Main tasks within ice2sea: Participant in WP3
Description of institution:
DTU-Space (Formerly Danish National Space Center – DNSC) is a national space institute under the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). DTU Space has as mandate to carry out space research and develop space technology, with a major goal being to enhance the benefit to society of the Danish membership of the European Space Agency. DTU Space has a total staff of approx. 130, and focuses on research in astrophysics, sun-earth physics, earth observation, and space and radar technology. Within Earth observation, research in geodesy especially include the utilization of satellite, aircraft and in-situ networks for monitoring marine and cryosphere changes. DTU Space is responsible for the basic geodetic infrastructure in Greenland, and operates a number of permanent GPS and tide gauge stations. DTU Space participates in the national monitoring program for the Greenland ice sheet (PROMICE), initiated 2007, with special focus on airborne and satellite measurements of height and mass changes. The geodynamics department at DTU Space has developed and operated and airborne system for gravity, radar and scanning lidar surveys since the late 1990’s, and used this system extensively for monitoring arctic sea-ice dynamics and inland ice height and thickness, as part of a range of national, EU and ESA projects, the latter especially related to the CryoSat calibration and validation program.
Department name: Geodynamics
Staff members:
Rene Forsberg (State Geodesist); Louise Sandberg Sørensen (scientist), Valentina R. Barletta (post.doc.)
Rene Forsberg is a geodesist working since 1980 at DNSC and KMS, and is currently Head of the Geodynamics Department at DTU Space. Rene Forsberg has worked extensively on Greenland gravity and GPS surveys since the 1980’s, and has for the last decade initiated the development of the airborne lidar/gravity system, employed mainly in the Arctic, but also used extensively worldwide (e.g. Mongolia, Malaysia). The main research areas have been gravity field modeling and space geodesy.
Louise Sandberg Sørensen is a researcher working on new methods for monitoring the Greenland ice sheet changes from GRACE, ICESat, and – soon – CryoSat, as well as airborne lidar results.
Valentina R. Barletta is a post doc working primarily with GRACE data for determining the ice sheets mass balance, and the process of glacial isostatic adjustment. Valentina R. Barletta has been working at DTU Space since March 2011
Selected references:
Forsberg, R. K. Keller, C. S. Nielsen, N. Gundestrup, C. C. Tscherning, S. N. Madsen, J. Dall: Elevation change measurements of the Greenland ice sheet. Earth, Planets and Space, vol. 52, no, pp. 1049-1055, 2000.
Lintz Christensen, E., N. Reeh, R. Forsberg, J. H. Jørgensen, N. Skou, K. Woelders: A low cost glacier mapping system. Journal of Glaciology, vol 46, no. 154, pp. 531-537, 2000.
Dall, J., S. N. Madsen, K. Keller, R. Forsberg: Topography and penetration of the Greenland ice sheet measured with airborne SAR interferometry. Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 28 no. 9 p. 1703, 2001.
Hvidegaard, S.M. and R. Forsberg: Sea-ice Thickness from Airborne Laser Altimetry over the Arctic Ocean North of Greenland. Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 29, no. 20, pp. 1952-1955, 2002.
Forsberg, R., H. Skourup: Arctic Ocean Gravity, Geoid and Sea-ice Freeboard Heights from ICESat and GRACE. Geophyscial Research Letters, vol. 32, L21502, doi:10.1029/2005GL023711, 2005.
Keller, K, G Casasa, A Rivera, R Forsberg, N Gundestrup: Airborne laser altimetry survey of Glaciar Tyndall, Patagonia. Global and Planetary Change 59, pp. 101-109, 2007.
Forsberg, R. and N. Reeh: Mass change of the Greenland Ice Sheet from GRACE. Proceedings, Gravity Field of the Earth, 1st meeting of the International Gravity Field Service. Harita Dergisi, vol. 73, issue 18, 2007.
