Retrieval of Svalbard ice flow velocities using Sentinel 1A/1B three-pass Differential SAR Interferometry

Glacier velocity is an important parameter to characterize glacier dynamics and to derive ice thickness and mass balance. The 2-pass/3-pass Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) techniques are advantageous in estimating glacier movements. However, the 2-pass DInSAR requires an external Digital Elevation Model (DEM), whereas the 3-pass DInSAR does not. The 3-pass DInSAR technique is adopted with Sentinel-1A/1B to map the Svalbard glacier flow velocities. Furthermore, the effect of glacier surface elevation change on the 2-pass DInSAR results were revealed by comparing glacier velocity with the two time period topographic information. The coherence indicates that Sentinel-1A/1B has a high potential to infer operational glacier velocity using the 3-pass DInSAR method with an average atmospheric uncertainty of 0.24 cm/day over the studied region. The precision of the 3-pass DInSAR is analyzed by comparing 2-pass derived line-of-sight (LOS) velocity on the same dates. The 3-pass DInSAR achieves high-resolution and detailed information.

Automated summary

Glacier velocity is a crucial parameter for glacier dynamics, and the 3-pass DInSAR technique using Sentinel-1A/1B satellite is effective in mapping glacier flow velocities with high-resolution and detailed information.