Elevation Changes of East Antarctic Derived from ICESat Laser Altimetry

Abstract:

A least squares plane fitting of repeat tracks method was proposed to estimate the elevation changes of the Lambert Glacier Basin, East Antarctica. Using the latest ICESat (ice, cloud, and land elevation satellite) R633 version GLA12 altimetry products released by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), the elevation changes from 2003 to 2009 were estimated. The terrain slope should be considered when using altimeter repeat observation data determine surface elevation change. We assume that least squares plane fitting along track can separate both the slope of plane and elevation change rate, and consequently the elevation changes can be calculated. The results show that the average elevation rate of lambert glacier basin is (1±0.5) cm·yr-1 from 2003 to 2009, which is consistant with previous research results. The crossover point method was also used to verify the results, which proved that the repeat tracks plane fitting is an effective and feasible method.

Key words:ice, cloud, and land elevation satellite(ICESat); repeat tracks; Lambert Glacier Basin; plane fitting method