Applications of ERS satellite radar altimetry in the Lambert Glacier-Amery Ice Shelf system, East Antarctica

TL;DRAbstract

The Lambert Glacier-Amery Ice Shelf system is a major component of the East Antarctic ice sheet. Few accurate elevation data exist for the system, and many of its important glaciological parameters remain uncertain, including the mass budget and location of the grounding zone. This study uses European Remote Sensing satellite (ERS) radar altimeter waveform data to expand knowledge of the system's structure and surface properties. Surface elevations are derived by retracking ERS-1/2 altimeter waveforms, making corrections for slope-induced error and tides, and are validated against insitu Global Positioning System (GPS) observations. Elevation differences, at the intersections of the ERS-1 ground tracks with the GPS survey, have a mean of 0.0 ± 0.1 m and RMS of 1.7 m, and are spatially correlated with topographic variations. Two Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) are constructed from the calibrated altimeter heights: one on a 1-km grid for the Amery Ice Shelf only (AIS-DEM), which exhib

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