A Reconciled Estimate of Glacier Contributions to Sea Level Rise: 2003 to 2009

• Published in: Science
• Main Authors: Gardner, A. S., Moholdt, G., Cogley, J. G., Wouters, B., Arendt, A. A., Wahr, J., Berthier, Etienne, Hock, R., Pfeffer, T., Kaser, G., Ligtenberg S. R., M., Bolch, Tobias, Sharp, M. J., Hagen J., O., Van Den Broeke, M. R., Paul, Frank
• Other Authors: Graduate School of Geography, Clark University, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences Ann Arbor (AOSS), University of Michigan Ann Arbor, University of Michigan System-University of Michigan System, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics San Diego (IGPP), Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), University of California San Diego (UC San Diego), University of California-University of California-University of California San Diego (UC San Diego), University of California-University of California, Department of Geography, Trent University, University of Colorado Boulder, School of Geographical Sciences Bristol, University of Bristol Bristol, Geophysical Institute Fairbanks, University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), GLACIO LEGOS, Laboratoire d'études en Géophysique et océanographie spatiales (LEGOS), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), Tropical Glaciology Group, Faculty of Geo- and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Innsbruck, Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht (IMAU), Utrecht University Utrecht, Instituts für Kartographie Dresden (Institute for Cartography), Technische Universität Dresden = Dresden University of Technology (TU Dresden), Universität Zürich Zürich (UZH), Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Edmonton, University of Alberta, Department of Geosciences Oslo, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Oslo, University of Oslo (UiO)-University of Oslo (UiO)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2013
• Subjects: [SDU.STU.OC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Oceanography; Antarctic; Arctic; Canada; Greenland; Antarc*; Antarctica; glacier; glacier*; glaciers; Alaska
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00846331; https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1234532

International audience Glaciers distinct from the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets are losing large amounts of water to the world's oceans. However, estimates of their contribution to sea level rise disagree. We provide a consensus estimate by standardizing existing, and creating new, mass-budget estimates from satellite gravimetry and altimetry and from local glaciological records. In many regions, local measurements are more negative than satellite-based estimates. All regions lost mass during 2003-2009, with the largest losses from Arctic Canada, Alaska, coastal Greenland, the southern Andes, and high-mountain Asia, but there was little loss from glaciers in Antarctica. Over this period, the global mass budget was -259 ± 28 gigatons per year, equivalent to the combined loss from both ice sheets and accounting for 29 ± 13% of the observed sea level rise.