HR: 0800h
AN: C11A-0085    [Abstracts]
TI: Examining the Recent Peripheral Thinning of the Greenland Ice Sheet Using PARCA Laser Altimetry Data
AU: * Sole, A J
EM: ggajs@bristol.ac.uk
AF: Bristol Glaciology Centre, University of Bristol, School of Geographical Sciences, University Road, Bristol, BS8 1SS, United Kingdom
AU: Payne, T
EM: a.j.payne@bristol.ac.uk
AF: Bristol Glaciology Centre, University of Bristol, School of Geographical Sciences, University Road, Bristol, BS8 1SS, United Kingdom
AU: Bamber, J
EM: j.bamber@bristol.ac.uk
AF: Bristol Glaciology Centre, University of Bristol, School of Geographical Sciences, University Road, Bristol, BS8 1SS, United Kingdom
AU: Nienow, P
EM: Peter.Nienow@ed.ac.uk
AF: School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Geography Building, Drummond Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9XP, United Kingdom
AU: Krabill, W
EM: william.b.krabill@nasa.gov
AF: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Cryospheric Sciences Branch, Code 614.1, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, 23337, United States
AB: Recent observations have shown that the periphery of the Greenland ice sheet is thinning at an anomalously high rate and that this thinning is largest around outlet glaciers. We present thinning rates from PARCA laser altimetry surveys for 14 and 11 of the largest outlet glaciers in Greenland from 1993 to 1998 and 1998 to 2006 respectively. Outlet glacier thinning rates are compared with concurrent surveys over inland ice to examine the influence of ice velocity on surface thinning rates. Thinning rates of land terminating and tidewater outlets are also compared from 1993 to 1998 and 1998 to 2006. In general land terminating glaciers have thinned less rapidly during both time periods. From 1998 to 2006 the difference in thinning rates increased, with several tidewater glaciers retreating and thinning significantly. Possible causes of tidewater outlet thinning are investigated by a simple statistical analysis of thinning rates with outlet glacier geometry and velocity, fjord characteristics and records of sea-ice cover.
DE: 0720 Glaciers
DE: 0726 Ice sheets
DE: 0758 Remote sensing
DE: 0774 Dynamics
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting