Multi-decadal glacier surface lowering in the Antarctic Peninsula

Kunz, Matthias; King, Matt A.; Mills, Jon P.; Miller, Pauline E.; Fox, Adrian J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7477-0671; Vaughan, David G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9065-0570; Marsh, Stuart H.. 2012 Multi-decadal glacier surface lowering in the Antarctic Peninsula. Geophysical Research Letters, 39 (19). 5, pp. 10.1029/2012GL052823

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2012GL052823

Abstract/Summary

From approximately 400 glaciers of the western Antarctic Peninsula, no in situ records of mass balance exist and their recent contribution to sea level is consequently poorly constrained. We seek to address this shortcoming by using surface elevations from USGS and BAS airborne(1948–2005) and ASTER spaceborne (2001–2010) stereo imagery, combined by using a rigorous semi-automated registration approach, to determine multi-decadal glacier surface elevation changes in the western Antarctic Peninsula for 12 glaciers. All observed glaciers show near-frontal surface lowering and an annual mean lowering rate of 0.28 � 0.03 m/yr at the lower portion of the glaciers during the �4 decades following the mid-1960s, with higher rates for the glaciers in the north-west parts of the Antarctic Peninsula. Increased lowering of up to 0.6 m/yr can be observed since the 1990s, in close correspondence to increased atmospheric positive degree days. In all cases, surface lowering reduces to zero within 5 km of the glacier front at around 400 m altitude. This lowering may have been at least partially compensated for by increased highaltitude accumulation.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1029/2012GL052823
Programmes:	BGS Programmes 2010 > Geoscience Technologies BAS Programmes > Polar Science for Planet Earth (2009 - ) > Ice Sheets
ISSN:	0094-8276
NORA Subject Terms:	Glaciology
Date made live:	26 Nov 2012 17:10 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/20566

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1029/2012GL052823

Programmes:

BGS Programmes 2010 > Geoscience Technologies
BAS Programmes > Polar Science for Planet Earth (2009 - ) > Ice Sheets

ISSN:

0094-8276

NORA Subject Terms:

Glaciology

Date made live:

26 Nov 2012 17:10 +0 (UTC)