Decadal Mass Balance of the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets from High Resolution Elevation Change Analysis of ERS-2 and Envisat Radar Altimetry Measurements

Here we measure fine-scale polar ice sheet elevation change and estimate decadal mass balance for the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets from ERS-2 and ENVISat satellite radar altimeter data. The Greenland results show that moderate to slightly positive elevation change rates (ECRs) dominate the interior areas while large negative ECRs are observed for many coastal areas. In Antarctica, glaciers in the coastal areas of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) are experiencing rapid thinning. The strong thinning of some of these glaciers extends well into the interior of the continent. Over the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS), positive ECRs dominate the interior areas while some glaciers in coastal areas are experiencing thinning. The equivalent mass change for the GIS, EAIS, WAIS, and AIS over the period 1995-2006 is -20, 27, -53, and -26 Gt/yr, respectively.