Satellite map series of long-term elevation changes on Eurasia’s northernmost ice caps

The present paper describes a new suite of thirty maps representing glacier elevation changes and mass balance characteristics in the Eurasian High Arctic for the period of 1950-2010s derived from satellite ERS and/or TanDEM-X interferometry and ICESat / CryoSat altimetry data in comparison with 60-year old reference elevation models. The regional assessment of the mapped changes showed that Eurasian insular glaciation lost 1,005±20 km³ of its volume and 2,030±100 km² of its area. But we also registered a dozen growing ice caps. New map prototypes showing spatial distribution of mass balance characteristics in the heterogeneous field of gravity were generated and interpreted using long-term precipitation records and GOCE gradiometry data.