Optimization of regional constraints for estimating the Greenland mass balance with GRACE level-2 data

Abstract

Data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission can be used to estimate the mass change rate for separate drainage systems (DSs) of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS). One approach to do so is by inversion of the level-2 spherical harmonic data to surface mass changes in predefined regions, or mascons. However, the inversion can be numerically unstable for some individual DSs. This occurs mainly for DSs with a small mass change signal that are located in the interior region of Greenland. In this study, we present a modified mascon inversion approach with an improved implementation of the constraint equations to obtain better estimates for individual DSs. We use separate constraints for mass change variability in the coastal zone, where run-off takes place, and for the ice sheet interior above 2000 m, where mass changes are smaller. A multi-objective optimization approach is used to find optimal prior variances for these two areas based on a simulation model. Correlations between adjacent DSs are suppressed when our optimized prior variances are used, while the mass balance estimates for the combination of the DSs that make up the GrIS above 2000 m are not affected significantly. The resulting mass balance estimates for some DSs in the interior are significantly improved compared to an inversion with a single constraint, as determined by a comparison with mass balance estimates from surface mass balance modelling and discharge measurements. The rate of mass change of the GrIS for the period of January 2003 to December 2012 is found to be -266.1 ± 17.2 Gt yr-1 in the coastal zone and areas below 2000 m, and +8.2 ± 8.6 Gt yr-1 in the interior region.