Abstract
The first set of sequential measurements by two different sets of satellite altimetry data indicate that the Greenland ice sheet, south of 65.1° north latitude, thickened at the rate of 35 ± 17 cm a−1 during 1975 to 1978. The average change in surface elevation was calculated from the elevation differences determined at 525 locations observed by both GEOS-3 and Seasat radar altimeters. The observed thickening is consistent with the 8 cm a−1 thickening previously measured in the accumulation zone, approximately 900 km farther north, during conventional, surface, survey methods. The increase in ice thickness suggests a higher precipitation than the long-term average, which is one possible result of a warmer climate in polar regions. The excess ice accumulation, in the 10 % of the Greenland ice sheet observed, is estimated to be 53 km3 a−1, which is equivalent to a sea-level reduction of 0.15 mm a−1. Additional, high-precision, sequential, altimetric measurements could be used to determine the overall mass balance of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.
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