Measuring glacier mass changes from space—a review

Glacier mass changes outside the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are occurring rapidly, significantly impacting global sea levels and regional water resources. This review synthesizes advanced space-based techniques developed over two decades to measure these changes, including digital elevation model (DEM) differencing, synthetic aperture radar interferometry, laser and radar altimetry, and space gravimetry. While these methods offer robust data for large ice bodies like the Vatnajökull Ice Cap in Iceland and steep Himalayan glaciers, discrepancies in mass change estimates—up to 20-30% globally—highlight the need for standardized inter-comparison studies. Such efforts are critical to refine regional and global assessments of glacier contributions to sea-level rise, improving predictions of past and future impacts.

Berthier, E., Floriciou, D., Gardner, A. S., Gourmelen, N., Jakob, L., Paul, F., Treichler, D., Wouters, B., Belart, J. M. C., Dehecq, A., Dussaillant, I., Hugonnet, R., Kääb, A., Krieger, L., Pálsson, F., & Zemp, M. (2023). Measuring glacier mass changes from space—a review. Reports on Progress in Physics, 86(3), 36801. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6633/acaf8e