Abstract
The Antarctic Ice Sheet plays a major role in the global system, and the large ice streams discharging into the circumpolar sea represent its gateways to the world's oceans. Satellite radar altimeter data provide an opportunity for mapping surface elevation at kilometer-resolution with meter-accuracy. Geostatistical methods have been developed for the analysis of these data. Applications to Seasat data and data from the Geosat Exact Repeat Mission indicate that the grounding line of Lambert Glacier/Amery Ice Shelf, the largest ice stream in East Antarctica, has advanced 10–12 km between 1978 and 1987–89. The objectives of this paper are to explore possibilities and limitations of satellite-altimetry-based mapping to capture changes for shorter time windows and for smaller areas, and to investigate some methodological aspects of the data analysis. We establish that one season of radar altimeter data is sufficient for constructing a map. This allows study of interannual variation and is the key for a time-series analysis approach to study changes in ice streams. Maps of the lower Lambert Glacier and the entire Amery Ice Shelf are presented for austral winters 1978, 1987, 1988, and 1989. As a first step toward understanding the dynamics of the ice-stream/ice-shelf system, elevation changes are calculated for grounded ice, the grounding zone, and floating ice. In the absence of (sufficient) surface gravity control for the Lambert Glacier/Amery Ice Shelf area, altimetry-based maps may facilitate improvement of geoid models as they provide constraints on the terrain correction in the inverse gravimetric problem.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Brenner, A. C., Bindschadler, R. A., Thomas, R. H., and Zwally, H. J., 1983, Slope-induced errors in radar altimetry over continental ice sheets: Jour. Geophys. Research, v. 88,no. C3, p. 1617–1623.
Brooks, R. L., Williams, Jr., R. S., Ferrigno, J. G., and Krabill, W. B., 1983, Amery ice shelf topography from satellite radar altimetry, in Oliver, R. L., James, P. R., and Jago, J. B., eds., Antarctic earth science: Australian Acad. Science, Canberra, and Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, p. 441–445.
Budd, W. F., 1966, The dynamics of the Amery Ice Shelf: Jour. Glaciology, v. 6,no. 45, p. 335–357.
Budd, W. F., Corry, M. J., and Jacka, T. H., 1982, Results from the Amery Ice Shelf project: Annals Glaciology, v. 3, p. 36–41.
Drewry, D. J., ed., 1983, Antarctica: Glaciological and geophysical folio: Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, variously paged.
Engels, J., Grafarend, E., Keller, W., Martinec, Z., Sanso, F., and Vanicek, P., 1993, The geoid as an inverse problem to be regularized, in Anger, G., Gorenflo, R., Jochmann, H., Moritz, H., and Webers, W., eds., Inverse problems: principles and applications in geophysics, technology, and medicine. Proc. Intern. Conf. in Potsdam: Mathematical Research, v. 74: Akademie Verlag, Berlin, p. 122–166.
Giovinetto, M. B., and Bentley, C. R., 1985, Surface balance in ice drainage systems of Antarctica: Antarctic Jour. United States, v. 20,no. 4, p. 6–13.
Herzfeld, U. C., 1992, Quantitative spatial models of Atlantic primary productivity: an application of geomathematics: Jour. Geophys. Research, v. 97,no. C1, p. 717–732.
Herzfeld, U. C., Lingle, C. S., and Lee, L.-h., 1993, Geostatistical evaluation of satellite radar altimetry for high resolution mapping of Lambert Glacier, Antarctica: Annals Glaciology, v. 17, p. 77–85.
Herzfeld, U. C., Lingle, C. S., and Lee, L.-h., 1994, Recent advance of the grounding line of Lambert Glacier, Antarctica, deduced from satellite radar altimetry: Annals Glaciology, v. 20, p. 43–47.
Higham, M., Reynolds, M., Brocklesby, A., and Allison, I., 1995, Ice radar recording, data processing and results from the Lambert Glacier basin traverse: Terra Antarctica, v. 2,no. 1, p. 23–32.
Kamb, B., and Echelmeyer, K. A., 1986, Stress-gradient coupling in glacier flow: IV. Effects of the “T” term: Jour. Glaciology, v. 32,no. 112, p. 342–349.
Lerch, F., and others, 1992, Geopotential models of the Earth from satellite tracking, altimeter and surface gravity observation: GEM-T3 and GEM-T3A: NASA Technical Memorandum, no. 104555: Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, unpaginated.
Lingle, C. S., Lee, L.-h., Zwally, H. J., and Seiss, T. C., 1994. Recent elevation increase on Lambert Glacier, Antarctica, from orbit cross-over analysis of satellite-radar altimetry: Annals Glaciology, v. 20, p. 26–32.
Marsh, J. G., and others, 1989, The GEM T2 gravitational model: NASA Technical Memorandum, no. 100746: Goodard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 94 p.
Martin, T. V., Zwally, H. J., Brenner, A. C., and Bindschadler, R. A., 1983, Analysis and retracking of continental ice sheet radar altimeter waveforms: Jour. Geophys. Research, v. 88,no. C3, p. 1608–1616.
McIntyre, N. F., 1985, A re-assessment of the mass balance of the Lambert Glacier drainage basin, Antarctica: Jour. Glaciology, v. 31,no. 107, p. 34–38.
Moritz, H., 1984, Advanced physical geodesy: H. Wichmann Verlag, Karlsruhe, 500 p.
National Geographic Society, 1992, National Geographic atlas of the world (6th ed.): National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C., 136 p.
NRC (National Research Council), 1985, Glaciers, ice sheets, and sea level: effect of a CO2-induced climatic change: National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 330 p.
Partington, K. C., Cudlip, W., McIntyre, N. F., and King-Hele, S., 1987, Mapping of the Amery Ice Shelf, Antarctica, surface features by satellite altimetry: Annals Glaciology, v. 9, p. 183–188.
Rapp, R. H., 1992, Computation and accuracy of global geoid undulation models. [Manuscript, presented at Sixth International Geodetic Symposium on Satellite Positioning, Columbus, Ohio.]
Rapp, R. H., 1994, The use of potential coefficient models in computing geoid undulations. [Manuscript, prepared for the International School for the Determination of the Geoid, Milano.]
Ridley, J. K., and Partington, K. C., 1988, A model of satellite radar altimeter return from ice sheets: Intern. Jour. Remote Sensing, v. 9,no. 4, p. 601–624.
Snyder, J. P., 1987, Map projections—a working manual: U.S. Geol. Survey Professional Paper 1395, 383 p.
Stephenson, S. N., and Doake, C. S. M., 1982, Dynamic behaviour of Rutford Ice Stream: Annals Glaciology, v. 3, p. 295–299.
Tscherning, C. C., 1984, Comparison of some methods for the detailed representation of the Earth's gravity field, in Grafarend, E. W., and Rapp, R. H., eds., Advances in geodesy: Am. Geophys. Union, Washington, D.C., p. 91–99.
USGS (United States Geological Survey), 1991, Satellite Image Map of Antarctica, Scale 1:5000000: Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I-2284: Reston, Virginia.
Weertman, J., 1974, Stability of the junction of an ice sheet and an ice shelf: Jour. Glaciology, v. 13,no. 67, p. 3–11.
Wellmann, P., 1982, Surging of Fisher Glacier, Eastern Antarctica: evidence from geomorphology: Jour. Glaciology, v. 28,no. 98, p. 23–28.
Zwally, H. J., Bindschadler, R. A., Brenner, A. C., Martin, T. V., and Thomas, R. H., 1983, Surface elevation contours of Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets: Jour. Geophys. Research, v. 88,no. C3, p. 1589–1596.
Zwally, H. J., Stephenson, S. N., Bindschadler, R. A., and Thomas, R. H., 1987, Antarctic iceshelf boundaries and elevations from satellite radar altimetry: Annals Glaciology, v. 9, p. 229–235.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Herzfeld, U.C., Lingle, C.S., Freeman, C. et al. Monitoring Changes of Ice Streams Using Time Series of Satellite-Altimetry-Based Digital Terrain Models. Mathematical Geology 29, 859–890 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022381322872
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022381322872