  Surface mass balance (SMB) is an important factor in the estimation of sea
level change, and data are collected to estimate models for prediction of SMB
over the Antarctic ice sheets. Using a quality-controlled aggregate dataset of
SMB field measurements with significantly more observations than previous
analyses, a fully Bayesian nearest-neighbor Gaussian process model is posed to
estimate Antarctic SMB and propose new field measurement locations. A
corresponding Antarctic SMB map is rendered using this model and is compared
with previous estimates. A prediction uncertainty map is created to identify
regions of high SMB uncertainty. The model estimates net SMB to be 2345 Gton
$\text{yr}^{-1}$, with 95% credible interval (2273,2413) Gton $\text{yr}^{-1}$.
Overall, these results suggest lower Antarctic SMB than previously reported.
Using the model's uncertainty quantification, we propose 25 new measurement
sites for field study utilizing a design to minimize integrated mean squared
error.
