Otosaka, I orcid.org/0000-0001-9740-3735, Shepherd, A orcid.org/0000-0002-4914-1299 and McMillan, M orcid.org/0000-0002-5113-0177 (2019) Ice Sheet Elevation Change in West Antarctica From Ka‐Band Satellite Radar Altimetry. Geophysical Research Letters, 46 (22). pp. 13135-13143. ISSN 0094-8276
Abstract
Satellite altimetry has been used to track changes in ice sheet elevation using a series of Ku‐band radars in orbit since the late 1970s. Here, we produce an assessment of higher‐frequency Ka‐band satellite radar altimetry for the same purpose, using SARAL/AltiKa measurements recorded over West Antarctica. AltiKa elevations are 3.8 ± 0.5 and 2.5 ± 0.1 m higher than those determined from airborne laser altimetry and CryoSat‐2, respectively, likely due to the instruments' coarser footprint in the sloping coastal margins. However, AltiKa rates of elevation change computed between 2013 and 2019 are within 0.6 ± 2.4 and 0.1 ± 0.1 cm/year of airborne laser and CryoSat‐2, respectively, indicating that trends in radar penetration are negligible. The fast‐flowing trunks of the Pine Island and Thwaites Glaciers thinned by 117 ± 10 and 100 ± 20 cm/year, respectively, amounting to a 9% reduction and a 43% increase relative to the 2000s.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2019. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | cryosphere; ice sheets; Antarctica; altimetry; ice |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Earth and Environment (Leeds) > Inst for Climate & Atmos Science (ICAS) (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 14 Nov 2019 13:23 |
Last Modified: | 11 May 2020 00:40 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | American Geophysical Union |
Identification Number: | 10.1029/2019GL084271 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:153429 |