Flow Velocity Change of David Glacier, East Antarctica, from 2016 to 2020 Observed by Sentinel-1A SAR Offset Tracking Method

Abstract

This study measures the change of ice flow velocity of David Glacier, one of the fast-moving glaciers in East Antarctica that drains through Drygalski Ice Tongue. In order to effectively observe the rapid flow velocity, we applied the offset tracking technique to Sentinel-1A SAR images obtained from 2016 to 2020 with 36-day temporal baseline. The resulting velocity maps were averaged and the two relatively fast points (A1 and A2) were selected for further time-series analysis. The flow velocity increased during the Antarctic summer (around December to March) over the four years’ observation period probably due to the ice surface melting and reduced friction on the ice bottom. Bedmap2 showed that the fast flow velocities at A1 and A2 are associated with a sharp decrease in the ice surface and bottom elevation so that ice volumetric cross-section narrows down and the crevasses are being created on the ice surface. The local maxima in standard deviation of ice velocity, S1 and S2, showed random temporal fluctuation due to the rotational ice swirls causing error in offset tracking method. It is suggested that more robust offset tracking method is necessary to incorporate rotational motion.