Abstract
Pohjola, V.A., Christoffersen, P., Kolondra, L., Moore, J.C., Pettersson, R.S., Schäfer, M., Strozzi, T. and Reijmer, C.H., 2011. Spatial distribution and change in the surface ice‐velocity field of Vestfonna ice cap, Nordaustlandet, Svalbard, 1995–2010 using geodetic and satellite interferometry data. Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography. 93, 323–335. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468‐0459.2011.00441.x
Abstract
During 2007 we launched a geodetic campaign on the Svalbard ice cap Vestfonna in order to estimate the velocity field of the ice cap. This was done within the frame of the IPY project KINNVIKA. We present here the velocity measurements derived from our campaigns 2007–2010 and compare the geodetic measurements against InSAR velocity fields from satellite platforms from 1995/96 and 2008. We find the spatial distribution of ice speeds from the InSAR is in good agreement within the uncertainty limits with our geodetic measurements. We observe no clear indication of seasonal ice speed differences, but we find a speed‐up of the outlet glacier Franklinbreen between the InSAR campaigns, and speculate the outlet is having a surge phase.
Acknowledgements
Alun Hubbard is acknowledged for his services and input into this project. Without the logistical support of IPY‐KINNVIKA we would never had managed this work. Piotr Głowacki's engagement for IPY‐KINNVIKA was of paramount importance to us. The logistical support from The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, The Polish Polar Station, The ship and personnel of RV Horyzont II of the Polish Marine Academy, The ship and personnel of the Norwegian coast guard Svalbard, UNIS and the Norwegian Polar Institute are acknowledged for excellent support. We further thank Naviga and Airlift A/S for their valuable services. The Governor of Svalbard is to be thanked for giving us permission to use the old IPY‐3 station Kinnvika. All hands of IPY‐KINNVIKA are thanked for making our common endeavour into such a success. Special thanks to Per‐Olof Edvinsson, Janne Johansson, Lasse Tano and Åke Wallin for service in the field, and the field hands by Harvey Goodwin, Ulf Jonsell, Denis Samyn, and Peter Sjögren. Trond Eiken and Jon Ove Hagen are acknowledged for sharing DGPS data and service at the Oxford station. Financial support by The Nordic Council of Ministers and The Swedish Polar Research Secretariat was paramount to IPY‐KINNVIKA. VP acknowledges funds from the Swedish Research Council. TS acknowledge the EU Framework 6 Program INTEGRAL Project and from the ESA project GlobGlacier. Further, the InSAR data is acknowledged by (ERS‐1/2 SAR data courtesy C1P.2611, © ESA; ALOS PALSAR data courtesy AOPOL.4086, © JAXA; DEM of Nordaustlandet © NPI). We acknowledge SPIRIT‐SPOT 5 stereoscopic survey of Polar Ice: Reference Images and Topographies during the fourth International Polar Year (2007–2009) for imagery used for navigation and mapping. Installation of GPS systems on Frazerbreen and Franklinbreen was supported by NERC grant NE/F011466/1 awarded to PC and AH. Finally, we thank the two anonymous reviewers and the editorial skills of Paula Kankaanpää for assistance into the final product. This is SVALI publication no.1 and an ESF‐SvalGlac publication.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Veijo A. Pohjola
Veijo A. Pohjola, Department of Earth Sciences, Air, Water and Landscape Science, Uppsala 410 University, Villavägen 16, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden. Email: [email protected]
Poul Christoffersen
Polu Christoffersen, Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, 413 Cambridge, CB2 1ER, UK.
Leszek Kolondra
Leszek Kolondra, Faculty of Earth Science, University of Silesia, ul. Bankowa 12, Katowice, Poland.
John C. Moore
John C. Moore, Department of Earth Sciences, Air, Water and Landscape Science, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden; Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, POB 122, FI‐96101 Rovaniemi, Finland; and College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekou Wai Street, 100875, Beijing, China.
Rickard Pettersson
Rickard Pettersson, Department of Earth Sciences, Air, Water and Landscape Science, Uppsala 410 University, Villavägen 16, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden.
Martina Schäfer
Martina Schäfer, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, POB 122, FI‐96101 Rovaniemi, Finland.
Tazio Strozzi
Tazio Strozzi, Gamma Remote Sensing and Consulting AG, Worbstrasse 225, 3073 Gümligen (BE), Switzerland.
Carleen H. Reijmer
Carleen H. Reijmer, Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5 3584CC, Utrecht, Netherlands.