Antarctic grounding line delineation from the Italian Space Agency COSMO-SkyMed DInSAR data

Abstract

This paper presents an Antarctic grounding line dataset, manually mapped using Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) data from the COSMO-SkyMed X-band radar satellite mission. The dataset comprises 794 double difference interferograms with corresponding grounding line products. The data has been collected over 74 glaciers in East Antarctica, West Antarctica, and the Antarctic Peninsula between July 2020 and March 2022. Each DInSAR interferogram was generated using two pairs of radar images, with a one-day interval between images in each pair and acquisition intervals between pairs ranging from 16 to 64 days. The dataset, which relies solely on COSMO-SkyMed data and leverages 1-day repeat-pass interferometry, enables precise grounding line mapping in fast-flowing regions, where sensors like Sentinel-1 and ICESat-2 encounter limitations. This dataset provides extensive coverage across Antarctica and enables the observation of grounding line migrations driven by ocean tides. Furthermore, compared to previously available datasets, it allows for the estimation of long-term retreat rates for several glaciers, including Thwaites, Pine Island, Totten, and Moscow University glaciers.