G.R.A.C.E.
NASA’s ICE MASS MEASUREMENT Device
How it works
Major Findings
Topex/Poseidon
NASA began recording the height of the ocean surface from space in 1992 with the Topex/Poseidon satellite. The Topex/Poseidon, a spaceborne alimeter, was launched by NASA and the French space agency, CNES. It makes continuous measurements of sea level, noting a 2.9 inch increase in sea-level over 23 years.
2.9” increase in sea level
Jason Series
Two other satellites, Jason -1 and Jason -2, were launched by NASA to record the global sea level. As a result of the Jason series we know that today’s sea level rise accounts for about one third of the result of warming ocean water and the remainder coming from melting land ice.
Sea level rise is 1/3 the result of warming ocean water
Argo Array
The Argo Array is a network of more than 3,000 floating ocean sensors spread across the entire open ocean. This is another tactic NASA has employed to monitor sea level rise due to global warming around the Earth.
Surface level sea level rise
G.R.A.C.E. Satellites
In 2002, NASA launched the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (G.R.A.C.E.) satellites to measure gravity, which in turn, measures the movement of mass around the Earth every 30 days. Through the measurement of gravity, the G.R.A.C.E. satellite shows water mass moving through melting ice, evaporation, precipitation and other processes.
Ice loss has accelerated by 31 gigatons per year
Through the technology of the G.R.A.C.E. satellite, it is known that Greenland’s ice loss has accelerated by 31 gigatons of ice per year since 2004. West Antarctica has experienced an ice mass loss acceleration of 28 gigatons per year.
WHAT WE KNO ANTARCTICA TODAY 1010 Gt of ice 5.4 million mi2 of ice 190 f t . of water The Antarctica ice sheet covers 5.4 million square miles. This is an area larger than the United States and India combined. If all of the ice in Antarctica were to melt, it would produce enough water to raise the ocean 190 ft.
OW
GREENLAND TODAY 1910 Gt of ice 660,000 mi2 of ice 20 f t . of water The Greenland ice sheet covers 660,000 square miles and a thickness of two miles at its thickest point. If all the ice in Greenland were to melt, it would raise the global sea level 20 ft.
Land ice mass is measured in gigatons. 1 Gigaton (Gt)= 1 billion metric tons 2,204,622,621,850 lbs DATA REPRESENTATION NASA measures the land ice mass loss between 2002 and 2014 in relation to a time series mean.
FOR THIS DATA SET
10 gigaton of ice
50 gigatons of ice
100 gigatons of ice
GREENLAND 303 Gt/yr. The Greenland land ice mass has been decreasing at a rate of 303 gigatons per year since 2002.
ANTARCTICA 118 Gt/yr. The Antarctica land ice mass has been decreasing at a rate of 118 gigatons per year since 2002.
GREENLAND Ice loss for every 3 years
2002
2005
390 Gt
200
960 Gt
008
2014
2011
400 Gt
980 Gt
ANTARCTICA Ice loss for every 3 years
2002
2005
680 Gt
2008
290 Gt
8
2014
2011
530 Gt
310 Gt
TOTAL ICE LOSS 2002 – 2014
2002
Antarctica
1980 Gt
2014
2002
Greenland
3400 Gt
2014
In Scandinavia, sea level is falling.
On the east coast of the U.S., sea level is rising 2 to 3 times faster than average.
3.22 mm/yr. Extra run off from melting ice caps is adding new fresh water to the oceans, adding to the rising sea level. Sea level is rising 3.22 mm per year. However, sea level is not rising evenly from place to place, varying as much to 6 ft. globally.
If you live in China, sea level is rising over 9�per year.
SOURCES http://grace.jpl.nasa.gov/ http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard /warming-seas-and-melting-ice-sheets http://grace.jpl.nasa.gov/news/77/
Rachel Healey | Fall 2015 | Sam Fox School of Art & Design