Separating Geophysical Signals Using GRACE and High-Resolution Data: A Case Study in Antarctica

Abstract

To fully exploit data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), we separate geophysical signals observed by GRACE in Antarctica by deriving high-spatial resolution maps for present-day glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) and ice-mass changes with the least possible noise level. For this, we simultaneously (i) improve the postprocessing of gravity data and (ii) consistently combine them with high-resolution data from Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite altimeter (ICESat) and Regional Atmospheric Climate Model 2.3 (RACMO). We use GPS observations to discriminate between various candidate spatial patterns of vertical motions caused by GIA. The ICESat-RACMO combination determines the spatial resolution of estimated ice-mass changes. The results suggest the capability of the developed approach to retrieve the complex spatial pattern of present-day GIA, such as a pronounced subsidence in the proximity of the Kamb Ice Stream and pronounced uplift in the Amundsen Sea Sector.