Remote Sensing of the Cryosphere and Terrestrial Water Sources using Satellite Altimetry

Over the past three decades, satellite altimetry has emerged as a crucial tool for monitoring both the Cryosphere and Terrestrial Water Sources.

Since the first launch in the early 1990s the satellite altimetry record has become one of the longest available to researchers, offering invaluable insights into the impacts of global climate change on humanity and the environment.

The melting of ice sheets and glaciers is a primary driver of current sea level rise, underscoring the importance of accurate long-term records for refining and calibrating projections of ice sheet and climate models.

Anthropogenic warming has also led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, particularly precipitation-induced flooding, posing significant threats to both life and critical infrastructure.

However, existing flood prediction models are hindered by insufficient calibration data, stemming from inadequate in-situ monitoring, thereby limiting their ability to accurately forecast flood events and their severity.

The primary objective of this project is to help address these knowledge gaps by generating comprehensive, long-term records and investigating associated trends and variability, particularly in relation to global sea level rise and flood risks.

To achieve this, a multi-faceted approach utilizing space-borne and airborne (lidar and radar) missions will be employed to study changes in glacier and ice sheet mass, as well as variations in water levels of lakes and rivers, river discharge, and morphology.