Improved GNSS-R bi-static altimetry and independent digital elevation models of Greenland and Antarctica from TechDemoSat-1
<p>Improved digital elevation models (DEMs) of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are presented, which have been derived from Global Navigation Satellite Systems-Reflectometry (GNSS-R). This builds on a previous study (Cartwright et al., 2018) using GNSS-R to derive an Antarctic DEM but us...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2020-06-01
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| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | https://www.the-cryosphere.net/14/1909/2020/tc-14-1909-2020.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>Improved digital elevation models (DEMs) of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are presented, which have been derived from Global Navigation Satellite
Systems-Reflectometry (GNSS-R). This builds on a previous study (Cartwright et al., 2018) using GNSS-R to derive an Antarctic DEM but uses improved
processing and an additional 13 months of measurements, totalling 46 months of data from the UK TechDemoSat-1 satellite. A median bias of under
10 <span class="inline-formula">m</span> and root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) of under 53 <span class="inline-formula">m</span> for the Antarctic and 166 <span class="inline-formula">m</span> for Greenland are obtained, as compared to
existing DEMs. The results represent, compared to the earlier study, a halving of the median bias to 9 <span class="inline-formula">m</span>, an improvement in coverage of
18 %, and a 4 times higher spatial resolution (now gridded at 25 <span class="inline-formula">km</span>). In addition, these are the first published satellite altimetry
measurements of the region surrounding the South Pole. Comparisons south of 88<span class="inline-formula"><sup>∘</sup></span> S yield RMSEs of less than 33 <span class="inline-formula">m</span> when compared
to NASA's Operation IceBridge measurements. Differences between DEMs are explored, the limitations of the technique are noted, and the future potential
of GNSS-R for glacial ice studies is discussed.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |