A reconciled estimate of glacier contributions to sea level rise: 2003 to 2009

Alex S. Gardner; Geir Moholdt; J. Graham Cogley; Bert Wouters; Anthony A. Arendt; John Wahr; Etienne Berthier; Regine Hock; W. Tad Pfeffer; Georg Kaser; Stefan R.M. Ligtenberg; Tobias Bolch; Martin J. Sharp; Jon Ove Hagen; Michiel R. Van Den Broeke; Frank Paul

doi:10.1126/science.1234532

A reconciled estimate of glacier contributions to sea level rise: 2003 to 2009

Alex S. Gardner^*, Geir Moholdt, J. Graham Cogley, Bert Wouters, Anthony A. Arendt, John Wahr, Etienne Berthier, Regine Hock, W. Tad Pfeffer, Georg Kaser, Stefan R.M. Ligtenberg, Tobias Bolch, Martin J. Sharp, Jon Ove Hagen, Michiel R. Van Den Broeke, Frank Paul

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Glaciers distinct from the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets are losing large amounts of water to the world's oceans. However, estimates of their contribution to sea level rise disagree. We provide a consensus estimate by standardizing existing, and creating new, mass-budget estimates from satellite gravimetry and altimetry and from local glaciological records. In many regions, local measurements are more negative than satellite-based estimates. All regions lost mass during 2003 -2009, with the largest losses from Arctic Canada, Alaska, coastal Greenland, the southern Andes, and high-mountain Asia, but there was little loss from glaciers in Antarctica. Over this period, the global mass budget was -259 ± 28 gigatons per year, equivalent to the combined loss from both ice sheets and accounting for 29 ± 13% of the observed sea level rise.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	852-857
Number of pages	6
Journal	Science
Volume	340
Issue number	6134
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1234532
Publication status	Published - 17 May 2013
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1126/science.1234532

Cite this

Gardner, A. S., Moholdt, G., Cogley, J. G., Wouters, B., Arendt, A. A., Wahr, J., Berthier, E., Hock, R., Pfeffer, W. T., Kaser, G., Ligtenberg, S. R. M., Bolch, T., Sharp, M. J., Hagen, J. O., Van Den Broeke, M. R., & Paul, F. (2013). A reconciled estimate of glacier contributions to sea level rise: 2003 to 2009. Science, 340(6134), 852-857. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1234532

@article{695c4089d13a455fb805cc1d827f3a54,

title = "A reconciled estimate of glacier contributions to sea level rise: 2003 to 2009",

abstract = "Glaciers distinct from the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets are losing large amounts of water to the world's oceans. However, estimates of their contribution to sea level rise disagree. We provide a consensus estimate by standardizing existing, and creating new, mass-budget estimates from satellite gravimetry and altimetry and from local glaciological records. In many regions, local measurements are more negative than satellite-based estimates. All regions lost mass during 2003 -2009, with the largest losses from Arctic Canada, Alaska, coastal Greenland, the southern Andes, and high-mountain Asia, but there was little loss from glaciers in Antarctica. Over this period, the global mass budget was -259 ± 28 gigatons per year, equivalent to the combined loss from both ice sheets and accounting for 29 ± 13% of the observed sea level rise.",

author = "Gardner, {Alex S.} and Geir Moholdt and Cogley, {J. Graham} and Bert Wouters and Arendt, {Anthony A.} and John Wahr and Etienne Berthier and Regine Hock and Pfeffer, {W. Tad} and Georg Kaser and Ligtenberg, {Stefan R.M.} and Tobias Bolch and Sharp, {Martin J.} and Hagen, {Jon Ove} and {Van Den Broeke}, {Michiel R.} and Frank Paul",

year = "2013",

month = may,

day = "17",

doi = "10.1126/science.1234532",

language = "English",

volume = "340",

pages = "852--857",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "6134",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - A reconciled estimate of glacier contributions to sea level rise

T2 - 2003 to 2009

AU - Gardner, Alex S.

AU - Moholdt, Geir

AU - Cogley, J. Graham

AU - Wouters, Bert

AU - Arendt, Anthony A.

AU - Wahr, John

AU - Berthier, Etienne

AU - Hock, Regine

AU - Pfeffer, W. Tad

AU - Kaser, Georg

AU - Ligtenberg, Stefan R.M.

AU - Bolch, Tobias

AU - Sharp, Martin J.

AU - Hagen, Jon Ove

AU - Van Den Broeke, Michiel R.

AU - Paul, Frank

PY - 2013/5/17

Y1 - 2013/5/17

N2 - Glaciers distinct from the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets are losing large amounts of water to the world's oceans. However, estimates of their contribution to sea level rise disagree. We provide a consensus estimate by standardizing existing, and creating new, mass-budget estimates from satellite gravimetry and altimetry and from local glaciological records. In many regions, local measurements are more negative than satellite-based estimates. All regions lost mass during 2003 -2009, with the largest losses from Arctic Canada, Alaska, coastal Greenland, the southern Andes, and high-mountain Asia, but there was little loss from glaciers in Antarctica. Over this period, the global mass budget was -259 ± 28 gigatons per year, equivalent to the combined loss from both ice sheets and accounting for 29 ± 13% of the observed sea level rise.

AB - Glaciers distinct from the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets are losing large amounts of water to the world's oceans. However, estimates of their contribution to sea level rise disagree. We provide a consensus estimate by standardizing existing, and creating new, mass-budget estimates from satellite gravimetry and altimetry and from local glaciological records. In many regions, local measurements are more negative than satellite-based estimates. All regions lost mass during 2003 -2009, with the largest losses from Arctic Canada, Alaska, coastal Greenland, the southern Andes, and high-mountain Asia, but there was little loss from glaciers in Antarctica. Over this period, the global mass budget was -259 ± 28 gigatons per year, equivalent to the combined loss from both ice sheets and accounting for 29 ± 13% of the observed sea level rise.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84877732034&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1126/science.1234532

DO - 10.1126/science.1234532

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84877732034

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 340

SP - 852

EP - 857

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6134

ER -

A reconciled estimate of glacier contributions to sea level rise: 2003 to 2009

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this