A Method for Estimating Ice Mass Loss from Relative InSAR Observations: Application to the Vatnajökull Ice Cap, Iceland

Wenliang Zhao, Falk Amelung, Timothy H. Dixon, Shimon Wdowinski, Rocco Malservisi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

<p> We present a new method for estimating ice mass loss from glaciers and ice sheets using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) time&hyphen;series data. We use a linear inversion method based on observations of nearby bedrock uplift and a solution for surface loading of an elastic half&hyphen;space. The method assumes that mass loss is focused on lower elevation terminal regions of the glacier or ice sheet, and that there is an exponential decrease in thinning rate toward the higher elevation interior. We apply the method to uplift rates between 1995 and 2009 near Vatnaj&ouml;kull, Iceland. The data reveal up to 13 mm/yr relative line&hyphen;of&hyphen;sight (LOS) velocity around the south&hyphen;western edge of Vatnaj&ouml;kull. We find an ice mass loss rate of Gt/yr, in approximate agreement with other estimates. Ice loss since 1995 is twice as fast as the loss rate estimated for the rest of the 20th century.</p>
Original languageAmerican English
JournalGeochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
Volume15
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2014

Keywords

  • InSAR
  • time series
  • ice mass balance
  • elastic half‐space
  • Young's Modulus

Disciplines

  • Earth Sciences

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