Antarctic Ice Sheet Velocity and Mapping Project (AIV)

A NASA Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) project

Overview

Antarctic Ice Sheet Velocity and Mapping (AIV) is a NASA Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) project. Developed by scientists for scientists, MEaSUREs projects facilitate the development of value-added products derived from satellite observations.

The AIV project was designed to collect multiyear, digital records of Antarctic ice velocity. These data products help document changes in:

  • Ice sheet dynamics and boundaries
  • Rates of ice mass flow to the ocean and contribution to sea level rise
  • Sensitivity of ice dynamics to climate forcing on decadal time scales

AIV products are made through well-proven, extensively documented, peer-reviewed algorithms and numerical tools that have been refined over a period of decades. AIV products use state-of-the-art techniques in mapping ice sheet velocity from space. The results are independent of cloud cover and solar illumination, and offer a uniform, high-resolution sampling of the entire Antarctic continent. AIV temporal coverage ranges from the early 1990s to the present. AIV products are compiled from myriad satellites and sensors:

Team

The AIV project principal investigators are Eric Rignot of Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of California, Irvine; and Bernd Scheuchl of the University of California, Irvine. Jeremie Mouginot of the Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement also served as a principal investigator.

Funding

Antarctic Ice Sheet Velocity and Mapping (AIV) is a NASA Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) project. MEaSUREs projects enable Earth science researchers to develop satellite-derived, value-added data products.

Sample Data Images

MEaSUREs Antarctic Grounding Line from Differential Satellite Radar Interferometry (nsidc-0498) sample image

AIV grounding lines
This sample image is from the MEaSUREs Antarctic Grounding Line from Differential Satellite Radar Interferometry (nsidc-0498) available from the NSIDC DAAC. This data product provides high-resolution mapping of grounding lines in Antarctica from 1992 to 2014 — Credit: AIV

MEaSUREs InSAR-Based Antarctica Ice Velocity Map (nsidc-0484) sample image

Velocity magnitude
This sample image is from the MEaSUREs InSAR-Based Antarctica Ice Velocity Map (nsidc-0484) available from the NSIDC DAAC. This data product provides the first comprehensive, high-resolution, digital mosaics of ice motion in Antarctica assembled from multiple satellite interferometric, synthetic-aperture radar systems. — Credit: AIV

MEaSUREs Antarctic Boundaries for IPY 2007-2009 from Satellite Radar (nsidc-0709) sample image

Boundary map
This sample image is from the MEaSUREs Antarctic Boundaries for IPY 2007-2009 from Satellite Radar (nsidc-0709) available from the NSIDC DAAC. This data product provides maps of Antarctic ice shelves, Antarctic basins, and the Antarctic coastline. — Credit: AIV