Changes in West Antarctic ice stream dynamics observed with ALOS PALSAR data
The Advanced Land Observation System (ALOS) Phased-Array Synthetic-Aperture Radar (PALSAR) is an L-band frequency (1.27 GHz) radar capable of continental-scale interferometric observations of ice sheet motion. Here, we show that PALSAR data yield excellent measurements of ice motion compared to C-ba...
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ftcdlib:oai:escholarship.org/ark:/13030/qt0db3r20j 2023-05-15T13:39:57+02:00 Changes in West Antarctic ice stream dynamics observed with ALOS PALSAR data Rignot, E n/a - n/a 2008-06-28 application/pdf https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0db3r20j unknown eScholarship, University of California qt0db3r20j https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0db3r20j CC-BY CC-BY Geophysical Research Letters, vol 35, iss 12 Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences article 2008 ftcdlib 2020-03-20T23:55:55Z The Advanced Land Observation System (ALOS) Phased-Array Synthetic-Aperture Radar (PALSAR) is an L-band frequency (1.27 GHz) radar capable of continental-scale interferometric observations of ice sheet motion. Here, we show that PALSAR data yield excellent measurements of ice motion compared to C-band (5.6 GHz) radar data because of greater temporal coherence over snow and firn. We compare PALSAR velocities from year 2006 in Pine Island Bay, West Antarctica with those spanning years 1974 to 2007. Between 1996 and 2007, Pine Island Glacier sped up 42% and ungrounded over most of its ice plain. Smith Glacier accelerated 83% and ungrounded as well. Their largest speed up are recorded in 2007. Thwaites Glacier is not accelerating but widening with time and its eastern ice shelf doubled its speed. Total ice discharge from these glaciers increased 30% in 12 yr and the net mass loss increased 170% from 39 ± 15 Gt/yr to 105 ± 27 Gt /yr. Longer-term velocity changes suggest only a moderate loss in the 1970s. As the glaciers unground into the deeper, smoother beds inland, the mass loss from this region will grow considerably larger in years to come. Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Pine Island Pine Island Bay Pine Island Glacier Smith Glacier Thwaites Glacier West Antarctica University of California: eScholarship Antarctic Island Bay ENVELOPE(-109.085,-109.085,59.534,59.534) Pine Island Bay ENVELOPE(-102.000,-102.000,-74.750,-74.750) Pine Island Glacier ENVELOPE(-101.000,-101.000,-75.000,-75.000) Thwaites Glacier ENVELOPE(-106.750,-106.750,-75.500,-75.500) West Antarctica |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of California: eScholarship |
op_collection_id |
ftcdlib |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
spellingShingle |
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Rignot, E Changes in West Antarctic ice stream dynamics observed with ALOS PALSAR data |
topic_facet |
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
description |
The Advanced Land Observation System (ALOS) Phased-Array Synthetic-Aperture Radar (PALSAR) is an L-band frequency (1.27 GHz) radar capable of continental-scale interferometric observations of ice sheet motion. Here, we show that PALSAR data yield excellent measurements of ice motion compared to C-band (5.6 GHz) radar data because of greater temporal coherence over snow and firn. We compare PALSAR velocities from year 2006 in Pine Island Bay, West Antarctica with those spanning years 1974 to 2007. Between 1996 and 2007, Pine Island Glacier sped up 42% and ungrounded over most of its ice plain. Smith Glacier accelerated 83% and ungrounded as well. Their largest speed up are recorded in 2007. Thwaites Glacier is not accelerating but widening with time and its eastern ice shelf doubled its speed. Total ice discharge from these glaciers increased 30% in 12 yr and the net mass loss increased 170% from 39 ± 15 Gt/yr to 105 ± 27 Gt /yr. Longer-term velocity changes suggest only a moderate loss in the 1970s. As the glaciers unground into the deeper, smoother beds inland, the mass loss from this region will grow considerably larger in years to come. Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rignot, E |
author_facet |
Rignot, E |
author_sort |
Rignot, E |
title |
Changes in West Antarctic ice stream dynamics observed with ALOS PALSAR data |
title_short |
Changes in West Antarctic ice stream dynamics observed with ALOS PALSAR data |
title_full |
Changes in West Antarctic ice stream dynamics observed with ALOS PALSAR data |
title_fullStr |
Changes in West Antarctic ice stream dynamics observed with ALOS PALSAR data |
title_full_unstemmed |
Changes in West Antarctic ice stream dynamics observed with ALOS PALSAR data |
title_sort |
changes in west antarctic ice stream dynamics observed with alos palsar data |
publisher |
eScholarship, University of California |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0db3r20j |
op_coverage |
n/a - n/a |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-109.085,-109.085,59.534,59.534) ENVELOPE(-102.000,-102.000,-74.750,-74.750) ENVELOPE(-101.000,-101.000,-75.000,-75.000) ENVELOPE(-106.750,-106.750,-75.500,-75.500) |
geographic |
Antarctic Island Bay Pine Island Bay Pine Island Glacier Thwaites Glacier West Antarctica |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Island Bay Pine Island Bay Pine Island Glacier Thwaites Glacier West Antarctica |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Pine Island Pine Island Bay Pine Island Glacier Smith Glacier Thwaites Glacier West Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Pine Island Pine Island Bay Pine Island Glacier Smith Glacier Thwaites Glacier West Antarctica |
op_source |
Geophysical Research Letters, vol 35, iss 12 |
op_relation |
qt0db3r20j https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0db3r20j |
op_rights |
CC-BY |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
_version_ |
1766126407222558720 |