Bedrock displacements in Greenland manifest ice mass variations, climate cycles and climate change

Publication: Research - peer-reviewJournal article – Annual report year: 2012

  • Author: Bevis, Michael

    School of Earth Sciences, Ohio State University

  • Author: Wahr, John

    Department of Physics, University of Colorado

  • Author: Khan, Shfaqat Abbas

    Geodesy, National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Elektrovej, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby

  • Author: Madsen, Finn Bo

    Geodesy, National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Elektrovej, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby

  • Author: Brown, Abel

    School of Earth Sciences, Ohio State University

  • Author: Willis, Michael

    Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University

  • Author: Kendrick, Eric

    School of Earth Sciences, Ohio State University

  • Author: Knudsen, Per

    Geodesy, National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Elektrovej, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby

  • Author: Box, Jason E.

    Department of Geography, Ohio State University

  • Author: van Dam, Tonie

    Faculté de Sciences, University of Luxembourg

  • Author: Caccamise, Dana J., II

    School of Earth Sciences, Ohio State University

  • Author: Johns, Bjorn

    UNAVCO Inc.

  • Author: Nylen, Thomas

    UNAVCO Inc.

  • Author: Abbott, Robin

    Polar Field Services

  • Author: White, Seth

    UNAVCO Inc.

  • Author: Miner, Jeremy

    UNAVCO Inc.

  • Author: Forsberg, René

    Geodynamics, National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Elektrovej, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby

  • Author: Zhou, Hao

    School of Earth Sciences, Ohio State University

  • Author: Wang, Jian

    School of Earth Sciences, Ohio State University

  • Author: Wilson, Terry

    School of Earth Sciences, Ohio State University

  • Author: Bromwich, David

    Department of Geography, Ohio State University

  • Author: Francis, Olivier

    Faculté de Sciences, University of Luxembourg

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The Greenland GPS Network (GNET) uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) to measure the displacement of bedrock exposed near the margins of the Greenland ice sheet. The entire network is uplifting in response to past and present-day changes in ice mass. Crustal displacement is largely accounted for by an annual oscillation superimposed on a sustained trend. The oscillation is driven by earth’s elastic response to seasonal variations in ice mass and air mass (i.e., atmospheric pressure). Observed vertical velocities are higher and often much higher than predicted rates of postglacial rebound (PGR), implying that uplift is usually dominated by the solid earth’s instantaneous elastic response to contemporary losses in ice mass rather than PGR. Superimposed on longer-term trends, an anomalous ‘pulse’ of uplift accumulated at many GNET stations during an approximate six-month period in 2010. This anomalous uplift is spatially correlated with the 2010 melting day anomaly.
Original languageEnglish
JournalNational Academy of Sciences. Proceedings
Publication date2012
Volume109
Journal number30
Pages11944-11948
ISSN0027-8424
DOIs
StatePublished
CitationsWeb of Science® Times Cited: 2

Keywords

  • Climate change, Climate cycles, Elasticity, Crustal motion geodesy

ID: 10092015