Continent‐Wide, Interferometric SAR Phase, Mapping of Antarctic Ice Velocity. Issue 16 (23rd August 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mouginot, J.; Rignot, E.; Scheuchl, B.
• Is Part Of: Geophysical research letters. Volume 46:Issue 16(2019)
• Page Start: 9710
• Page End: 9718
• Publication Date: 2019-08-23
• Subjects: Antarctica -- ice velocity -- SAR interferometry -- ice sheet; Geophysics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Periodicals; Lunar geology -- Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1029/2019GL083826
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0094-8276

Abstract

Abstract: Surface ice velocity is a fundamental characteristic of glaciers and ice sheets that quantifies the transport of ice. Changes in ice dynamics have a major impact on ice sheet mass balance and its contribution to sea level rise. Prior comprehensive mappings employed speckle and feature tracking techniques, optimized for fast‐flow areas, with precision of 2‐5 m/year, hence limiting our ability to describe ice flow in the slow interior. We present a vector map of ice velocity using the interferometric phase from multiple satellite synthetic aperture radars resulting in 10 times higher precision in speed (20 cm/year) and direction (5°) over 80% of Antarctica. Precision mapping over areas of slow motion (<1 m/year) improves from 20 to 93%, which helps better constrain drainage boundaries, improve mass balance assessment, evaluate regional atmospheric climate models, reconstruct ice thickness, and inform ice sheet numerical models. Plain Language Summary: We present a new map of Antarctic ice velocity that is 10 times more precise than prior maps and reveals ice motion at a high precision over 80% of the continent versus 20% in the past. The ice motion vector map provides novel constrains on interior ice motion and its connection with the glaciers and ice stream that control the stability and mass balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Key Points: Interferometric phases from multiple satellite radar platforms are combined to derive the first comprehensive phase map of Antarctic ice velocity The precision in ice speed (20 cm/year) and flow direction (5°) over 80% of Antarctica is a factor 10 better than prior mappings based on feature and speckle tracking The product will improve mass balance studies, reconstruction of ice thickness, regional atmospheric climate modeling, and numerical ice sheet modeling