Abstract
Abstract. On September 15, 2018, ICESat-2 (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation satellite) was successfully launched to measure ice sheet and glacier elevation change, sea ice freeboard, and vegetation. This paper describes the computation of surface elevation change rates obtained with SERAC (Surface Elevation Reconstruction And Change detection) from ICESat-2 observations. After summarizing some relevant aspects of ICESat-2 and its sole instrument ATLAS (Advanced Topographic Laser Altimetry System) the paper focuses on how we calculate time series of elevation change rates from ICESat-2’s data product ATL03. Since real ICESat-2 data suitable for generating time series of several time epochs are not yet available, we used simulated data for this study. We will start generating time series from real ICESat-2 data after the conclusion of the ongoing calibration and validation phase and we expect to present real-world examples at the WG III/9 meeting in June, 2019 in Enschede, The Netherlands.
Highlights
The response of the cryosphere to increasing global temperatures has crucial consequences for society
Predictions of the rate of sea level rise through the century rely on accurate understanding and modeling of glacier and ice sheet behavior (Pattyn et al, 2018)
To quantify surface elevation changes, investigate what causes them, and to improve predictive ice sheet models, it is imperative to monitor elevation changes on a seasonal, annual and inter-annual basis and at scales ranging from entire ice sheets to individual outlet glaciers
Summary
The response of the cryosphere to increasing global temperatures has crucial consequences for society. NASA met the challenge of monitoring the polar ice sheets by launching laser altimetry missions aimed at collecting observations from which time series of surface elevation changes can be determined. On January 12, 2003, NASA launched Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat), the first spaceborne laser altimetry mission with the primary goal to gather surface measurements of ice sheets, sea ice, and vegetation heights (Zwally et al, 2002). The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of ICESat-2, including its mission goals, data products, and major applications, such as contributions to calibration and validation of ICESat-2, the calculation of time series of surface elevation changes, and the determination of the Earth’s surface from original measurements of the photon cloud
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