Rapid Mass Loss in West Antarctica Revealed by Swarm Gravimetry in the Absence of GRACE

Journal article (2021)

Authors

Chaoyang Zhang The University of Texas at Austin
C. K. Shum Ohio State University, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Aleš Bezděk Czech Academy of Sciences and Arts
Michael Bevis Ohio State University
J. De Teixeira Da Encarnação Astrodynamics & Space Missions - Aerospace Engineering , The University of Texas at Austin
Byron D. Tapley The University of Texas at Austin
Yu Zhang Ohio State University
Xiaoli Su Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Qiang Shen Chinese Academy of Sciences
Research Group
Astrodynamics & Space Missions (Aerospace Engineering) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2021 Chaoyang Zhang, C. K. Shum, Aleš Bezděk, Michael Bevis, J. De Teixeira Da Encarnação, Byron D. Tapley, Yu Zhang, Xiaoli Su, Qiang Shen
DOI
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https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL095141
Swarm PSA ENSO GRACE/GRACE-FO Ice mass balance West Antarctic Ice Sheet
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Published Date

2021

Language

English

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Faculty

Aerospace Engineering

Department

Space Engineering

Research Group

Astrodynamics & Space Missions

Abstract

GRACE observations revealed that rapid mass loss in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) abruptly paused in 2015, followed by a much lower rate of mass loss ((Formula presented.) Gt yr−1) until the decommissioning of GRACE in 2017. The critical 1-year GRACE intermission data gap raises the question of whether the reduced mass loss rate persists. The Swarm gravimetry data, which have a lower resolution, show good agreement with GRACE/GRACE-FO observations during the overlapping period, i.e., high correlation (0.78) and consistent trend estimates. Swarm data efficiently bridge the GRACE/GRACE-FO data gap and reveal that WAIS has returned to the rapid mass loss state ((Formula presented.) Gt yr−1) that prevailed prior to 2015 during the GRACE intermission data gap. The changes in precipitation patterns, driven by the climate cycles, further explain and confirm the dramatic shifts in the WAIS mass loss regime implied by the Swarm observations.