Articles | Volume 12, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2689-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2689-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
16 Aug 2018
Research article |
| 16 Aug 2018
| 16 Aug 2018
Multi-channel and multi-polarization radar measurements around the NEEM site
Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets, University of Kansas,
Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA
Jose A. Vélez González
Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets, University of Kansas,
Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA
Carl Leuschen
Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets, University of Kansas,
Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA
Ayyangar Harish
Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
Prasad Gogineni
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of
Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487, USA
Maurine Montagnat
IGE, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, G-INP, 38041 Grenoble,
France
Ilka Weikusat
Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine
Research, Am Alten Hafen 24,
27568 Bremerhaven, Germany
Fernando Rodriguez-Morales
Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets, University of Kansas,
Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA
John Paden
Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets, University of Kansas,
Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA
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Joseph A. MacGregor, Michael Studinger, Emily Arnold, Carlton J. Leuschen, Fernando Rodríguez-Morales, and John D. Paden
The Cryosphere, 15, 2569–2574, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2569-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2569-2021, 2021
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We combine multiple recent global glacier datasets and extend one of them (GlaThiDa) to evaluate past performance of radar-sounding surveys of the thickness of Earth's temperate glaciers. An empirical envelope for radar performance as a function of center frequency is determined, its limitations are discussed and its relevance to future radar-sounder survey and system designs is considered.
Paul D. Bons, Tamara de Riese, Steven Franke, Maria-Gema Llorens, Till Sachau, Nicolas Stoll, Ilka Weikusat, Julien Westhoff, and Yu Zhang
The Cryosphere, 15, 2251–2254, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2251-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2251-2021, 2021
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The modelling of Smith-Johnson et al. (The Cryosphere, 14, 841–854, 2020) suggests that a very large heat flux of more than 10 times the usual geothermal heat flux is required to have initiated or to control the huge Northeast Greenland Ice Stream. Our comparison with known hotspots, such as Iceland and Yellowstone, shows that such an exceptional heat flux would be unique in the world and is incompatible with known geological processes that can raise the heat flux.
David A. Lilien, Daniel Steinhage, Drew Taylor, Frédéric Parrenin, Catherine Ritz, Robert Mulvaney, Carlos Martín, Jie-Bang Yan, Charles O'Neill, Massimo Frezzotti, Heinrich Miller, Prasad Gogineni, Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, and Olaf Eisen
The Cryosphere, 15, 1881–1888, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1881-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1881-2021, 2021
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We collected radar data between EDC, an ice core spanning ~800 000 years, and BELDC, the site chosen for a new
oldest icecore at nearby Little Dome C. These data allow us to identify 50 % older internal horizons than previously traced in the area. We fit a model to the ages of those horizons at BELDC to determine the age of deep ice there. We find that there is likely to be 1.5 Myr old ice ~265 m above the bed, with sufficient resolution to preserve desired climatic information.
Sebastian Hellmann, Johanna Kerch, Ilka Weikusat, Andreas Bauder, Melchior Grab, Guillaume Jouvet, Margit Schwikowski, and Hansruedi Maurer
The Cryosphere, 15, 677–694, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-677-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-677-2021, 2021
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We analyse the orientation of ice crystals in an Alpine glacier and compare this orientation with the ice flow direction. We found that the crystals orient in the direction of the largest stress which is in the flow direction in the upper parts of the glacier and in the vertical direction for deeper zones of the glacier. The grains cluster around this maximum stress direction, in particular four-point maxima, most likely as a result of recrystallisation under relatively warm conditions.
Tom A. Jordan, David Porter, Kirsty Tinto, Romain Millan, Atsuhiro Muto, Kelly Hogan, Robert D. Larter, Alastair G. C. Graham, and John D. Paden
The Cryosphere, 14, 2869–2882, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2869-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2869-2020, 2020
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Linking ocean and ice sheet processes allows prediction of sea level change. Ice shelves form a floating buffer between the ice–ocean systems, but the water depth beneath is often a mystery, leaving a critical blind spot in our understanding of how these systems interact. Here, we use airborne measurements of gravity to reveal the bathymetry under the ice shelves flanking the rapidly changing Thwaites Glacier and adjacent glacier systems, providing new insights and data for future models.
Ernst-Jan N. Kuiper, Ilka Weikusat, Johannes H. P. de Bresser, Daniela Jansen, Gill M. Pennock, and Martyn R. Drury
The Cryosphere, 14, 2429–2448, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2429-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2429-2020, 2020
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A composite flow law model applied to crystal size distributions from the NEEM deep ice core predicts that fine-grained layers in ice from the last Glacial period localize deformation as internal shear zones in the Greenland ice sheet deforming by grain-size-sensitive creep. This prediction is consistent with microstructures in Glacial age ice.
Ernst-Jan N. Kuiper, Johannes H. P. de Bresser, Martyn R. Drury, Jan Eichler, Gill M. Pennock, and Ilka Weikusat
The Cryosphere, 14, 2449–2467, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2449-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2449-2020, 2020
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Fast ice flow occurs in deeper parts of polar ice sheets, driven by high stress and high temperatures. Above 262 K ice flow is further enhanced, probably by the formation of thin melt layers between ice crystals. A model applying an experimentally derived composite flow law, using temperature and grain size values from the deepest 540 m of the NEEM ice core, predicts that flow in fine-grained layers is enhanced by a factor of 10 compared to coarse-grained layers in the Greenland ice sheet.
Baptiste Journaux, Thomas Chauve, Maurine Montagnat, Andrea Tommasi, Fabrice Barou, David Mainprice, and Léa Gest
The Cryosphere, 13, 1495–1511, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1495-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1495-2019, 2019
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Ice mechanics is an important tool to better predict the response of glaciers or polar ice sheets to climate variations.
Nevertheless our current predictive abilities are limited as the microscale mechanisms responsible for ice creep are poorly identified.
We show in this study, using state-of-the-art experimental techniques, which recrystallization processes control ice deformation. This will allow realistic simulations, necessary to predict the long-term effects on ice landmasses.
Thomas M. Jordan, Christopher N. Williams, Dustin M. Schroeder, Yasmina M. Martos, Michael A. Cooper, Martin J. Siegert, John D. Paden, Philippe Huybrechts, and Jonathan L. Bamber
The Cryosphere, 12, 2831–2854, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2831-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2831-2018, 2018
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Here, via analysis of radio-echo sounding data, we place a new observational constraint upon the basal water distribution beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet. In addition to the outlet glaciers, we demonstrate widespread water storage in the northern and eastern ice-sheet interior, a notable feature being a "corridor" of basal water extending from NorthGRIP to Petermann Glacier. The basal water distribution and its relationship with basal temperature provides a new constraint for numerical models.
Johanna Kerch, Anja Diez, Ilka Weikusat, and Olaf Eisen
The Cryosphere, 12, 1715–1734, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1715-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1715-2018, 2018
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We investigate the effect of crystal anisotropy on seismic velocities in glacier ice by calculating seismic phase velocities using the exact c axis angles to describe the crystal orientations in ice-core samples for an alpine and a polar ice core. Our results provide uncertainty estimates for earlier established approximative calculations. Additionally, our findings highlight the variation in seismic velocity at non-vertical incidence as a function of the horizontal azimuth of the seismic plane.
Hafeez Jeofry, Neil Ross, Hugh F. J. Corr, Jilu Li, Mathieu Morlighem, Prasad Gogineni, and Martin J. Siegert
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 10, 711–725, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-711-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-711-2018, 2018
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Accurately characterizing the complexities of the ice-sheet dynamic specifically close to the grounding line across the Weddell Sea (WS) sector in the ice-sheet models provides challenges to the scientific community. Our main objective is to comprehend these complexities, adding accuracy to the projection of future ice-sheet dynamics. Therefore, we have developed a new bed elevation digital elevation model across the WS sector, which will be of value to ice-sheet modelling experiments.
Ron Kwok, Nathan T. Kurtz, Ludovic Brucker, Alvaro Ivanoff, Thomas Newman, Sinead L. Farrell, Joshua King, Stephen Howell, Melinda A. Webster, John Paden, Carl Leuschen, Joseph A. MacGregor, Jacqueline Richter-Menge, Jeremy Harbeck, and Mark Tschudi
The Cryosphere, 11, 2571–2593, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2571-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2571-2017, 2017
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Since 2009, the ultra-wideband snow radar on Operation IceBridge has acquired data in annual campaigns conducted during the Arctic and Antarctic springs. Existing snow depth retrieval algorithms differ in the way the air–snow and snow–ice interfaces are detected and localized in the radar returns and in how the system limitations are addressed. Here, we assess five retrieval algorithms by comparisons with field measurements, ground-based campaigns, and analyzed fields of snow depth.
Thomas Chauve, Maurine Montagnat, Cedric Lachaud, David Georges, and Pierre Vacher
Solid Earth, 8, 943–953, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-943-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-943-2017, 2017
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For the first time, digital image correlation was used to follow strain field development and evolution during micro-cracking, at the ductile-to-brittle transition in polycrystalline ice.
Owing to the high-temperature conditions of the tests, dynamic recrystallization mechanisms (nucleation and sub-grain rotation) efficiently participate in the stress redistribution during and after crack opening, and even lead to local crack closure.
Ilka Weikusat, Ernst-Jan N. Kuiper, Gill M. Pennock, Sepp Kipfstuhl, and Martyn R. Drury
Solid Earth, 8, 883–898, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-883-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-883-2017, 2017
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Understanding the flow of large ice masses on Earth is a major challenge in our changing climate. Deformation mechanisms are governed by the strong anisotropy of ice. As anisotropy is currently moving into the focus of ice sheet flow studies, we provide a detailed analysis of microstructure data from natural ice core samples which directly relate to anisotropic plasticity. Our findings reveal surprising dislocation activity which seems to contradict the concept of macroscopic ice anisotropy.
Thomas M. Jordan, Michael A. Cooper, Dustin M. Schroeder, Christopher N. Williams, John D. Paden, Martin J. Siegert, and Jonathan L. Bamber
The Cryosphere, 11, 1247–1264, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1247-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1247-2017, 2017
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Using radio-echo sounding data from northern Greenland, we demonstrate that subglacial roughness exhibits self-affine (fractal) scaling behaviour. This enables us to assess topographic control upon the bed-echo waveform, and explain the spatial distribution of the degree of scattering (specular and diffuse reflections). Via comparison with a prediction for the basal thermal state (thawed and frozen regions of the bed) we discuss the consequences of our study for basal water discrimination.
Jan Eichler, Ina Kleitz, Maddalena Bayer-Giraldi, Daniela Jansen, Sepp Kipfstuhl, Wataru Shigeyama, Christian Weikusat, and Ilka Weikusat
The Cryosphere, 11, 1075–1090, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1075-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1075-2017, 2017
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This study contributes to investigations of the effect of impurities on ice microstructure and flow properties. For the first time we mapped over 5000 micro-inclusions in four samples from the EDML and NEEM polar ice cores. The particle distributions show no correlation with grain boundaries and thus we conclude that particle pinning plays only a secondary role for the microstructure evolution. Alternative mechanisms are discussed.
Anna Winter, Daniel Steinhage, Emily J. Arnold, Donald D. Blankenship, Marie G. P. Cavitte, Hugh F. J. Corr, John D. Paden, Stefano Urbini, Duncan A. Young, and Olaf Eisen
The Cryosphere, 11, 653–668, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-653-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-653-2017, 2017
Florian Steinbach, Paul D. Bons, Albert Griera, Daniela Jansen, Maria-Gema Llorens, Jens Roessiger, and Ilka Weikusat
The Cryosphere, 10, 3071–3089, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-3071-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-3071-2016, 2016
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How glaciers or ice sheets flow is a result of microscopic processes controlled by the properties of individual ice crystals. We performed computer simulations on these processes and the effect of air bubbles between crystals. The simulations show that small-scale ice deformation is locally stronger than in other regions, which is enhanced by bubbles. This causes the ice crystals to recrystallise and change their properties in a way that potentially also affects the large-scale flow properties.
Agnès Maurel, Jean-François Mercier, and Maurine Montagnat
The Cryosphere, 10, 3063–3070, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-3063-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-3063-2016, 2016
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Crystallographic texture evolution with depth along ice cores can be evaluated using borehole sonic logging measurements. These measurements provide the velocities of elastic waves that depend on the ice polycrystal anisotropy and can further be related to the ice texture. To do so, elastic velocities need to be inverted from a modeling approach that relate elastic velocities to ice texture. The present paper presents a critical analysis of the different methods used for the inversion.
Lora S. Koenig, Alvaro Ivanoff, Patrick M. Alexander, Joseph A. MacGregor, Xavier Fettweis, Ben Panzer, John D. Paden, Richard R. Forster, Indrani Das, Joesph R. McConnell, Marco Tedesco, Carl Leuschen, and Prasad Gogineni
The Cryosphere, 10, 1739–1752, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1739-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1739-2016, 2016
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Contemporary climate warming over the Arctic is accelerating mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet through increasing surface melt, emphasizing the need to closely monitor surface mass balance in order to improve sea-level rise predictions. Here, we quantify the net annual accumulation over the Greenland Ice Sheet, which comprises the largest component of surface mass balance, at a higher spatial resolution than currently available using high-resolution, airborne-radar data.
T. M. Jordan, J. L. Bamber, C. N. Williams, J. D. Paden, M. J. Siegert, P. Huybrechts, O. Gagliardini, and F. Gillet-Chaulet
The Cryosphere, 10, 1547–1570, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1547-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1547-2016, 2016
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Ice penetrating radar enables determination of the basal properties of ice sheets. Existing algorithms assume stationarity in the attenuation rate, which is not justifiable at an ice sheet scale. We introduce the first ice-sheet-wide algorithm for radar attenuation that incorporates spatial variability, using the temperature field from a numerical model as an initial guess. The study is a step toward ice-sheet-wide data products for basal properties and evaluation of model temperature fields.
D. Jansen, M.-G. Llorens, J. Westhoff, F. Steinbach, S. Kipfstuhl, P. D. Bons, A. Griera, and I. Weikusat
The Cryosphere, 10, 359–370, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-359-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-359-2016, 2016
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In this study we present examples of typical small-scale folds observed in the NEEM ice core, North Greenland, and discuss their characteristics. Numerical modelling of viscoplastic deformation and dynamic recrystallisation was used to improve the understanding of the formation of the observed structures under simple shear boundary conditions. We conclude that the folds originate from bands of grains with a tilted lattice relative to the strong lattice preferred orientation below 1500 m depth.
T. Hughes, A. Sargent, J. Fastook, K. Purdon, J. Li, J.-B. Yan, and S. Gogineni
The Cryosphere, 10, 193–225, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-193-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-193-2016, 2016
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The Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are drained primarily by fast ice streams that end as ice shelves if they become afloat. Smooth transitions from slow sheet flow to fast stream flow to confined shelf flow are obtained and applied to Byrd Glacier in Antarctica after two upstream subglacial lakes suddenly drained in 2006, and to Jakobshavn Isbrae in Greenland after a confined ice shelf suddenly disintegrated in 2002. Byrd Glacier quickly stabilized, but Jakobshavn Isbrae remains unstable.
L. S. Koenig, D. J. Lampkin, L. N. Montgomery, S. L. Hamilton, J. B. Turrin, C. A. Joseph, S. E. Moutsafa, B. Panzer, K. A. Casey, J. D. Paden, C. Leuschen, and P. Gogineni
The Cryosphere, 9, 1333–1342, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1333-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1333-2015, 2015
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The Greenland Ice Sheet is storing meltwater through the winter season just below its surface in buried supraglacial lakes. Airborne radar from Operation IceBridge between 2009 and 2012 was used to detect buried lakes, distributed extensively around the margin of the ice sheet. The volume of retained water in the buried lakes is likely insignificant compared to the total mass loss from the ice sheet but has important implications for ice temperatures.
P. R. Holland, A. Brisbourne, H. F. J. Corr, D. McGrath, K. Purdon, J. Paden, H. A. Fricker, F. S. Paolo, and A. H. Fleming
The Cryosphere, 9, 1005–1024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015, 2015
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Antarctic Peninsula ice shelves have collapsed in recent decades. The surface of Larsen C Ice Shelf is lowering, but the cause of this has not been understood. This study uses eight radar surveys to show that the lowering is caused by both ice loss and a loss of air from the ice shelf's snowpack. At least two different processes are causing the lowering. The stability of Larsen C may be at risk from an ungrounding of Bawden Ice Rise or ice-front retreat past a 'compressive arch' in strain rates.
A. Diez, O. Eisen, C. Hofstede, A. Lambrecht, C. Mayer, H. Miller, D. Steinhage, T. Binder, and I. Weikusat
The Cryosphere, 9, 385–398, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-385-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-385-2015, 2015
B. Medley, I. Joughin, B. E. Smith, S. B. Das, E. J. Steig, H. Conway, S. Gogineni, C. Lewis, A. S. Criscitiello, J. R. McConnell, M. R. van den Broeke, J. T. M. Lenaerts, D. H. Bromwich, J. P. Nicolas, and C. Leuschen
The Cryosphere, 8, 1375–1392, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1375-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1375-2014, 2014
M. Montagnat, N. Azuma, D. Dahl-Jensen, J. Eichler, S. Fujita, F. Gillet-Chaulet, S. Kipfstuhl, D. Samyn, A. Svensson, and I. Weikusat
The Cryosphere, 8, 1129–1138, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1129-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1129-2014, 2014
T. Hughes, A. Sargent, J. Fastook, K. Purdon, J. Li, J.-B. Yan, and S. Gogineni
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tcd-8-2043-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tcd-8-2043-2014, 2014
Revised manuscript not accepted
Related subject area
Discipline: Ice sheets | Subject: Remote Sensing
Mapping the extent of giant Antarctic icebergs with deep learning
Mapping Antarctic crevasses and their evolution with deep learning applied to satellite radar imagery
AutoTerm: an automated pipeline for glacier terminus extraction using machine learning and a “big data” repository of Greenland glacier termini
Recent changes in drainage route and outburst magnitude of the Russell Glacier ice-dammed lake, West Greenland
Grounding line retreat and tide-modulated ocean channels at Moscow University and Totten Glacier ice shelves, East Antarctica
Seasonal land-ice-flow variability in the Antarctic Peninsula
Empirical correction of systematic orthorectification error in Sentinel-2 velocity fields for Greenlandic outlet glaciers
A leading-edge-based method for correction of slope-induced errors in ice-sheet heights derived from radar altimetry
An empirical algorithm to map perennial firn aquifers and ice slabs within the Greenland Ice Sheet using satellite L-band microwave radiometry
Supraglacial lake bathymetry automatically derived from ICESat-2 constraining lake depth estimates from multi-source satellite imagery
Penetration of interferometric radar signals in Antarctic snow
Brief communication: Ice sheet elevation measurements from the Sentinel-3A and Sentinel-3B tandem phase
Using ICESat-2 and Operation IceBridge altimetry for supraglacial lake depth retrievals
Brief communication: Mapping Greenland's perennial firn aquifers using enhanced-resolution L-band brightness temperature image time series
Quantifying spatiotemporal variability of glacier algal blooms and the impact on surface albedo in southwestern Greenland
Aerogeophysical characterization of an active subglacial lake system in the David Glacier catchment, Antarctica
Measuring the location and width of the Antarctic grounding zone using CryoSat-2
Brief Communication: Update on the GPS reflection technique for measuring snow accumulation in Greenland
Improved GNSS-R bi-static altimetry and independent digital elevation models of Greenland and Antarctica from TechDemoSat-1
Melt in Antarctica derived from Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) observations at L band
Sentinel-3 Delay-Doppler altimetry over Antarctica
The Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica
Assessment of altimetry using ground-based GPS data from the 88S Traverse, Antarctica, in support of ICESat-2
Dual-satellite (Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8) remote sensing of supraglacial lakes in Greenland
Coherent large beamwidth processing of radio-echo sounding data
Seasonal variations of the backscattering coefficient measured by radar altimeters over the Antarctic Ice Sheet
Recent dynamic changes on Fleming Glacier after the disintegration of Wordie Ice Shelf, Antarctic Peninsula
Anne Braakmann-Folgmann, Andrew Shepherd, David Hogg, and Ella Redmond
The Cryosphere, 17, 4675–4690, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4675-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4675-2023, 2023
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In this study, we propose a deep neural network to map the extent of giant Antarctic icebergs in Sentinel-1 images automatically. While each manual delineation requires several minutes, our U-net takes less than 0.01 s. In terms of accuracy, we find that U-net outperforms two standard segmentation techniques (Otsu, k-means) in most metrics and is more robust to challenging scenes with sea ice, coast and other icebergs. The absolute median deviation in iceberg area across 191 images is 4.1 %.
Trystan Surawy-Stepney, Anna E. Hogg, Stephen L. Cornford, and David C. Hogg
The Cryosphere, 17, 4421–4445, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4421-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4421-2023, 2023
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The presence of crevasses in Antarctica influences how the ice sheet behaves. It is important, therefore, to collect data on the spatial distribution of crevasses and how they are changing. We present a method of mapping crevasses from satellite radar imagery and apply it to 7.5 years of images, covering Antarctica's floating and grounded ice. We develop a method of measuring change in the density of crevasses and quantify increased fracturing in important parts of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Enze Zhang, Ginny Catania, and Daniel T. Trugman
The Cryosphere, 17, 3485–3503, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3485-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3485-2023, 2023
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Glacier termini are essential for studying why glaciers retreat, but they need to be mapped automatically due to the volume of satellite images. Existing automated mapping methods have been limited due to limited automation, lack of quality control, and inadequacy in highly diverse terminus environments. We design a fully automated, deep-learning-based method to produce termini with quality control. We produced 278 239 termini in Greenland and provided a way to deliver new termini regularly.
Mads Dømgaard, Kristian K. Kjeldsen, Flora Huiban, Jonathan L. Carrivick, Shfaqat A. Khan, and Anders A. Bjørk
The Cryosphere, 17, 1373–1387, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1373-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1373-2023, 2023
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Sudden releases of meltwater from glacier-dammed lakes can influence ice flow, cause flooding hazards and landscape changes. This study presents a record of 14 drainages from 2007–2021 from a lake in west Greenland. The time series reveals how the lake fluctuates between releasing large and small amounts of drainage water which is caused by a weakening of the damming glacier following the large events. We also find a shift in the water drainage route which increases the risk of flooding hazards.
Tian Li, Geoffrey J. Dawson, Stephen J. Chuter, and Jonathan L. Bamber
The Cryosphere, 17, 1003–1022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1003-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1003-2023, 2023
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The Totten and Moscow University glaciers in East Antarctica have the potential to make a significant contribution to future sea-level rise. We used a combination of different satellite measurements to show that the grounding lines have been retreating along the fast-flowing ice streams across these two glaciers. We also found two tide-modulated ocean channels that might open new pathways for the warm ocean water to enter the ice shelf cavity.
Karla Boxall, Frazer D. W. Christie, Ian C. Willis, Jan Wuite, and Thomas Nagler
The Cryosphere, 16, 3907–3932, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3907-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3907-2022, 2022
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Using high-spatial- and high-temporal-resolution satellite imagery, we provide the first evidence for seasonal flow variability of land ice draining to George VI Ice Shelf (GVIIS), Antarctica. Ultimately, our findings imply that other glaciers in Antarctica may be susceptible to – and/or currently undergoing – similar ice-flow seasonality, including at the highly vulnerable and rapidly retreating Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers.
Thomas R. Chudley, Ian M. Howat, Bidhyananda Yadav, and Myoung-Jong Noh
The Cryosphere, 16, 2629–2642, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2629-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2629-2022, 2022
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Sentinel-2 images are subject to distortion due to orthorectification error, which makes it difficult to extract reliable glacier velocity fields from images from different orbits. Here, we use a complete record of velocity fields at four Greenlandic outlet glaciers to empirically estimate the systematic error, allowing us to correct cross-track glacier velocity fields to a comparable accuracy to other medium-resolution satellite datasets.
Weiran Li, Cornelis Slobbe, and Stef Lhermitte
The Cryosphere, 16, 2225–2243, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2225-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2225-2022, 2022
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This study proposes a new method for correcting the slope-induced errors in satellite radar altimetry. The slope-induced errors can significantly affect the height estimations of ice sheets if left uncorrected. This study applies the method to radar altimetry data (CryoSat-2) and compares the performance with two existing methods. The performance is assessed by comparison with independent height measurements from ICESat-2. The assessment shows that the method performs promisingly.
Julie Z. Miller, Riley Culberg, David G. Long, Christopher A. Shuman, Dustin M. Schroeder, and Mary J. Brodzik
The Cryosphere, 16, 103–125, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-103-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-103-2022, 2022
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We use L-band brightness temperature imagery from NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite to map the extent of perennial firn aquifer and ice slab areas within the Greenland Ice Sheet. As Greenland's climate continues to warm and seasonal surface melting increases in extent, intensity, and duration, quantifying the possible rapid expansion of perennial firn aquifers and ice slab areas has significant implications for understanding the stability of the Greenland Ice Sheet.
Rajashree Tri Datta and Bert Wouters
The Cryosphere, 15, 5115–5132, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5115-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5115-2021, 2021
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The ICESat-2 laser altimeter can detect the surface and bottom of a supraglacial lake. We introduce the Watta algorithm, automatically calculating lake surface, corrected bottom, and (sub-)surface ice at high resolution adapting to signal strength. ICESat-2 depths constrain full lake depths of 46 lakes over Jakobshavn glacier using multiple sources of imagery, including very high-resolution Planet imagery, used for the first time to extract supraglacial lake depths empirically using ICESat-2.
Helmut Rott, Stefan Scheiblauer, Jan Wuite, Lukas Krieger, Dana Floricioiu, Paola Rizzoli, Ludivine Libert, and Thomas Nagler
The Cryosphere, 15, 4399–4419, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4399-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4399-2021, 2021
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We studied relations between interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) signals and snow–firn properties and tested procedures for correcting the penetration bias of InSAR digital elevation models at Union Glacier, Antarctica. The work is based on SAR data of the TanDEM-X mission, topographic data from optical sensors and field measurements. We provide new insights on radar signal interactions with polar snow and show the performance of penetration bias retrievals using InSAR coherence.
Malcolm McMillan, Alan Muir, and Craig Donlon
The Cryosphere, 15, 3129–3134, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3129-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3129-2021, 2021
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We evaluate the consistency of ice sheet elevation measurements made by two satellites: Sentinel-3A and Sentinel-3B. We analysed data from the unique
tandemphase of the mission, where the two satellites flew 30 s apart to provide near-instantaneous measurements of Earth's surface. Analysing these data over Antarctica, we find no significant difference between the satellites, which is important for demonstrating that they can be used interchangeably for long-term ice sheet monitoring.
Zachary Fair, Mark Flanner, Kelly M. Brunt, Helen Amanda Fricker, and Alex Gardner
The Cryosphere, 14, 4253–4263, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4253-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4253-2020, 2020
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Ice on glaciers and ice sheets may melt and pond on ice surfaces in summer months. Detection and observation of these meltwater ponds is important for understanding glaciers and ice sheets, and satellite imagery has been used in previous work. However, image-based methods struggle with deep water, so we used data from the Ice, Clouds, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) and the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) to demonstrate the potential for lidar depth monitoring.
Julie Z. Miller, David G. Long, Kenneth C. Jezek, Joel T. Johnson, Mary J. Brodzik, Christopher A. Shuman, Lora S. Koenig, and Ted A. Scambos
The Cryosphere, 14, 2809–2817, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2809-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2809-2020, 2020
Shujie Wang, Marco Tedesco, Patrick Alexander, Min Xu, and Xavier Fettweis
The Cryosphere, 14, 2687–2713, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2687-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2687-2020, 2020
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Glacial algal blooms play a significant role in darkening the Greenland Ice Sheet during summertime. The dark pigments generated by glacial algae could substantially reduce the bare ice albedo and thereby enhance surface melt. We used satellite data to map the spatial distribution of glacial algae and characterized the seasonal growth pattern and interannual trends of glacial algae in southwestern Greenland. Our study is important for bridging microbial activities with ice sheet mass balance.
Laura E. Lindzey, Lucas H. Beem, Duncan A. Young, Enrica Quartini, Donald D. Blankenship, Choon-Ki Lee, Won Sang Lee, Jong Ik Lee, and Joohan Lee
The Cryosphere, 14, 2217–2233, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2217-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2217-2020, 2020
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An extensive aerogeophysical survey including two active subglacial lakes was conducted over David Glacier, Antarctica. Laser altimetry shows that the lakes were at a highstand, while ice-penetrating radar has no unique signature for the lakes when compared to the broader basal environment. This suggests that active subglacial lakes are more likely to be part of a distributed subglacial hydrological system than to be discrete reservoirs, which has implications for future surveys and drilling.
Geoffrey J. Dawson and Jonathan L. Bamber
The Cryosphere, 14, 2071–2086, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2071-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2071-2020, 2020
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The grounding zone is where grounded ice begins to float and is the boundary at which the ocean has the most significant influence on the inland ice sheet. Here, we present the results of mapping the grounding zone of Antarctic ice shelves from CryoSat-2 radar altimetry. We found good agreement with previous methods that mapped the grounding zone. We also managed to map areas of Support Force Glacier and the Doake Ice Rumples (Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf), which were previously incompletely mapped.
Kristine M. Larson, Michael MacFerrin, and Thomas Nylen
The Cryosphere, 14, 1985–1988, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1985-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1985-2020, 2020
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Reflected GPS signals can be used to measure snow accumulation. The GPS method is accurate and has a footprint that is larger than that of many other methods. This short note makes available 9 years of daily snow accumulation measurements from Greenland that were derived from reflected GPS signals. It also provides information about open-source software that the cryosphere community can use to analyze other datasets.
Jessica Cartwright, Christopher J. Banks, and Meric Srokosz
The Cryosphere, 14, 1909–1917, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1909-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1909-2020, 2020
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This study uses reflected GPS signals to measure ice at the South Pole itself for the first time. These measurements are essential to understand the interaction of the ice with the Earth’s physical systems. Orbital constraints mean that satellites are usually unable to measure in the vicinity of the South Pole itself. This is overcome here by using data obtained by UK TechDemoSat-1. Data are processed to obtain the height of glacial ice across the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.
Marion Leduc-Leballeur, Ghislain Picard, Giovanni Macelloni, Arnaud Mialon, and Yann H. Kerr
The Cryosphere, 14, 539–548, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-539-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-539-2020, 2020
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To study the coast and ice shelves affected by melt in Antarctica during the austral summer, we exploited the 1.4 GHz radiometric satellite observations. We showed that this frequency provides additional information on melt occurrence and on the location of the water in the snowpack compared to the 19 GHz observations. This opens an avenue for improving the melting season monitoring with a combination of both frequencies and exploring the possibility of deep-water detection in the snowpack.
Malcolm McMillan, Alan Muir, Andrew Shepherd, Roger Escolà, Mònica Roca, Jérémie Aublanc, Pierre Thibaut, Marco Restano, Américo Ambrozio, and Jérôme Benveniste
The Cryosphere, 13, 709–722, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-709-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-709-2019, 2019
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Melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets is one of the main causes of current sea level rise. Understanding ice sheet change requires large-scale systematic satellite monitoring programmes. This study provides the first assessment of a new long-term source of measurements, from Sentinel-3 satellite altimetry. We estimate the accuracy of Sentinel-3 across Antarctica, show that the satellite can detect regions that are rapidly losing ice, and identify signs of subglacial lake activity.
Ian M. Howat, Claire Porter, Benjamin E. Smith, Myoung-Jong Noh, and Paul Morin
The Cryosphere, 13, 665–674, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-665-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-665-2019, 2019
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The Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA) is the first continental-scale terrain map at less than 10 m resolution, and the first with a time stamp, enabling measurements of elevation change. REMA is constructed from over 300 000 individual stereoscopic elevation models (DEMs) extracted from submeter-resolution satellite imagery. REMA is vertically registered to satellite altimetry, resulting in errors of less than 1 m over most of its area and relative uncertainties of decimeters.
Kelly M. Brunt, Thomas A. Neumann, and Christopher F. Larsen
The Cryosphere, 13, 579–590, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-579-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-579-2019, 2019
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This paper provides an assessment of new GPS elevation data collected near the South Pole, Antarctica, that will ultimately be used for ICESat-2 satellite elevation data validation. Further, using the new ground-based GPS data, this paper provides an assessment of airborne lidar elevation data collected between 2014 and 2017, which will also be used for ICESat-2 data validation.
Andrew G. Williamson, Alison F. Banwell, Ian C. Willis, and Neil S. Arnold
The Cryosphere, 12, 3045–3065, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3045-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3045-2018, 2018
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A new approach is presented for automatically monitoring changes to area and volume of surface lakes on the Greenland Ice Sheet using Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 satellite data. The dual-satellite record improves on previous work since it tracks changes to more lakes (including small ones), identifies more lake-drainage events, and has higher precision. The results also show that small lakes are important in ice-sheet hydrology as they route more surface run-off into the ice sheet than large lakes.
Anton Heister and Rolf Scheiber
The Cryosphere, 12, 2969–2979, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2969-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2969-2018, 2018
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We provide a method based on Fourier analysis of coherent radio-echo sounding data for analyzing angular back-scattering characteristics of the ice sheet and bed. The characteristics can be used for the bed roughness estimation and detection of subglacial water. The method also offers improved estimation of the internal layers' tilt. The research is motivated by a need for a tool for training dictionaries for model-based tomographic focusing of multichannel coherent radio-echo sounders.
Fifi Ibrahime Adodo, Frédérique Remy, and Ghislain Picard
The Cryosphere, 12, 1767–1778, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1767-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1767-2018, 2018
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In Antarctica, the seasonal cycle of the backscatter behaves differently at high and low frequencies, peaking in winter and in summer, respectively. At the intermediate frequency, some areas behave analogously to low frequency in terms of the seasonal cycle, but other areas behave analogously to high frequency. This calls into question the empirical relationships often used to correct elevation changes from radar penetration into the snowpack using backscatter.
Peter Friedl, Thorsten C. Seehaus, Anja Wendt, Matthias H. Braun, and Kathrin Höppner
The Cryosphere, 12, 1347–1365, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1347-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1347-2018, 2018
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Fleming Glacier is the biggest tributary glacier of the former Wordie Ice Shelf. Radar satellite data and airborne ice elevation measurements show that the glacier accelerated by ~27 % between 2008–2011 and that ice thinning increased by ~70 %. This was likely a response to a two-phase ungrounding of the glacier tongue between 2008 and 2011, which was mainly triggered by increased basal melt during two strong upwelling events of warm circumpolar deep water.
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Short summary
Ice properties inferred from multi-polarization measurements can provide insight into ice strain, viscosity, and ice flow. The Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets used a ground-based radar for multi-channel and multi-polarization measurements at the NEEM site. This paper describes the radar system, antenna configurations, data collection, and processing and analysis of this data set. Comparisons between the radar observations, simulations, and ice core fabric data are in very good agreement.
Ice properties inferred from multi-polarization measurements can provide insight into ice...
