Interferometric Control for Mapping and Quantifying the 2012 Breakup of Matusevich Ice Shelf, Severnaya Zemlya

ERS, TDX and S1A SAR interferometric models calibrated with ICESat and CryoSat-2 altimetry data were successfully applied to mapping and quantifying recent breakup of the Matusevich Ice Shelf in Severnaya Zemlya. The assessment of the mapped changes showed that the ice shelf lost 123±2.5 km2 or two thirds of its area and 9±0.3 km3 of its volume in the course of the past 5 years. The potential causes and aftereffects of the ice shelf disintegration were determined and the sensitivity of MIS remnants to climatic forcing was assessed. The mean annual temperature of-9°C proved to be a valid climatic threshold for the ice-shelf viability in the Russian Arctic. We suggest that the integral estimation of calving regime in Severnaya Zemlya previously published by other investigators is out-of-date and must be revised.