GRACE observes small?scale mass loss in Greenland

Wouters, B.; Chambers, D.; Schrama, E.J.O.

doi:doi:10.1029/2008GL034816

GRACE observes small?scale mass loss in Greenland

Title

GRACE observes small?scale mass loss in Greenland

Author

Wouters, B.
Chambers, D.
Schrama, E.J.O.

Faculty

Aerospace Engineering

Department

Space Engineering

Date

2008-10-16

Abstract

Using satellite gravity data between February 2003 and January 2008, we examine changes in Greenland's mass distribution on a regional scale. During this period, Greenland lost mass at a mean rate of 179 ± 25 Gt/yr, equivalent to a global mean sea level change of 0.5 ± 0.1 mm/yr. Rates increase over time, suggesting an acceleration of the mass loss, driven by mass loss during summer. The largest mass losses occurred along the southeastern and northwestern coast in the summers of 2005 and 2007, when the ice sheet lost 279 Gt and 328 Gt of ice respectively within 2 months. In 2007, a strong mass loss is observed during summer at elevations above 2000 m, for the first time since the start of the observations.

Subject

GRACE
cryosphere
Greenland

To reference this document use:

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:295d1621-cb36-42d1-9dce-00fa269c9193

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL034816

Publisher

American Geophysical Union

ISSN

0094-8276

Source

http://europa.agu.org/?view=article&uri=/journals/gl/gl0820/2008GL034816/2008GL034816.xml