Data_Sheet_1_Global Glacier Mass Loss During the GRACE Satellite Mission (2002-2016).PDF

• Main Authors: Bert Wouters, Alex S. Gardner, Geir Moholdt
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Solid Earth Sciences; Climate Science; Atmospheric Sciences not elsewhere classified; Exploration Geochemistry; Inorganic Geochemistry; Isotope Geochemistry; Organic Geochemistry; Geochemistry not elsewhere classified; Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology; Ore Deposit Petrology; Palaeontology (incl. Palynology); Structural Geology; Tectonics; Volcanology; Geology not elsewhere classified; Seismology and Seismic Exploration; Glaciology; Hydrogeology; Natural Hazards; Quaternary Environments; Earth Sciences not elsewhere classified; Evolutionary Impacts of Climate Change; GRACE; glaciers; ice caps; sea level; mass balance; Greenland; Antarc*; Antarctica; glacier
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00096.s001; https://figshare.com/articles/Data_Sheet_1_Global_Glacier_Mass_Loss_During_the_GRACE_Satellite_Mission_2002-2016_PDF/8157581

Glaciers outside of the ice sheets are known to be important contributors to sea level rise. In this work, we provide an overview of changes in the mass of the world's glaciers, excluding those in Greenland and Antarctica, between 2002 and 2016, based on satellite gravimetry observations of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). Glaciers lost mass at a rate of 199 ± 32 Gt yr −1 during this 14-yr period, equivalent to a cumulative sea level contribution of 8 mm. We present annual mass balances for 17 glacier regions, that show a qualitatively good agreement with published estimates from in situ observations. We find that annual mass balance varies considerably from year to year, which can in part be attributed to changes in the large-scale circulation of the atmosphere. These variations, combined with the relatively short observational record, hamper the detection of acceleration of glacier mass loss. Our study highlights the need for continued observations of the Earth's glacierized regions.