Non-Linear Global Ice and Water Storage Changes from a Combination of Satellite Laser Ranging and GRACE Data

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00025615%3A_____%2F26%3AN0000004" target="_blank" >RIV/00025615:_____/26:N0000004 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/18/2/313" target="_blank" >https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/18/2/313</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs18020313" target="_blank" >10.3390/rs18020313</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Non-Linear Global Ice and Water Storage Changes from a Combination of Satellite Laser Ranging and GRACE Data

Original language description

Highlights What are the main findings? A combined SLR and GRACE gravity model spanning 1995-2024 reveals significant non-linear mass changes, identifying specific trend reversal dates for global ice and water reservoirs, such as the 2004 peak in Svalbard and the 2021 trend reversal in the Antarctic Peninsula. The analysis demonstrates that linear trend models fail to stabilize even with 30 years of data, whereas models incorporating acceleration parameters achieve stabilization for most polar regions after 15-20 years. What are the implications of the main findings? This study proves that extending the satellite gravimetry record back to 1995 using SLR allows for the accurate detection of climate-driven hydrological events, e.g., the 1997/1998 El Ni & ntilde;o, prior to the GRACE mission launch. Incorporating acceleration terms into long-term gravity models provides a more reliable metric for monitoring climate change impacts than linear trends alone, particularly for detecting the onset of rapid ice mass depletion or recovery.Highlights What are the main findings? A combined SLR and GRACE gravity model spanning 1995-2024 reveals significant non-linear mass changes, identifying specific trend reversal dates for global ice and water reservoirs, such as the 2004 peak in Svalbard and the 2021 trend reversal in the Antarctic Peninsula. The analysis demonstrates that linear trend models fail to stabilize even with 30 years of data, whereas models incorporating acceleration parameters achieve stabilization for most polar regions after 15-20 years. What are the implications of the main findings? This study proves that extending the satellite gravimetry record back to 1995 using SLR allows for the accurate detection of climate-driven hydrological events, e.g., the 1997/1998 El Ni & ntilde;o, prior to the GRACE mission launch. Incorporating acceleration terms into long-term gravity models provides a more reliable metric for monitoring climate change impacts than linear trends alone, particularly for detecting the onset of rapid ice mass depletion or recovery.Abstract Determining long-term changes in global ice and water storage from satellite gravimetry remains challenging due to the limited temporal coverage of high-resolution missions. Here, we combine Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data to reconstruct large-scale, non-linear mass variations from 1995 to 2024, extending gravity-based observations into the pre-GRACE era while preserving spatial detail through backward extrapolation. The combined model reveals widespread and statistically significant accelerations in global water and ice mass changes and enables the identification of key turning points in their temporal evolution. Results indicate that in Svalbard, a non-linear transition in ice mass balance occurred in late 2004, followed by a pronounced acceleration of mass loss due to climate warming. Glaciers in the Gulf of Alaska exhibit persistent mass loss with a marked intensification after 2012, while in the Antarctic Peninsula, ice mass loss substantially slowed and a potential trend reversal emerged around 2021. The reconstructed mass anomalies show strong consistency with independent satellite altimetry and climate indicators, including a clear response to the 1997/1998 El Ni & ntilde;o event prior to the GRACE mission. These findings demonstrate that integrating SLR with GRACE enables robust detection of non-linear, climate-driven mass redistribution on a global scale and provides a physically consistent extension of satellite gravimetry records beyond the GRACE era.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10511 - Environmental sciences (social aspects to be 5.7)

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2026

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Remote Sensing

ISSN

—

e-ISSN

2072-4292

Volume of the periodical

18

Issue of the periodical within the volume

2

Country of publishing house

CH - SWITZERLAND

Number of pages

25

Pages from-to

—

UT code for WoS article

001671608600001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105028777995