TY - JOUR

T1 - Ice velocity of Jakobshavn Isbræ, Petermann Glacier, Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden, and Zachariæ Isstrøm, 2015-2017, from Sentinel 1-a/b SAR imagery

AU - Lemos, Adriano

AU - Shepherd, Andrew

AU - McMillan, Malcolm

AU - Hogg, Anna E.

AU - Hatton, Emma

AU - Joughin, Ian

PY - 2018/6/18

Y1 - 2018/6/18

N2 - Systematically monitoring Greenland's outlet glaciers is central to understanding the timescales over which their flow and sea level contributions evolve. In this study we use data from the new Sentinel-1a/b satellite constellation to generate 187 velocity maps, covering four key outlet glaciers in Greenland: Jakobshavn Isbræ, Petermann Glacier, Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden, and Zachariæ Isstrøm. These data provide a new high temporal resolution record (6-day averaged solutions) of each glacier's evolution since 2014, and resolve recent seasonal speedup periods and inter-annual changes in Greenland outlet glacier speed with an estimated certainty of 10%. We find that since 2012, Jakobshavn Isbræ has been decelerating, and now flows approximately 1250g yr-1 (10%), slower than 5 years previously, thus reversing an increasing trend in ice velocity that has persisted during the last decade. Despite this, we show that seasonal variability in ice velocity remains significant: up to 750g yr-1 (14%) at a distance of 12 km inland of the terminus. We also use our new dataset to estimate the duration of speedup periods (80-95 days) and to demonstrate a strong relationship between ice front position and ice flow at Jakobshavn Isbræ, with increases in speed of 1800g yr-1 in response to 1 km of retreat. Elsewhere, we record significant seasonal changes in flow of up to 25% (2015) and 18% (2016) at Petermann Glacier and Zachariæ Isstrøm, respectively. This study provides a first demonstration of the capacity of a new era of operational radar satellites to provide frequent and timely monitoring of ice sheet flow, and to better resolve the timescales over which glacier dynamics evolve.

AB - Systematically monitoring Greenland's outlet glaciers is central to understanding the timescales over which their flow and sea level contributions evolve. In this study we use data from the new Sentinel-1a/b satellite constellation to generate 187 velocity maps, covering four key outlet glaciers in Greenland: Jakobshavn Isbræ, Petermann Glacier, Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden, and Zachariæ Isstrøm. These data provide a new high temporal resolution record (6-day averaged solutions) of each glacier's evolution since 2014, and resolve recent seasonal speedup periods and inter-annual changes in Greenland outlet glacier speed with an estimated certainty of 10%. We find that since 2012, Jakobshavn Isbræ has been decelerating, and now flows approximately 1250g yr-1 (10%), slower than 5 years previously, thus reversing an increasing trend in ice velocity that has persisted during the last decade. Despite this, we show that seasonal variability in ice velocity remains significant: up to 750g yr-1 (14%) at a distance of 12 km inland of the terminus. We also use our new dataset to estimate the duration of speedup periods (80-95 days) and to demonstrate a strong relationship between ice front position and ice flow at Jakobshavn Isbræ, with increases in speed of 1800g yr-1 in response to 1 km of retreat. Elsewhere, we record significant seasonal changes in flow of up to 25% (2015) and 18% (2016) at Petermann Glacier and Zachariæ Isstrøm, respectively. This study provides a first demonstration of the capacity of a new era of operational radar satellites to provide frequent and timely monitoring of ice sheet flow, and to better resolve the timescales over which glacier dynamics evolve.

U2 - 10.5194/tc-12-2087-2018

DO - 10.5194/tc-12-2087-2018

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85048791997

VL - 12

SP - 2087

EP - 2097

JO - Cryosphere

JF - Cryosphere

SN - 1994-0416

IS - 6

ER -