A stochastic estimate of sea level contribution from glaciers and ice caps using satellite remote sensing (SATELLITE)

DFG Schwerpunktprogramm "Regional Sea Level Change & Society"

Glaciers and ice caps outside the large ice sheets show considerable elevation and mass changes and are strong contributors to sea level change. However, to date only few regional assessments exist that provide a glacier-specific analysis over entire region or on global scale. This information is relevant for global glacier models, the reconstruction of ice thickness as well as for sustainable water management. In the current project phase, we analyse elevation changes for all glaciers covered by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) between 56°S and 60°N using data from the SRTM (2000) and the German TanDEM-X mission (2010 to 2015). We apply differential SAR interferometry and a state-of-the-art post-processing procedures to generate a near global assessments of glaciers mass changes outside the polar regions. In this follow-up proposal, we aim at spatially expanding, at updating with a new time slice using new observations and at improving our measurements from the first phase. We will compare TanDEM-X (2010-2015) to TanDEM-X acquisitions (2017+). Those data sets will enable an improved spatial resolution of 10 m, less observation voids and cover also regions beyond 60°N. For some of the proposed regions we will provide for the first time glacier-specific measurements. We will use the recently available global TanDEM-X DEM and the ArcticDEM as reference for our processing. Technical and methodological developments will comprise adaptation of the processing chain, parallelisation and transfer to high performance computing, improved gap filling approaches and improved penetration depth correction by integrating concurrent laser altimetry. We will analyse the results in regard to changes potential causes and processes leading to the changes as well as to accelerated or decelerated change rates.