Observation of the cryosphere by altimetry: past, present and future contributions

Thanks to the relatively high inclination (81.5°N/S) of the ERS2, Envisat, CryoSat-2, Saral and S3 space altimeters, the Polar Regions have been observed continuously by radar altimetry since the 1990s. We thus have time series over nearly 30 years of the topography of the polar ice caps and the thickness of the ice pack.  However, these measurements took a qualitative leap forward with the launch of CryoSat-2 in 2010, thanks to the advent of SAR/SARIN altimetry and a near-polar inclination of 88°N/S.

SAR/SARIN altimetry has led to considerable improvements in measurement accuracy thanks to better focusing (reducing the footprint by a factor of about 100) and better resolution (by a factor of about 2). The inclination of 88°N/S provides us with almost complete coverage of the Polar Regions, enabling us to carry out 10-year assessments of polar caps and sea-ice volume variations.

During this presentation, we will first show the many scientific advances made possible by polar altimetry and its various evolutions, including the high-precision lidar solution on board NASA's IceSat-2 satellite.

We will then present the HPCM CRISTAL mission, the only new polar altimetry mission planned to date.  We will see the technical advances proposed by this mission and its importance in monitoring the Polar Regions in the context of global warming.