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Vertical motion and ice thickness variation in western North America
Author(s) -
Trupin Andrew S.,
Easson Damien A.,
Han DaZhong
Publication year - 1996
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 - 10.1029/95gl03454
Subject(s) - geology , glacier , tide gauge , climatology , geodesy , sea level , period (music) , vertical displacement , ice sheet , physical geography , geomorphology , oceanography , geography , physics , acoustics
Maps of the ice covered area of western North America and records of mass balance of 23 mountain glaciers in this region, were used to construct a gridded data set of average mass balance and to calculate a detailed description of time averaged radial displacement (uplift) in the region for the period, 1961–1990. While the region studied is tectonically active, there is some agreement between the rates of vertical uplift at several tide gauge sites along the Inside Passage of Alaska, and the measured sea level drop at these stations. The average sea level contribution from the melting of western North American glaciers, calculated from these gridded data is 0.4±0.2 mm/yr, and is greater than prior estimates for the same time period.