Accelerated ice-sheet mass loss in Antarctica from 18-year satellite laser ranging measurements

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Published: 2016-02-24
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4401/ag-6782
Keywords:
Ice mass balance, Antarctica, SLR, GRACE

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Shuanggen Jin
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; Bulent Ecevit University, Department of Geomatics Engineering, Zonguldak, Turkey;
Mosta Abd-Elbaky
Shangai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; Bulent Ecevit University, Department of Geomatics Engineering, Zonguldak,
Guping Feng
Shangai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing,

Abstract

Accurate estimate of the ice-sheet mass balance in Antarctic is very difficult due to complex ice sheet condition and sparse in situ measurements. In this paper, the low-degree gravity field coefficients of up to degree and order 5 derived from Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) measurements are used to determine the ice mass variations in Antarctica for the period 1993–2011. Results show that the ice mass is losing with -36±13 Gt/y in Antarctica, -42±11 Gt/y in the West Antarctica and 6±10 Gt/y in the East Antarctica from 1993 to 2011. The ice mass variations from the SLR 5×5 have a good agreement with the GRACE 5×5, GRACE 5×5 (1&2) and GRACE (60×60) for the entire continent since 2003, but degree 5 from SLR is not sufficient to quantify ice losses in West and East Antarctica, respectively. The rate of ice loss in Antarctica is -28±17 Gt/y for 1993-2002 and -55±17 Gt/y for 2003-2011, indicating significant accelerated ice mass losses since 2003. Furthermore, the results from SLR are comparable with GRACE measurements.

Article Details

Issue

Vol. 59 No. 1 (2016)

Section

Seismology

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How to Cite

(1)
Jin, S.; Abd-Elbaky, M.; Feng, G. Accelerated Ice-Sheet Mass Loss in Antarctica from 18-Year Satellite Laser Ranging Measurements. Ann. Geophys. 2016, 59 (1), S0101. https://doi.org/10.4401/ag-6782.
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