Detection of total water mass changes in the Patagonian glaciers area by satellite gravimetry

Abstract

Despite present efforts to better understand glacier changes and their trends, the satellite gravimetry is a powerful tool still not applied in depth to study relatively large areas in the Andes of Argentina and Chile. In this work the mass variations of the Patagonian Icefield are analyzed together with the decrease trends of the ice layer in the region. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the GRACE satellite mission (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) ability to detect the water storage changes over the glaciers area. Furthermore, the variations of the hydrometric level of some Patagonian lakes were monitored by combining satellite altimetry data and in situ measurements with the observed water mass variations. Data from GRACE was used to estimate gravity trends, and high-resolution CSR GRACE RL05 mascon solutions were used to analyze the water storage change of the icefields in the region under study for the 2002-2017 period. Virtual stations from satellite altimetry obtained from a lake database and also hydrometric height data from in situ stations, located at Patagonian lakes in Argentina and Chile, were also used in order to compare the TWS from GRACE to the water level of the specific lakes. Additionally, correlation coefficients were determined at each station.  The results show a significant water storage decrease in the Icefield area, and they also demonstrate that the ice melt in southern Patagonia (of about 6 cm/year) tends to be more pronounced than in the northern region.