Geodetic mass balance of the Patagonian Icefields derived from SRTM and TanDEM-X data

摘要

We compare ice elevation from TanDEM-X Raw DEMs of summer 2014 and from the SRTM C-band DEM of summer 2000 over the Northern Patagonian Icefield (NPI) in order to obtain a detailed map of ice elevation change rates over the last 14 years. The geodetic method is used to compute the mass balance for this region and for the nearby Southern Patagonian Icefield (SPI). The method is outlined along with the error budget estimation. The backscattering coefficient of the data is analyzed in order to exclude elevation biases due to signal penetration in snow and firn.