Antarctic Ice Sheet Mass Balance from ICESat (2003-2008)
Abstract
The mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet is derived from surface elevation changes (dH/dt) measured by ICESat laser altimetry for the period from Fall 2003 to Fall 2008. The rates of mass loss and gain by drainage system are compared to those derived from ERS radar altimetry for the period 1992 to 2002. Our firn-compaction model is used to account for elevation changes driven by temporal variations in accumulation rate, as well as temperature, and to determine the appropriate density for converting volume changes to mass changes. Rates of mass loss from parts of the Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctica appear to have increased since the 1990's, but other parts appear to be losing at smaller rates or gaining at larger rates. East Antarctica is gaining more mass than in the 1990's. Overall, increases in mass in some regions, perhaps from increases in precipitation, are counter balancing greater decreases in other regions, perhaps from dynamic changes. Therefore, the overall rate of mass loss from Antarctic grounded ice has not changed much since the 1990's.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2009
- Bibcode:
- 2009AGUFM.C31C0456Z
- Keywords:
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- 0726 CRYOSPHERE / Ice sheets;
- 0758 CRYOSPHERE / Remote sensing;
- 0762 CRYOSPHERE / Mass balance;
- 1641 GLOBAL CHANGE / Sea level change