GPS-Observed Elastic Deformation Due to Surface Mass Balance variability in the Southern Antarctic Peninsula

In Antarctica, Global Positioning System (GPS) vertical time series exhibit non-linear signals over a wide range of temporal scales. To explain these non-linearities, a number of hypotheses have been proposed, among them the short-term rapid solid Earth response to contemporaneous ice mass change. Here we use GPS vertical time series to reveal the solid Earth response to variations in surface mass balance (SMB) in the Southern Antarctic Peninsula (SAP). At four locations in the SAP we show that interannual variations of SMB anomalies cause measurable elastic deformation. We use regional climate model SMB products to calculate the induced displacement assuming a perfectly elastic Earth. Our results show a reduction of the misfit when fitting a linear trend to GPS time series corrected for the elastic response to SMB variations. Our results imply that, for a better understanding of the glacial isostatic adjustment signal in Antarctica, SMB variability must be considered. Plain Language Summary The Global Positioning System (GPS) allows us to measure the changing shape of the Earth's surface with high accuracy. These changes reflect multiple processes operating both within the Earth and at the surface. Using continuously recording GPS instruments in the Antarctic Peninsula, we study the response of the solid Earth to seasonal and annual variations in snow and ice accumulation over the past decade. We show that such loading triggers a measurable response that varies between years, complicating efforts to calculate the long-term Earth response to past ice sheet change. We discuss the importance of our findings for understanding feedbacks between the solid Earth and the Antarctic ice sheet.

Automated summary

This study investigates the response of the solid Earth to surface mass balance (SMB) variations in the Southern Antarctic Peninsula (SAP) using GPS vertical time series. The results show that interannual SMB anomalies cause measurable elastic deformation, indicating the importance of considering SMB variability in understanding the glacial isostatic adjustment signal in Antarctica.