The coupled GRACE/GIA evaluation of the Antarctic ice mass loss is unreliable

• Published in: Journal of Scientific Research and Reports
• Main Author: Parker, A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Science Domain International 2015
• Subjects: Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Ice Sheet; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/42810/1/The%20Coupled%20GRACE_GIA%20Evaluation%20of%20the%20Antarctic%20Ice%20Mass%20Loss%20is%20Unreliable.pdf

GRACE does not measure any ice sheet thickness but only gravity. Similarly to the computation of the global mean sea level (GMSL), the computation of the ice sheet thickness, follows a large number of assumptions. As a result, the actual inaccuracy of the Antarctic ice sheet thickness computation is much larger than any trend proposed. In other words, you can manufacture almost any result you want by using the noisy raw GRACE signal and selected corrections. It is however the further Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) correction that ultimately produces the reducing Antarctic ice sheet thickness, similarly to the rising Global Mean Sea Level (GMSL). This result is contradicted by other more reliable experimental results as the expanding sea ice extension and the cooling surface air temperature.