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A Reconciled Estimate of Ice-Sheet Mass Balance

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Matt King

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Abstract

We combined an ensemble of satellite altimetry, interferometry, and gravimetry data sets using common geographical regions, time intervals, and models of surface mass balance and glacial isostatic adjustment to estimate the mass balance of Earth's polar ice sheets. We find that there is good agreement between different satellite methods-especially in Greenland and West Antarctica-and that combining satellite data sets leads to greater certainty. Between 1992 and 2011, the ice sheets of Greenland, East Antarctica, West Antarctica, and the Antarctic Peninsula changed in mass by -142 +/- 49, +14 +/- 43, -65 +/- 26, and -20 +/- 14 gigatonnes year(-1), respectively. Since 1992, the polar ice sheets have contributed, on average, 0.59 +/- 0.20 millimeter year(-1) to the rate of global sea-level rise.

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Author(s): Shepherd A, Ivins ER, Geruo A, Barletta VR, Bentley MJ, Bettadpur S, Briggs KH, Bromwich DH, Forsberg R, Galin N, Horwath M, Jacobs S, Joughin I, King MA, Lenaerts JTM, Li JL, Ligtenberg SRM, Luckman A, Luthcke SB, McMillan M, Meister R, Milne G, Mouginot J, Muir A, Nicolas JP, Paden J, Payne AJ, Pritchard H, Rignot E, Rott H, Sorensen LS, Scambos TA, Scheuchl B, Schrama EJO, Smith B, Sundal AV, van Angelen JH, van de Berg WJ, van den Broeke MR, Vaughan DG, Velicogna I, Wahr J, Whitehouse PL, Wingham DJ, Yi DH, Young D, Zwally HJ

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Science

Year: 2012

Volume: 338

Issue: 6111

Pages: 1183-1189

Print publication date: 30/11/2012

ISSN (print): 0036-8075

ISSN (electronic): 1095-9203

Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1228102

DOI: 10.1126/science.1228102

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