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Supraglacial lakes and melt ponds occur in the ablation zones of Antarctica and Greenland during the summer months. Detection of lake extent, depth, and temporal evolution is important for understanding glacier dynamics, but passive remote sensing techniques have inherent uncertainties associated with depth retrievals, and observations from the original ICESat mission experienced high absorption in water. In this study, we use laser altimetry data from the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) over the Antarctic and Greenland ablation zones and the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) for Hiawatha Glacier (Greenland) to demonstrate retrievals of supraglacial lake depth. Using an algorithm to separate lake surfaces and beds, we present case studies for 12 supraglacial lakes with the ATM lidar and 12 lakes with ICESat-2. Both lidars detect bottom returns for lake beds as deep as 7 m. Uncertainties for these retrievals are 0.05–0.20 m for ATM and 0.12–0.80 m for ICESat-2, with the highest uncertainties observed for lakes deeper than 4 m. Using ICESat-2 confidence classifications of detected photons, we found that high-confidence photons are often insufficient to fully profile lakes, so lower confidence and buffer photons are recommended for improved retrievals. Despite issues in photon classification, the altimeter results are promising, and we expect them to serve as a benchmark for future studies of surface meltwater depths.

Mapping floods is important for policy makers to make timely decisions in regards to emergency responses and future planning. It is therefore crucial to develop a rapid inundation modelling framework to map flood inundation. This study develops an airborne scanning laser altimetry (LiDAR) digital elevation model (DEM) based Rapid flood Inundation Modelling framework (LiDAR-RIM) for assessment of inundation extent, depth, volume and duration for flood events. The modelling framework has been applied to the mid-Murrumbidgee region in the southeast Murray-Darling Basin, Australia for two flood events occurred in December 2010 and March 2012. The inundation extents estimated using this methodology compared well to those obtained from two Landsat ETM+ images, demonstrating suitability and applicability of this method. For testing possibility of larger area application, the framework also uses 30-m resolution shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM)-DEM to replace LiDAR-DEM for the same modelling. The inundation extents obtained by using the SRTM-DEM are smaller than those obtained using the LiDAR-DEM, especially for large flood events. A possible reason is that the river cross sections obtained from the SRTM-DEM are not accurate enough for inundation modelling. The LiDAR-RIM has an advantage for process modelling and scenario modelling under future climatic conditions.

The topic of this paper is the airborne evaluation of ICESat-2 Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) measurement capabilities and surface-height-determination over crevassed glacial terrain, with a focus on the geodetical accuracy of geophysical data collected from a helicopter. To obtain surface heights over crevassed and otherwise complex ice surface, ICESat-2 data are analyzed using the density-dimension algorithm for ice surfaces (DDA-ice), which yields surface heights at the nominal 0.7 m along-track spacing of ATLAS data. As the result of an ongoing surge, Negribreen, Svalbard, provided an ideal situation for the validation objectives in 2018 and 2019, because many different crevasse types and morphologically complex ice surfaces existed in close proximity. Airborne geophysical data, including laser altimeter data (profilometer data at 905 nm frequency), differential Global Positioning System (GPS), Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) data, on-board-time-lapse imagery and photographs, were collected during two campaigns in summers of 2018 and 2019. Airborne experiment setup, geodetical correction and data processing steps are described here. To date, there is relatively little knowledge of the geodetical accuracy that can be obtained from kinematic data collection from a helicopter. Our study finds that (1) Kinematic GPS data collection with correction in post-processing yields higher accuracies than Real-Time-Kinematic (RTK) data collection. (2) Processing of only the rover data using the Natural Resources Canada Spatial Reference System Precise Point Positioning (CSRS-PPP) software is sufficiently accurate for the sub-satellite validation purpose. (3) Distances between ICESat-2 ground tracks and airborne ground tracks were generally better than 25 m, while distance between predicted and actual ICESat-2 ground track was on the order of 9 m, which allows direct comparison of ice-surface heights and spatial statistical characteristics of crevasses from the satellite and airborne measurements. (4) The Lasertech Universal Laser System (ULS), operated at up to 300 m above ground level, yields full return frequency (400 Hz) and 0.06–0.08 m on-ice along-track spacing of height measurements. (5) Cross-over differences of airborne laser altimeter data are −0.172 ± 2.564 m along straight paths, which implies a precision of approximately 2.6 m for ICESat-2 validation experiments in crevassed terrain. (6) In summary, the comparatively light-weight experiment setup of a suite of small survey equipment mounted on a Eurocopter (Helicopter AS-350) and kinematic GPS data analyzed in post-processing using CSRS-PPP leads to high accuracy repeats of the ICESat-2 tracks. The technical results (1)–(6) indicate that direct comparison of ice-surface heights and crevasse depths from the ICESat-2 and airborne laser altimeter data is warranted. Numerical evaluation of height comparisons utilizes spatial surface roughness measures. The final result of the validation is that ICESat-2 ATLAS data, analyzed with the DDA-ice, facilitate surface-height determination over crevassed terrain, in good agreement with airborne data, including spatial characteristics, such as surface roughness, crevasse spacing and depth, which are key informants on the deformation and dynamics of a glacier during surge.

Mapping landforms on the Moon is of great interest and importance for future human settlements and resources exploration. One of the first steps is to map the topography and investigate their shape...

The Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA) is the first, continental scale Digital Elevation Model (DEM) at a resolution of less than 10 m. REMA is created from stereo-photogrammetry with submeter resolution, optical, commercial satellite imagery. The higher spatial and radiometric resolutions of these imagery enable high quality surface extraction over the low-contrast ice sheet surface. The DEMs are registered to satellite radar and laser altimetry and are mosaicked to provide a continuous surface covering nearly the entire continent. The mosaic includes an error estimate and a time stamp, enabling change measurement. Typical elevation errors are less than 1 meter, as validated by the comparison to airborne laser altimetry. REMA provides a powerful new resource for Antarctic science and provides a proof of concept for generating high resolution, accurate, repeat topography at continental scales.

As part of the Polynyas and Ice Production in the Ross Sea (PIPERS) project, the IcePod system onboard the LC-130 aircraft based at McMurdo Station was flown over the Ross Sea, Antarctica in November 2016 and 2017, with the purpose of repeating the same lines that NASA’s Operation IceBridge (OIB) aircraft flew over in 2013. We resampled the lidar data into 70 m pixels (similar to the footprint size of OIB L2 and ICESat data) and took the mean of the lowest 2% elevation values of 25 km (50 km) length along a flight track as the local sea level of the central 25 km (50 km). Most of the IcePod data were over the same flight lines taken by OIB in 2013, so the total freeboard changes from 2013 to 2016 and 2017 were examined. Combining with the ICESat (2003–2008), we obtained a better picture of total freeboard and its interannual variability in the Ross Sea. The pattern of the sea ice distribution supports that new ice produced in coastal polynyas was transported northward by katabatic winds off the ice shelf. Compared to ICESat years, sea ice near the coast was thicker, while sea ice offshore was thinner in the more recent OIB/IcePod years. The results also showed that, in general, sea ice was thicker in 2017 compared to 2013 or 2016—0.02–0.55 m thicker in total freeboard.

We present a new digital elevation model (DEM) of the bed, with a 1 km gridding, of the Weddell Sea (WS) sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). The DEM has a total area of ∼ 125 000 km2 covering the Institute, Möller and Foundation ice streams, as well as the Bungenstock ice rise. In comparison with the Bedmap2 product, our DEM includes new aerogeophysical datasets acquired by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) through the NASA Operation IceBridge (OIB) program in 2012, 2014 and 2016. We also improve bed elevation information from the single largest existing dataset in the region, collected by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Polarimetric radar Airborne Science Instrument (PASIN) in 2010–2011, from the relatively crude measurements determined in the field for quality control purposes used in Bedmap2. While the gross form of the new DEM is similar to Bedmap2, there are some notable differences. For example, the position and size of a deep subglacial trough (∼ 2 km below sea level) between the ice-sheet interior and the grounding line of the Foundation Ice Stream have been redefined. From the revised DEM, we are able to better derive the expected routing of basal water and, by comparison with that calculated using Bedmap2, we are able to assess regions where hydraulic flow is sensitive to change. Given the potential vulnerability of this sector to ocean-induced melting at the grounding line, especially in light of the improved definition of the Foundation Ice Stream trough, our revised DEM will be of value to ice-sheet modelling in efforts to quantify future glaciological changes in the region and, from this, the potential impact on global sea level. The new 1 km bed elevation product of the WS sector can be found at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1035488.

The ALOS/AVNIR-2 satellite data (2007–2010) allowed estimating areas of glaciers, change in the areas for 50 years, and the number and areas of new naturally-dammed lakes in the mountain regions of Uzbekistan. Boundaries of these gla‑ ciers together with the ALOS/PALSAR data (2010) were used as the basis to determine position of the firn line. It was revealed that since 1980s elevation range of the line gradually decreased. The relationship between average elevation of the firn line and the upper limit of the juniper tree occurrence as well as changing of this relation since 1980s are consid‑ ered. The revealed lakes served as the basis for verification of probabilistic model of the moraine-dammed lake forma‑ tions due to the glacier recessions in the basins under consideration. It was shown that the GIS-techniques based on the use of this model together with data on glaciation and the relief digital model may significantly simplify searching of new lakes. Application of a system of the mudflow movement modeling makes possible to estimate a risk level in a case of a lake bursting. Current information about changing elevations of the glacier surfaces was obtained duet to the radar inter‑ ferometry and the altimeter data. The digital model of the river Pskem upper course (the DEM) had been built using the satellite TerraSAR‑X/TanDEM‑X data (2011–2012). All datasets of the elevations were checked for horizontal shifts of the relief digital models relative to the ICESat profiles (2003–2008). Evaluation of accuracy and morphological analysis of all the relief models for the investigated region were also made. DEMs differencing, the difference between ICESat measure‑ ments and DEM, nearby ICESat footprints within one track and between the tracks were carried out to assess the change in elevations of the glacier surfaces. Average rate of the surface lowering of an individual glacier with the maximal number of footprints (7) in the track is equal to −1 m/year; on average for 7 corrie-valley glaciers with northern/north-eastern exposition, it is −1.3 m/year in the ablation zone. This rate increases toward to the glacier terminus. Average local mass balance in the ablation zone of the Barkrak Glacier is egual to −0.82±0.36 m w.e. a−1 for the period since 2000 till 2012.

Glaciers in the Pamir-Hindu Kush-Karakoram appear to be less influenced by global warming and have instead experienced slight gains in mass, unlike most other glaciers around the world. Here we apply laser altimetry and satellite-derived precipitation products to characterize the relationship between the glaciers and precipitation. We found a strong correlation (r ≥ 0.92, p

Satellite altimetry has been used to track changes in ice sheet elevation using a series of Ku‐band radars in orbit since the late 1970s. Here, we produce an assessment of higher‐frequency Ka‐band satellite radar altimetry for the same purpose, using SARAL/AltiKa measurements recorded over West Antarctica. AltiKa elevations are 3.8 ± 0.5 and 2.5 ± 0.1 m higher than those determined from airborne laser altimetry and CryoSat‐2, respectively, likely due to the instruments' coarser footprint in the sloping coastal margins. However, AltiKa rates of elevation change computed between 2013 and 2019 are within 0.6 ± 2.4 and 0.1 ± 0.1 cm/year of airborne laser and CryoSat‐2, respectively, indicating that trends in radar penetration are negligible. The fast‐flowing trunks of the Pine Island and Thwaites Glaciers thinned by 117 ± 10 and 100 ± 20 cm/year, respectively, amounting to a 9% reduction and a 43% increase relative to the 2000s.

Lakes on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are sensitive indicators of climate change due to minimal disturbance by human activities. Estimations of lake water levels and storage variations on the TP are essential in evaluating water resources and modeling hydrologic processes in high-altitude endorheic basins. By integrating the ICESat/ICESat-2, Global Surface Water dataset, and HydroLAKES dataset, this study puts forward plateau-scale research of lake level changes and further estimates water storage changes on the TP during 2003–2019. The number of lakes observed by ICESat-2 is nearly three times as large as that by ICESat. There are 242 lakes over 1 km2 that can be observed by combining both ICESat and ICESat-2. These lakes with available data present a mean water-level change rate of 0.20 ± 0.04 m/yr in 2003–2019. A total water storage change of 11.51 ± 2.26 Gt/yr for all lakes on the TP is estimated by combining the two-generation spaceborne laser altimetry missions. Besides, water-level change rates of the inner TP lakes during the ICESat era (2003–2009) and joint mission period (2003–2019) are compared to analyze the spatio-temporal variation characteristics of these lakes. The lakes of the inner TP show average rates of water-level change in two periods are 0.20 ± 0.05 m/yr and 0.26 ± 0.03 m/yr, respectively. The examination of water vapor transport over the inner TP indicates that the accelerated water-level rises in the northern TP, yet deceleration in the southern part may be tightly related to the stronger water vapor transport in the north.

Ice Sheets Earth's ice sheets are melting and sea levels are rising, so it behooves us to understand better which climate processes are responsible for how much of the mass loss. Smith et al. estimated grounded and floating ice mass change for the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets from 2003 to 2019 using satellite laser altimetry data from NASA's ICESat and ICESat-2 satellites. They show how changing ice flow, melting, and precipitation affect different regions of ice and estimate that grounded-ice loss averaged close to 320 gigatons per year over that period and contributed 14 millimeters to sea level rise. Science , this issue p. [1239][1] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aaz5845

Long-term observations of lake water level are essential to our understanding of the evolution of Tibetan lake system. CryoSat-2 radar altimetry data over the Tibetan Plateau (2010–2014, P2) is used to extend lake level measurements from ICESat laser altimetry (2003–2009, P1). This study evaluates the performance of CryoSat-2 data by comparing with gauge-based water levels that are calibrated by ICESat-observed water level time series, and quantifies the uncertainty of water-level change rate estimates from satellite altimetry measurements. We completely investigate the 131 lakes that were observed by both ICESat and CryoSat-2. The mean change rate of water level for all of examined lakes in P2 (0.19 ± 0.03 m·year–1) is slightly lower than that (0.21 ± 0.02 m·year–1) observed in P1. The extended lake level time series also indicates that, in the past few years, lakes in the Northern Changtang (especially in Hol Xil) showed accelerated growth, and that the extensive lake level rises north to the Gangdise Mountains, during 2003–2009, were found dampened during the CryoSat-2 observation period. The spatio-temporal heterogeneity of precipitation observed from weather stations can be used to partly explain the observed temporal pattern of lake level changes over different sub-zones of the plateau.

Glaciers spanning large altitudinal ranges often experience different climatic regimes with elevation, creating challenges in acquiring mass-balance and climate observations that represent the entire glacier. We use mixed methods to reconstruct the 1991–2014 mass balance of the Kahiltna Glacier in Alaska, a large (503 km2) glacier with one of the greatest elevation ranges globally (264–6108 m a.s.l.). We calibrate an enhanced temperature index model to glacier-wide mass balances from repeat laser altimetry and point observations, finding a mean net mass-balance rate of −0.74 mw.e. a−1( ± σ = 0.04, std dev. of the best-performing model simulations). Results are validated against mass changes from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites, a novel approach at the individual glacier scale. Correlation is strong between the detrended model- and GRACE-derived mass change time series (R2 = 0.58 and p ≪ 0.001), and between summer (R2 = 0.69 and p = 0.003) and annual (R2 = 0.63 and p = 0.006) balances, lending greater confidence to our modeling results. We find poor correlation, however, between modeled glacier-wide balances and recent single-stake monitoring. Finally, we make recommendations for monitoring glaciers with extreme altitudinal ranges, including characterizing precipitation via snow radar profiling.

The aim of this article is to characterize the penetration bias of the ENVIronmental SATellite (ENVISAT) radar altimeter over the Antarctic ice sheet through comparison with the more accurate measurements of the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) altimeter at crossover points. We studied the difference between ENVISAT and ICESat fluctuations over six years. We observed the same patterns between the leading edge width and the elevation difference. Both parameters are linked, and the major bias is due to the lengthening of the leading edge width due to the radar penetration. We show that the elevation difference between both altimeters and the leading edge width are linearly well-linked with a 0.8 Pearson correlation coefficient, whereas the slope effect over the coasts is difficult to analyze. When we analyze each crossover point temporal evolution locally, the linear correlation between the leading edge width and the elevation difference is between −0.6 and −1. Fitting a linear model between them, we find a reliability index greater than 0.7 for the Antarctic Plateau and Dronning Maud Land, which confirms that the penetration effect has a linear influence on the retrieved height. Moreover, we present results from SARAL/AltiKa (launched in February 2013) that confirm SARAL/AltiKa accuracy and the promising information it will provide.

Ice shelf rifts are predecessors to iceberg calving events. Observations of their morphology over time and interaction with their surroundings are presented. Newly-available Landsat-derived annual velocity data and laser altimetry from NASA's ICESat, ICESat-2 and Operation IceBridge missions were used to characterize several ice shelf rift systems. Actively propagating ice shelf rifts exhibit uplift on both sides, with an offset in height between the two rift walls, suggesting an asymmetric buoyancy force resulting from the rifting process itself. It is observed that the direction of the asymmetry is the same for rifts within a single ice shelf, but not between ice shelves. This finding suggests a rheological or basal properties influence on rift formation and buoyancy asymmetry. It is shown that this asymmetry can be accounted for by modeling ice shelf rifts as subvertical faults. With time and inactivity, rift walls eventually relax and become rounded off. Measurements of widening suggest that rift infilling is active on many active rifts. Active rifts experience higher spreading rates than do dormant rifts. Lastly, two candidate processes are identified for rift nucleation (subvertical basal crevassing and localized melt). It is found that more than any other ice shelf in this study, rifting in Pine Island Glacier is driven by ocean heat variations and is showing signs of increasing destabilization.

The Glacier Bay region of southeast Alaska, USA, and British Columbia, Canada, has undergone major glacier retreat since the Little Ice Age (LIA). We used airborne laser altimetry elevation data acquired between 1995 and 2011 to estimate the mass loss of the Glacier Bay region over four time periods (1995–2000, 2000–05, 2005–09, 2009–11). For each glacier, we extrapolated from center-line profiles to the entire glacier to estimate glacier-wide mass balance, and then averaged these results over the entire region using three difference methods (normalized elevation, area-weighted method and simple average). We found that there was large interannual variability of the mass loss since 1995 compared with the long-term (post-LIA) average. For the full period (1995–2011) the average mass loss was 3.93 ± 0.89 Gt a−1 (0.6 ± 0.1 m w.e. a−1), compared with 17.8 Gt a−1 for the post-LIA (1770–1948) rate. Our mass loss rate is consistent with GRACE gravity signal changes for the 2003–10 period. Our results also show that there is a lower bias due to center-line profiling than was previously found by a digital elevation model difference method.

Estimating regional-scale rates of glacier mass change from repeat airborne and satellite altimetry requires assumptions about the density of the material being added to, or removed from, the glacier surface. This may vary in both space and time, especially in a period of warming climate such as has occurred in Arctic Canada since 2005. Here we compare firn properties measured on 20 shallow cores recovered from elevations of 1400–1900 m a.s.l. on Devon Ice Cap in 2012 with equivalent measurements from 34 cores recovered from the same locations between 2004 and 2011. The average density of the top 2.5 m of the firn column has increased by 13–80%. As a result, measured rates of density increase in the top 1.25 mw.e. of the firn layer have likely thinned this layer at rates of 0.021–0.168 m a−1 over the period 2004–12. These thinning rates are significant relative to local rates of surface height change measured by repeat airborne laser altimetry between 2004 and 2012 (−0.077 to −0.252 m a−1) and indicate that, during periods of climate warming or cooling, firn densification rate changes must be taken into account when estimating mass change rates from measured height changes.

The grounding line (GL) is the location where ice sheet lose contact with the bed rock. Since this line is under the surface ice, it's hard to define the GL. However, the different basal condition besides the GL caused different vertical movement and a flexure is often formed at the GL. This flexure is detectable by optical images. Meanwhile the ocean-induced vertical movement is detectable by repeat track laser altimetry. In this paper, we use ten scenes of Landsat 8 optical images and NASA's Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation/Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (ICESat/GLAS) data to map the GL of Amery ice shelf (AIS). We develop a least-squares adjustment model to merge the GL derived from these two datasets in order to increase the accuracy of this new line.

Accurate circum-Antarctic sea-ice thickness is urgently required to better understand the different sea-ice cover evolution in both polar regions. Satellite radar and laser altimetry are currently the most promising tools for sea-ice thickness retrieval. We present qualitative inter-comparisons of winter and spring circum-Antarctic sea-ice thickness computed with different approaches from Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) laser altimeter total (sea ice plus snow) freeboard estimates. We find that approach A, which assumes total freeboard equals snow depth, and approach B, which uses empirical linear relationships between freeboard and thickness, provide the lowest sea-ice thickness and the smallest winter-to-spring increase in seasonal average modal and mean sea-ice thickness: A: 0.0 m and 0.04 m, B: 0.17 and 0.16 m, respectively. Approach C uses contemporary snow depth from satellite microwave radiometry, and we derive comparably large sea-ice thickness. Here we observe an unrealistically large winter-to-spring increase in seasonal average modal and mean sea-ice thickness of 0.68 m and 0.65 m, respectively, which we attribute to biases in the snow depth. We present a conceptually new approach D. It assumes that the two-layer system (sea ice, snow) can be represented by one layer. This layer has a modified density, which takes into account the influence of the snow on sea-ice buoyancy. With approach D we obtain thickness values and a winter-to-spring increase in average modal and mean sea-ice thickness of 0.17 m and 0.23 m, respectively, which lay between those of approaches B and C. We discuss retrieval uncertainty, systematic uncertainty sources, and the impact of grid resolution. We find that sea-ice thickness obtained with approaches C and D agrees best with independent sea-ice thickness information—if we take into account the potential bias of in situ and ship-based observations.

The Tibetan plateau is covered by hundreds of larger and smaller lakes. Until recently there was no method to monitor their water level variations due to lack of in-situ measurements or unfitness of available remote sensing methods. However the ICESat/GLA14 laser altimetry data provide global surface elevations for land during 18 one-month campaigns between 2003 and 2009. This product could be used to accurately monitor water level variations and to estimate annual water level trends of about 150 Tibetan lakes. Based on the ICESat campaign schedule, lake levels derived from the GLA14 data are classified into three groups referenced to the Tibetan seasons: late dry, early wet, and early dry. For each lake sampled by sufficient ICESat campaigns, seasonal water level trends could be estimated and inter-seasonal lake level variations could be determined. The results indicate that most of the southern Tibetan lakes have a downward seasonal trend while most lakes elsewhere in Tibet have a positive seasonal trend. This means that these seasonal trends are similar to the annual trends. Moreover, lake level variations between seasons are much larger in the south than in the north and the west of Tibet. Based on the spatial pattern of the lakes, the Tibetan plateau is divided into four sub-areas corresponding to seasonal lake level trends and inter-seasonal lake level variations. The results confirm climatic trends as discussed in meteorological literature. Therefore, this analysis is expected to improve the understanding of the limnological processes on the Tibetan plateau and their impacts on the surrounding regions.

Progress in understanding cascades of subglacial lakes in Antarctica and in the dynamics of their surface was derived using satellite laser altimetry measurements ICESat. The morphological and dynamical signs indicate subglacial lakes and the positions of their shore lines. Oscillations of surfaces in transition zones are periodic, while the changes in surface elevation above subglacial lakes are random. The pattern of surface displacements above cascades of subglacial lakes in Antarctica and their transition zones as similar. In the sense of technology, this paper initiates the method of mapping subglacial lakes based on satellite laser measurements of elevation.

This study tested the applicability of airborne scanning laser altimetry (LiDAR) for characterizing surface connectivity of floodplain water bodies by comparing it with in situ measurements of water levels, and examined whether LiDAR derived data accurately predicted the occurrence of globally imperilled unionid mussels. We intensively examined 10 isolated and 3 connected floodplain water bodies (IWBs and CWBs, respectively) located within a 15-km lowland segment of the Kiso River in Japan. Using a digital elevation model (DEM) of floodplain ground surface, which is derived from LiDAR, and water surface DEM, which is obtained from records of water level fluctuations, the frequency of surface connectivity between IWBs and the main channel (inundation frequency) was calculated. Inundation frequency of IWBs was also measured in situ using water level and temperature probes. Also, the occurrence of mussels in CWBs and IWBs were examined. LiDAR derived data well predicted in situ derived one with a high level of accuracy (r 2 > 0.77), validating the LiDAR-based approach. Some errors existed in the predictive model, indicating that the applicability of LiDAR data is limited by its spatial resolution and snapshot nature. The occurrence of mussels was positively explained by an increasing level of inundation frequency, and the high accuracies of empirical models were validated using data for other 67 water bodies within the study segment. This study overall demonstrated a high potential of LiDAR data for efficiently monitoring hydrological and biological conditions of floodplain water bodies in the Kiso River and beyond. Copyright # 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

We use laser altimetry from the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) to map the grounding zone (GZ) of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica, at 491 locations where ICESat tracks cross the grounding line (GL). Ice flexure in the GZ occurs as the ice shelf responds to short-term sea-level changes due primarily to tides. ICESat repeat-track analysis can be used to detect this region of flexure since each repeated pass is acquired at a different tidal phase; the technique provides estimates for both the landward limit of flexure and the point where the ice becomes hydrostatically balanced. We find that the ICESat-derived landward limits of tidal flexure are, in many places, offset by several km (and up to ∼60km) from the GL mapped previously using other satellite methods. We discuss the reasons why different mapping methods lead to different GL estimates, including: instrument limitations; variability in the surface topographic structure of the GZ; and the presence of ice plains. We conclude that reliable and accurate mapping of the GL is most likely to be achieved when based on synthesis of several satellite datasets.

We present an analysis of the active hydrologic system of MacAyeal Ice Stream (MacIS), West Antarctica, from a synthesis of multiple remote-sensing techniques: satellite laser altimetry; satellite image differencing; and hydrologic potential mapping (using a satellite-derived DEM and a bedrock DEM from airborne radio-echo sounding). Combining these techniques augments the information provided by each one individually, and allows us to develop a protocol for studying subglacial hydrologic systems in a holistic manner. Our study reveals five large active subglacial lakes under MacIS, the largest of which undergoes volume changes of at least 1.0 km3. We discuss the hydrologic properties of this system and present evidence for links between the lakes. At least three of the lakes are co-located with sticky spots, i.e. regions of high local basal shear stress. We also find evidence for surface elevation changes due to ice-dynamic effects (not just water movement) caused by changes in basal resistance. Lastly, we show that satellite radar altimetry is of limited use for monitoring lake activity on fast-flowing ice streams with surfaces that undulate on ∼10 km length scales.

Using airborne and spaceborne high-resolution digital elevation models and laser altimetry, we present estimates of interannual and multi-decadal surface elevation changes on the Bering Glacier system, Alaska, USA, and Yukon, Canada, from 1972 to 2006. We find: (1) the rate of lowering during 1972–95 was 0.9 ± 0.1 m a−1; (2) this rate accelerated to 3.0 ± 0.7 m a−1 during 1995–2000; and (3) during 2000–03 the lowering rate was 1.5 ± 0.4 m a−1. From 1972 to 2003, 70% of the area of the system experienced a volume loss of 191 ± 17 km3, which was an area-average surface elevation lowering of 1.7 ± 0.2 m a−1. From November 2004 to November 2006, surface elevations across Bering Glacier, from McIntosh Peak on the south to Waxell Ridge on the north, rose as much as 53 m. Up-glacier on Bagley Ice Valley about 10 km east of Juniper Island nunatak, surface elevations lowered as much as 28 m from October 2003 to October 2006. NASA Terra/MODIS observations from May to September 2006 indicated muddy outburst floods from the Bering terminus into Vitus Lake. This suggests basal–englacial hydrologic storage changes were a contributing factor in the surface elevation changes in the fall of 2006.

Statistics of Arctic Sea-ice Surface roughness have been investigated in order to improve classification of ice-thickness regimes. The data consist of Surface roughness and thickness profiles, acquired Simultaneously by helicopter-borne laser altimetry and electromagnetic induction Sounding. Five thickness classes were identified using the modal thickness as a criterion. For each class, the Statistical properties of the Surface roughness profiles were analyzed. A classification algorithm was designed, which assigns profiles to the thickness classes on the basis of a Set of Selected Statistical roughness parameters. The algorithm was applied to profiles of different lengths. Best results were obtained for 2 km long profiles, for which it was possible to discriminate well between thick first-year and multi-year ice, and to distinguish these classes from thinner ice. The classification rule was tested on data obtained under winter and Summer conditions. The results Suggest that Statistical Surface roughness properties are different for thinner and thicker ice classes. However, individual thin-ice classes cannot be discriminated on the basis of the Selected roughness parameters.

Scanning airborne laser altimetry, usually referred to as LiDAR, generates high spatial resolution, high accuracy elevation data. The technique has found considerable use in the earth sciences, for example for flood modelling and prediction. This paper examines some geoarchaeological applications for LiDAR in alluviated landscapes. The LiDAR data for several lowland river valleys in England are examined. The technique has considerable potential for identifying archaeologically significant geomorphological features through examination of the microtopography of floodplain and terrace surfaces and for mapping upstanding archaeological earthworks. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A long history of research documents that McCall Glacier, Arctic Alaska, USA, continues to lose mass at a rate that is likely increasing with time. We present a photo comparison (1958-2003) that visually documents these volume changes, along with survey measurements that quantify these losses. Measurements of longitudinal profiles initially acquired from airborne laser altimetry, and repeated by ground-based surveys, indicate that the areally averaged rate of thinning increased between 1956-93 and 1993-2002, from 0.35 ± 0.07 m a-1 to 0.47 ± 0.03 m a-1, respectively; total volume loss was (8.3 × 107) ± (1.7 × 107) m3 and (2.7 × 107) ± (0.2 × 107) m3 (all in water equivalent) for these two time periods. These profiles also indicate that a 1 km stretch of the mid-ablation area is behaving differently from this trend, with a rate of thinning that is not changing with time. Lastly we present a comparison of several methods for calculating volume change and assess their relative errors.

International audience; Populations in Central Asia are heavily dependent on snow and glacier melt for their water supplies. Changes to the glaciers in the main mountain range in this region, the Tien Shan, have been reported over the past decade. However, reconstructions over longer, multi-decadal timescales and the mechanisms underlying these variations—both required for reliable future projections—are not well constrained. Here we use three ensembles of independent approaches based on satellite gravimetry, laser altimetry, and glaciological modelling to estimate the total glacier mass change in the Tien Shan. Results from the three approaches agree well, and allow us to reconstruct a consistent time series of annual mass changes for the past 50 years at the resolution of individual glaciers. We detect marked spatial and temporal variability in mass changes. We estimate the overall decrease in total glacier area and mass from 1961 to 2012 to be 18 ± 6% and 27 ± 15%, respectively. These values correspond to a total area loss of 2,960 ± 1,030 km2, and an average glacier mass-change rate of −5.4 ± 2.8 Gt yr−1. We suggest that the decline is driven primarily by summer melt and, possibly, linked to the combined effects of general climatic warming and circulation variability over the north Atlantic and north Pacific.

We have used airborne laser altimetry to estimate volume changes of 67 glaciers in Alaska from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s. The average rate of thickness change of these glaciers was –0.52 m/year. Extrapolation to all glaciers in Alaska yields an estimated total annual volume change of –52 ± 15 km 3 /year (water equivalent), equivalent to a rise in sea level (SLE) of 0.14 ± 0.04 mm/year. Repeat measurements of 28 glaciers from the mid-1990s to 2000–2001 suggest an increased average rate of thinning, –1.8 m/year. This leads to an extrapolated annual volume loss from Alaska glaciers equal to –96 ± 35 km 3 /year, or 0.27 ± 0.10 mm/year SLE, during the past decade. These recent losses are nearly double the estimated annual loss from the entire Greenland Ice Sheet during the same time period and are much higher than previously published loss estimates for Alaska glaciers. They form the largest glaciological contribution to rising sea level yet measured.

We present a new record of ice thickness change, reconstructed at nearly 100,000 sites on the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) from laser altimetry measurements spanning the period 1993-2012, partitioned into changes due to surface mass balance (SMB) and ice dynamics. We estimate a mean annual GrIS mass loss of 243 ± 18 Gt ⋅ y(-1), equivalent to 0.68 mm ⋅ y(-1) sea level rise (SLR) for 2003-2009. Dynamic thinning contributed 48%, with the largest rates occurring in 2004-2006, followed by a gradual decrease balanced by accelerating SMB loss. The spatial pattern of dynamic mass loss changed over this time as dynamic thinning rapidly decreased in southeast Greenland but slowly increased in the southwest, north, and northeast regions. Most outlet glaciers have been thinning during the last two decades, interrupted by episodes of decreasing thinning or even thickening. Dynamics of the major outlet glaciers dominated the mass loss from larger drainage basins, and simultaneous changes over distances up to 500 km are detected, indicating climate control. However, the intricate spatiotemporal pattern of dynamic thickness change suggests that, regardless of the forcing responsible for initial glacier acceleration and thinning, the response of individual glaciers is modulated by local conditions. Recent projections of dynamic contributions from the entire GrIS to SLR have been based on the extrapolation of four major outlet glaciers. Considering the observed complexity, we question how well these four glaciers represent all of Greenland's outlet glaciers.

The primary objective of the atmospheric profiling lidar aboard Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) mission launched in April 2006 has been studying the climate impact of clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere. However, CALIPSO lidar also collects information about other components of the Earth’s ecosystem, such as polar ice sheets. The purpose of this study is to propose a new technique to provide high resolution of polar ice sheet surface elevation from CALIPSO single shot lidar measurements (70 m spot size). The new technique relies on an empirical relationship between the peak signal ratio and the distance between the surface and the peak signal range bin center to achieve high altimetry resolution. The ice sheet surface elevation results in the region of Greenland and Antarctic compare very well with the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) laser altimetry measurements. The comparisons suggest that the obtained CALIPSO ice sheet surface elevation by the new technique is accurate to within 1 m. Based on the new technique, the preliminary data product of along-track topography retrieved from the CALIPSO lidar measurements is available to the altimetry community for evaluation.

We present a high-resolution Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mascon solution for Gulf of Alaska (GOA) glaciers and compare this with in situ glaciological, climate and other remote-sensing observations. Our GRACE solution yields a GOA glacier mass balance of −65 ± 11 Gt a−1 for the period December 2003 to December 2010, with summer balances driving the interannual variability. Between October/November 2003 and October 2009 we obtain a mass balance of −61 ± 11 Gt a−1 from GRACE, which compares well with −65 ± 12 Gt a−1 from ICESat based on hypsometric extrapolation of glacier elevation changes. We find that mean summer (June–August) air temperatures derived from both ground and lower-troposphere temperature records were good predictors of GRACE-derived summer mass balances, capturing 59% and 72% of the summer balance variability respectively. Large mass losses during 2009 were likely due to low early melt season surface albedos, measured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and likely associated with the 31 March 2009 eruption of Mount Redoubt, southwestern Alaska. GRACE data compared well with in situ measurements at Wolverine Glacier (maritime Alaska), but poorly with those at Gulkana Glacier (interior Alaska). We conclude that, although GOA mass estimates from GRACE are robust over the entire domain, further constraints on subregional and seasonal estimates are necessary to improve fidelity to ground observations.

[1] The recently finalized inventory of Greenland's glaciers and ice caps (GIC) allows for the first time to determine the mass changes of the GIC separately from the ice sheet using space-borne laser altimetry data. Corrections for firn compaction and density that are based on climatic conditions are applied for the conversion from volume to mass changes. The GIC which are clearly separable from the icesheet (i.e., have a distinct ice divide or no connection) lost 27.9 ± 10.7 Gt a−1 or 0.08 ± 0.03 mm a−1 sea-level equivalent (SLE) between October 2003 and March 2008. All GIC (including those with strong but hydrologically separable connections) lost 40.9 ± 16.5 Gt a−1 (0.12 ± 0.05 mm a−1 SLE). This is a significant fraction (~14 or 20%) of the reported overall mass loss of Greenland and up to 10% of the estimated contribution from the world's GIC to sea level rise. The loss was highest in southeastern and lowest in northern Greenland.

[1] Assimilation of laser altimeter data from the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) significantly improves the accuracy of ocean tide models for the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS). For the most energetic tidal harmonic, K1, assimilation reduces the root-mean-square error (RMSE) between the model and a set of 16 independent tide records on and near the RIS from 6.0 to 2.8 cm, and the combined RMSE for the six most energetic tidal harmonics from 7.7 to 5.4 cm. When only the six most recent and highest-quality tide records are considered, the combined RMSE is 4.8 cm. This value is close to the uncertainty expected from tidal analyses of the short (∼1–2 month) validation records, indicating that assessing further improvements in tide model accuracy will require development of a higher quality validation data set.

We acquired center-line surface elevations from glaciers in the St Elias Mountains of Alaska/northwestern Canada using aircraft laser altimetry during 2000–05, and compared these with repeat measurements acquired in 2007. The resulting elevation changes were used to estimate the mass balance of 32 900 km2 of glaciers in the St Elias Mountains during September 2003 to August 2007, yielding a value of −21.2 ± 3.8 Gt a−1, equivalent to an area-averaged mass balance of −0.64 ± 0.12 m a−1 water equivalent (w.e.). High-resolution (2 arc-degrees spatial and 10 day temporal) Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mass-balance estimates during this time period were scaled to glaciers of the St Elias Mountains, yielding a value of −20.6 ± 3.0 Gt a−1, or an area-averaged mass balance of −0.63 ± 0.09 m a−1 w.e. The difference in balance estimates (altimetry minus GRACE) was −0.6 ± 4.8 Gt a−1, well within the estimated errors. Differences likely resulted from uncertainties in subgrid sampling of the GRACE mass concentration (mascon) solutions, and from errors in assigning an appropriate near-surface density in the altimetry estimates. The good correspondence between GRACE and aircraft altimetry data suggests that high-resolution GRACE mascon solutions can be used to accurately assess mass-balance trends of mountain glacier regions that are undergoing large changes.

[1] We present a mathematical model describing the summer melting of sea ice. We simulate the evolution of melt ponds and determine area coverage and total surface ablation. The model predictions are tested for sensitivity to the melt rate of unponded ice, enhanced melt rate beneath the melt ponds, vertical seepage, and horizontal permeability. The model is initialized with surface topographies derived from laser altimetry corresponding to first-year sea ice and multiyear sea ice. We predict that there are large differences in the depth of melt ponds and the area of coverage between the two types of ice. We also find that the vertical seepage rate and the melt rate of unponded ice are important in determining the total surface ablation and area covered by melt ponds.

Glacier mass changes are a valuable indicator of climate variability and monsoon oscillation on the underexplored Tibetan Plateau. In this study data from the Ice Cloud and Elevation Satellite (ICESat) is employed to estimate elevation and mass changes of glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau between 2003 and 2009. In order to get a representative sample size of ICESat measurements, glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau were grouped into eight climatically homogeneous sub-regions. Most negative mass budgets of ? 0.77 ? 0.35?m?w.e.?a?1 were found for the Qilian Mountains and eastern Kunlun Mountains while a mass gain of + 0.37 ? 0.25?m?w.e.?a?1 was found in the westerly-dominated north-central part of the Tibetan Plateau. A total annual mass budget of ? 15.6 ? 10.1?Gt?a?1 was estimated for the eight sub-regions sufficiently covered by ICESat data which represents ?80% of the glacier area on the Tibetan Plateau. 13.9 ? 8.9?Gt?a?1 (or 0.04 ? 0.02?mm?a?1 sea-level equivalent) of the total mass budget contributed ?directly? to the global sea-level rise while 1.7 ? 1.9?Gt?a?1 drained into endorheic basins on the plateau.

[1] We present a new method to measure ice thickness of polar sea-ice freeboard heights, using airborne laser altimetry combined with a precise geoid model, giving estimates of thickness of ice through isostatic equilibrium assumptions. In the paper we analyze a number of flights from the Polar Sea off Northern Greenland, and estimate accuracies of the estimated freeboard values to be at a 13 cm level, corresponding to about 1 m in absolute thickness.