Retrieval of Mass Balance of Austre Grønfjordbreen in the Western Svalbard

In this study, the geodetic method was used to infer glacier mass balance, and its spatial variation over glaciers, in the part of Svalbard (Arctic).The study proposed an adaptive mass balance inversion algorithm developed using different densities for ice and firn. Firn identification was achieved through the multi-temporal SAR approach. The performance of the mass balance retrieval algorithm was validated with the ground-based measured mass balance over the Austre Grønfjordbreen, Svalbard. Using elevation rate of change and density (900 ±10 kg/m
³
) for ice and firn (600 ±200 kg/m
³
) areas, mass balance is estimated. The mean of geodetic mass balance is found to be -1.47 ± 0.01 m w. e. a
^-1
with constant density and -1.40 ± 0.06 m w. e. a
^-1
with the consideration of adaptive density for ice and firn area and then compared with field data (-1.38 m w. e. a
^-1
). The mean mass balance of the proposed method is near to the field based calculated mass balance.