CryoSat‐2 estimates of Arctic sea ice thickness and volume

TLDR

Satellite records show a long‑term decline in Arctic ice extent, reaching a record low in September 2012, and model estimates suggest a concurrent volume loss that has yet to be confirmed by observations. The study aims to produce winter ice‑volume estimates for 2010/11 and 2011/12 using CryoSat‑2 data validated against in‑situ measurements. These CryoSat‑2 estimates are compared with PIOMAS outputs and earlier ICESat measurements to assess consistency and trends. Between the ICESat and CryoSat‑2 periods, autumn ice volume fell by 4,291 km³ and winter volume by 1,479 km³, exceeding PIOMAS’s autumn decline of 2,644 km³ but falling short of its winter decline of 2,091 km³.

Abstract

Satellite records show a decline in ice extent over more than three decades, with a record minimum in September 2012. Results from the Pan‐Arctic Ice‐Ocean Modelling and Assimilation system (PIOMAS) suggest that the decline in extent has been accompanied by a decline in volume, but this has not been confirmed by data. Using new data from the European Space Agency CryoSat‐2 (CS‐2) mission, validated with in situ data, we generate estimates of ice volume for the winters of 2010/11 and 2011/12. We compare these data with current estimates from PIOMAS and earlier (2003–8) estimates from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ICESat mission. Between the ICESat and CryoSat‐2 periods, the autumn volume declined by 4291 km 3 and the winter volume by 1479 km 3 . This exceeds the decline in ice volume in the central Arctic from the PIOMAS model of 2644 km 3 in the autumn, but is less than the 2091 km 3 in winter, between the two time periods.