Southern Greenland Ice Sheet Elevation Change 1978-1988

Southern Greenland ice sheet elevation change estimates are derived from SEASAT and GEOSAT radar altimetry data from 1978 to 1988. The dataset provides elevation change rates and error estimates in 50 km grid cells for the region 61-72°N, 30-50°W, above 1700 m. This version incorporates GEOSAT Geodetic Mission data, resulting in significantly improved spatial coverage compared to earlier studies.

Use Cases

• Analyzing decadal elevation change trends (dH/dt) in the southern Greenland ice sheet.
• Assessing spatial variability of ice sheet thinning or thickening using the 50 km grid cell data.
• Validating ice flow or mass balance models with historical altimetry-derived rates.
• Studying the impact of incorporating GEOSAT GM data on crossover point density and coverage area.

Strengths

• Incorporation of GEOSAT Geodetic Mission data doubled crossover points and increased coverage by 50% over prior studies.
• Achieves 90% coverage for areas above 2000 m elevation and about 75% coverage for the 1700-2000 m zone.
• Provides explicit error estimates alongside the elevation change rate (dH/dt) for each grid cell.

Limitations

• Data is confined to a specific region (61-72°N, 30-50°W) and elevation threshold (>1700 m), limiting broader Greenland analysis.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: one platform lists 2026-03 13, while another indicates the data period ended in 1988.
• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided by any source.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Derived from SEASAT and GEOSAT radar altimetry data.

Time Range

1978 to 1988

Freshness

2026-03-13 03:08:55.881806

Geography

61-72 deg N, 30-50 deg W, above 1700 m elevation (Southern Greenland ice sheet)