 ± 11 km3 yr−1 for 2010–2017. Interannual variations significantly impact decadal volume rates which highlights the importance of the long-term time series. Our time series show a high coincidence with modeled cumulated precipitation anomalies and with satellite gravimetry. This supports the interpretation with respect to snowfall anomalies or dynamic thinning. Moreover, the correlation with cumulated precipitation anomalies back to the Seasat and Geosat periods highlights that the inter-mission offsets were successfully corrected and that the early missions add valuable information.

scholarly journals Modeling of firn compaction for estimating ice-sheet mass change from observed ice-sheet elevation change

2011 ◽  
Vol 52 (59) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Li ◽  
H. Jay Zwally
Keyword(s):  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Mass Change ◽  
Surface Elevation ◽  
Effective Density ◽  
Elevation Change ◽  
Surface Elevation Change ◽  
Elevation Changes

AbstractChanges in ice-sheet surface elevation are caused by a combination of ice-dynamic imbalance, ablation, temporal variations in accumulation rate, firn compaction and underlying bedrock motion. Thus, deriving the rate of ice-sheet mass change from measured surface elevation change requires information on the rate of firn compaction and bedrock motion, which do not involve changes in mass, and requires an appropriate firn density to associate with elevation changes induced by recent accumulation rate variability. We use a 25 year record of surface temperature and a parameterization for accumulation change as a function of temperature to drive a firn compaction model. We apply this formulation to ICESat measurements of surface elevation change at three locations on the Greenland ice sheet in order to separate the accumulation-driven changes from the ice-dynamic/ablation-driven changes, and thus to derive the corresponding mass change. Our calculated densities for the accumulation-driven changes range from 410 to 610 kgm–3, which along with 900 kgm–3 for the dynamic/ablation-driven changes gives average densities ranging from 680 to 790 kgm–3. We show that using an average (or ‘effective’) density to convert elevation change to mass change is not valid where the accumulation and the dynamic elevation changes are of opposite sign.

scholarly journals FUSION OF LASER ALTIMETRY DATA WITH DEMS DERIVED FROM STEREO IMAGING SYSTEMS

2016 ◽  
Vol XLI-B8 ◽  
pp. 531-536
Author(s):  
T. Schenk ◽  
B. M. Csatho ◽  
K. Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Shape ◽  
Imaging Systems ◽  
Surface Elevation ◽  
Altimetry Data ◽  
Laser Altimetry ◽  
Point Distribution ◽  
Spatial Coverage ◽  
Elevation Changes

During the last two decades surface elevation data have been gathered over the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) from a variety of different sensors including spaceborne and airborne laser altimetry, such as NASA’s Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat), Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) and Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS), as well as from stereo satellite imaging systems, most notably from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and Worldview. The spatio-temporal resolution, the accuracy, and the spatial coverage of all these data differ widely. For example, laser altimetry systems are much more accurate than DEMs derived by correlation from imaging systems. On the other hand, DEMs usually have a superior spatial resolution and extended spatial coverage. We present in this paper an overview of the SERAC (Surface Elevation Reconstruction And Change detection) system, designed to cope with the data complexity and the computation of elevation change histories. SERAC simultaneously determines the ice sheet surface shape and the time-series of elevation changes for surface patches whose size depends on the ruggedness of the surface and the point distribution of the sensors involved. By incorporating different sensors, SERAC is a true fusion system that generates the best plausible result (time series of elevation changes) a result that is better than the sum of its individual parts. We follow this up with an example of the Helmheim gacier, involving ICESat, ATM and LVIS laser altimetry data, together with ASTER DEMs.

scholarly journals FUSION OF LASER ALTIMETRY DATA WITH DEMS DERIVED FROM STEREO IMAGING SYSTEMS

2016 ◽  
Vol XLI-B8 ◽  
pp. 531-536
Author(s):  
T. Schenk ◽  
B. M. Csatho ◽  
K. Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Shape ◽  
Imaging Systems ◽  
Surface Elevation ◽  
Altimetry Data ◽  
Laser Altimetry ◽  
Point Distribution ◽  
Spatial Coverage ◽  
Elevation Changes

During the last two decades surface elevation data have been gathered over the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) from a variety of different sensors including spaceborne and airborne laser altimetry, such as NASA’s Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat), Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) and Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS), as well as from stereo satellite imaging systems, most notably from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and Worldview. The spatio-temporal resolution, the accuracy, and the spatial coverage of all these data differ widely. For example, laser altimetry systems are much more accurate than DEMs derived by correlation from imaging systems. On the other hand, DEMs usually have a superior spatial resolution and extended spatial coverage. We present in this paper an overview of the SERAC (Surface Elevation Reconstruction And Change detection) system, designed to cope with the data complexity and the computation of elevation change histories. SERAC simultaneously determines the ice sheet surface shape and the time-series of elevation changes for surface patches whose size depends on the ruggedness of the surface and the point distribution of the sensors involved. By incorporating different sensors, SERAC is a true fusion system that generates the best plausible result (time series of elevation changes) a result that is better than the sum of its individual parts. We follow this up with an example of the Helmheim gacier, involving ICESat, ATM and LVIS laser altimetry data, together with ASTER DEMs.

scholarly journals The effect of anisotropic flow properties on ice-sheet surface elevation change

2004 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 439-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weili Wang ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Jay Zwally ◽  
Vin Morgan ◽  
Tas D. Van Ommen
Keyword(s):  
Strain Rate ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Surface Elevation ◽  
Ice Thickness ◽  
Flow Properties ◽  
Elevation Change ◽  
Ice Flow ◽  
Anisotropic Flow ◽  
Sheet Surface ◽  
Surface Elevation Change

AbstractAn ice-flow model has been developed and applied to Law Dome, East Antarctica, at the location of the Dome Summit South deep borehole. The results are used to reconstruct an ice-sheet history of accumulation rate, ice thickness and the rate of change in ice thickness. The focus of this study is on the effect of the variation in anisotropic flow properties on the ice-sheet surface elevation change. The enhancement factor, defined as the ratio of the strain rate for anisotropic ice to the strain rate for isotropic ice, is used in the ice-flow relations to account for the anisotropic properties of the ice with fabric development. The model is run with the various ice rheologies which represent anisotropic or isotropic ice-flow properties. The results show that the model incorporating anisotropic flow properties of the ice is more sensitive to the climate-change history.

scholarly journals Satellite Remote Sensing of the Greenland Ice Sheet Ablation Zone: A Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 2405
Author(s):  
Matthew Cooper ◽  
Laurence Smith
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Satellite Remote Sensing ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Ablation Zone ◽  
Elevation Change ◽  
Laser Altimetry ◽  
Surface Elevation Change ◽  
Optical Imagery

The Greenland Ice Sheet is now the largest land ice contributor to global sea level rise, largely driven by increased surface meltwater runoff from the ablation zone, i.e., areas of the ice sheet where annual mass losses exceed gains. This small but critically important area of the ice sheet has expanded in size by ~50% since the early 1960s, and satellite remote sensing is a powerful tool for monitoring the physical processes that influence its surface mass balance. This review synthesizes key remote sensing methods and scientific findings from satellite remote sensing of the Greenland Ice Sheet ablation zone, covering progress in (1) radar altimetry, (2) laser (lidar) altimetry, (3) gravimetry, (4) multispectral optical imagery, and (5) microwave and thermal imagery. Physical characteristics and quantities examined include surface elevation change, gravimetric mass balance, reflectance, albedo, and mapping of surface melt extent and glaciological facies and zones. The review concludes that future progress will benefit most from methods that combine multi-sensor, multi-wavelength, and cross-platform datasets designed to discriminate the widely varying surface processes in the ablation zone. Specific examples include fusing laser altimetry, radar altimetry, and optical stereophotogrammetry to enhance spatial measurement density, cross-validate surface elevation change, and diagnose radar elevation bias; employing dual-frequency radar, microwave scatterometry, or combining radar and laser altimetry to map seasonal snow depth; fusing optical imagery, radar imagery, and microwave scatterometry to discriminate between snow, liquid water, refrozen meltwater, and bare ice near the equilibrium line altitude; combining optical reflectance with laser altimetry to map supraglacial lake, stream, and crevasse bathymetry; and monitoring the inland migration of snowlines, surface melt extent, and supraglacial hydrologic features.

scholarly journals Re-evaluation of paleo-accumulation parameterization over Northern Hemisphere ice sheets during the ice age examined with a high-resolution AGCM and a 3-D ice-sheet model

2005 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 433-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takateru Yamagishi ◽  
Ayako Abe-Ouchi ◽  
Fuyuki Saito ◽  
Tomonori Segawa ◽  
Teruyuki Nishimura
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Precipitation Change ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Surface Elevation ◽  
Laurentide Ice Sheet ◽  
Elevation Change ◽  
Surface Elevation Change

AbstractSimulations of the Northern Hemisphere ice sheet at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 21 kyr BP) are performed using a high-resolution atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) in order to re-evaluate the conventional surface temperature- or elevation-based parameterization. The influence of precipitation change on the steady-state topography of the Laurentide ice sheet at the LGM is estimated using an AGCM with a horizontal resolution of ∼1° and a three-dimensional thermomechanically coupled ice-sheet model. The ice volume estimated by the AGCM simulation is much larger than that indicated by the conventional parameterization. Through sensitivity analysis of the AGCM and ice-sheet model, it is found that the rate of precipitation change depends on the location of the ice sheet, and that the rate of precipitation change due to surface elevation change is higher than the rate unrelated to surface elevation change on the Laurentide ice sheet. The rate of precipitation is also shown to exhibit seasonality and regionality due to effects such as interior desertification and the concentration of storm tracks.

scholarly journals Satellite Remote Sensing of the Greenland Ice Sheet Ablation Zone: A Review

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew G. Cooper ◽  
Laurence C. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Satellite Remote Sensing ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Ablation Zone ◽  
Elevation Change ◽  
Laser Altimetry ◽  
Surface Elevation Change ◽  
Optical Imagery

The Greenland Ice Sheet is now the largest land ice contributor to global sea level rise, largely driven by increased surface meltwater runoff from the ablation zone, i.e. areas of the ice sheet where annual mass losses exceed gains. This small but critically important area of the ice sheet has expanded in size by ~50% since the early 1960s, and satellite remote sensing is a powerful tool for monitoring the physical processes that influence its surface mass balance. This review synthesizes key remote sensing methods and scientific findings from satellite remote sensing of the Greenland Ice Sheet ablation zone, covering progress in 1) radar altimetry, 2) laser (lidar) altimetry, 3) gravimetry, 4) multispectral optical imagery and, 5) microwave and thermal imagery. Physical characteristics and quantities examined include surface elevation change, gravimetric mass balance, reflectance, albedo, and mapping of surface melt extent and glaciological facies and zones. The review concludes that future progress will benefit most from methods that combine multi-sensor, multi-wavelength, and cross-platform datasets designed to discriminate the widely varying surface processes in the ablation zone. Specific examples include fusing laser altimetry, radar altimetry, and optical stereophotogrammetry to enhance spatial measurement density, cross-validate surface elevation change, and diagnose radar elevation bias; fusing optical imagery, radar imagery, and microwave scatterometry to discriminate between snow, liquid water, refrozen meltwater, and bare ice near the equilibrium line altitude; combining optical reflectance with laser altimetry to map supraglacial lake, stream, and crevasse bathymetry; and monitoring the inland migration of snowlines, surface melt extent, and supraglacial hydrologic features.

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