Mapping Ice Grounding Zones Using Elevation Changes from CryoSat-2 Swath-Processed Interferometric Mode Data ...

• Main Author: Oliver, Lily
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: The University of Edinburgh 2023
• Subjects: CryoSat-2; Swath Processing; Interferometry; Grounding Line; Grounding Zone; Amundsen Sea Embayment; Thwaites; Surface Elevation Change; Cryosphere; Antarctica; Amundsen Sea; Antarc*; Antarctica; West Antarctica
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.7488/era/3903; https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/41167

Ongoing loss of ice mass in the Amundsen Sea Embayment of West Antarctica has the potential to contribute significantly to sea level rise. Ice grounding lines are important in understanding the glacial dynamics driving these changes, and satellite remote sensing methods have provided information about grounding line location. However, limitations of existing methods for identifying grounding zone features include difficulty mapping in regions with fast-moving ice, where grounding line retreat has been most pronounced. This study aimed to demonstrate a novel approach for mapping grounding zone features that is effective for fast flowing ice where thinning is present. Elevation changes from CryoSat-2 swath-processed interferometric mode data from April 2010-January 2022 were examined to explore grounding zone dynamics in the Amundsen Sea Embayment. Grounding zone boundaries mapped using 10-year elevation change data were in general agreement with existing grounding zone datasets, and grounding zones mapped ...