Variability of accumulation rate in the catchments of Ice Streams B, C, D and E, Antarctica

Abstract

A model of error and variability in snow accumulation rate is formulated to determine the reliability of accumulation-rate point measurements as regional and temporal means. The uncertainty model is applied to data from 70 shallow firn cores covering the Ross Sea drainage of the West Antarctic ice sheet. The model includes measurement error, local spatial variation and time variation. Average uncertainty in accumulation rate is 0.016 m a-1 ice equivalent or about 15%. Considering that measurement and depositional uncertainties are independent from core-to-core, an uncertainty of 0.01 m a-1 applies when many values are used to integrate accumulation rate over a catchment.