Outlines and Dynamics of Euroarctic Ice Caps in Anomalous Gravity Fields

The present investigation was aimed at studying spatial variability and directional dynamics of inland ice/snow fields in relation to lateral variations of surface gravity at the sub-regional scale of tens to hundreds of kilometres. The main goal was to evidence, both theoretically and empirically, the existence and significance of gravitational impacts and associated atmospheric effects on the status and fluctuations of Eurasia's northernmost insular ice caps using space-borne radar altimetry and interferometry data from the Earth Explorers and Sentinel missions in conjunction with GOCE satellite gradiometry, ground-based meteorological time series and glaciological observations. EO-based geodetic and cryospheric models describing the amount of solid precipitation, snow drift and accumulation, glacier elevation change and ice flow pattern were generated, homogenized and combined in the terrain-following reference frame. The models were then verified and applied to the diagnosis of glacioclimatic
 differences in arctic lowlands with strong gravity anomalies. It was ascertained that surface gravity gradients modulate the atmospheric circulation and stability thereby influencing the intensity of local precipitation and glacier growth and flow patterns in a cascade fashion.