Constraints on the Dynamics of Temperate Ice Caps in Iceland from Radar Interferometry

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Abstract OPP-9813029Estimates have been made that the relatively small, temperate Iceland ice caps could respond to sensitive changes in climate that could occur in ten to one-hundred years. Refining an understanding of this high level of sensitivity requires very accurate estimates of glacial mass balance and changes in this balance over time. The small the Hofsjokull and Langjokull ice caps are ideal for high-resolution studies of ice mass using new numerical tools for three-dimensional ice flow modeling. The recently developed Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) measurements of the surface topography and velocity fields of glaciers have the potential to vastly improve our understanding of glacial and ice cap dynamics. InSAR's power lies in the combination of high spatial resolution over large geographic areas and its ability to observe the most remote areas on earth.