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Glacier specific ablation rate derived by remote sensing measurements
Author(s) -
Reeh Niels,
Mohr Johan Jacob,
Krabill William B.,
Thomas Robert,
Oerter Hans,
Gundestrup Niels,
Bøggild Carl Egede
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2002gl015307
Subject(s) - geology , glacier , greenland ice sheet , ablation , remote sensing , ice sheet , glacier mass balance , geodesy , ablation zone , depth sounding , ice stream , glaciology , satellite , geomorphology , cryosphere , climatology , sea ice , oceanography , seismology , metamorphic petrology , aerospace engineering , engineering , tectonics
The specific ablation rate in a transect of Storstrømmen, a large outlet glacier from the Northeast Greenland ice sheet, is derived by combining airborne laser altimetry measurements with emergence/submergence velocities derived from satellite synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) and airborne ice‐sounding radar measurement of ice thickness. The results are compared with in situ point observations of ablation measured at poles drilled into the glacier. Considering the different measurement periods for the different data sets, the agreement between derived and observed ablation rates is satisfactory. The new method of deriving specific mass balance, particularly ablation rate, by remote sensing measurements alone has the potential to substantially increase the density of observational based ablation rates on ice sheet and ice cap margins.