Ice sheet surface elevation change from ablation stake measurements on bare ice in the western Greenland ablation zone during July 2016

Measurements of ice surface elevation change from a network of twelve bamboo ablation stakes installed in the western Greenland ice sheet ablation zone (67.0496o N, 49.0201o W, 1215 m a.s.l.). Stakes were installed by drilling 3 m deep holes into the ice, inserting the bamboo stakes, and allowing them to freeze into the ice for 24 hours. Following the 24 hour freeze-in period, measurements of the distance from the top of the stake to its base were recorded at nominal 3 hour intervals continuously from 12:00 local time (UTC-2) on 6 July 2016 to 23:00 local time on 12 July 2016. Prior to each measurement, a 24×24 cm square wooden ablation board was placed at the base of the stake and oriented to true north. This board operated as a datum from which the stake height above the ice surface was measured.