Thickening of the ice stream catchments feeding the Filchner‐Ronne Ice Shelf, Antarctica

Earlier ice‐sheet mass‐balance estimates disagree with satellite‐altimeter‐measured thickening of the catchment area that feeds the Filchner‐Ronne Ice Shelf, Antarctica. In an effort to reconcile these differences, we generated a new flux‐gate mass‐balance estimate, using improved elevation and velocity data. Our results show a 39 ± 26 Gton/yr thickening, whereas earlier flux‐gate results indicated minor thinning. Our results are consistent with altimeter‐derived estimates of elevation change. This suggests that altimeter‐observed thickening on the East Antarctic plateau may be the result of some combination of a 20th Century accumulation increase and a continuing response to the ∼50% accumulation increase that began in the early Holocene.