RECENT VARIATIONS OF LARSEN ICE SHELF, ANTARCTIC PENINSULA,OBSERVED BY ENVISAT

摘要

Areal changes of Larsen Ice Shelf, Antarctic Peninsula,rnand the response of the outlet glaciers after the ice shelfrndisintegration events in 1995 and 2002 are investigatedrnusing ERS SAR and Envisat ASAR data up to Julyrn2004. After a decrease of 8050 km2 between Januaryrn1995 and March 2002, the ice shelf section Larsen Brndecreased by another 830 km2 in the last two years. Inrnaddition, 215 km2 of grounded ice were lost at the majorrnoutlet glaciers of former Larsen A and B, contributing tornsea level rise. Motion fields of glaciers above Larsen Arnand Larsen B were analysed by means of ASAR datarnfrom 2004 using amplitude correlation and comparedrnwith 1995 and 1999 InSAR motion maps of the ERSrntandem mission. Similar to the rapid response ofrnglaciers above Larsen A, significant acceleration of thernlarge tributary glaciers of Larsen B was observed soonrnafter the disintegration of the ice shelf. ERS SAR andrnASAR data are also used for mapping the catchmentrnbasins and flow field of Larsen C, the large southern icernshelf section.