Recent changes in pan-Antarctic region surface snowmelt detected by AMSR-E and AMSR2

Zheng, Lei; Zhou, Chunxia; Zhang, Tingjun; Liang, Qi; Wang, Kang

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3811-2020

Articles | Volume 14, issue 11

The Cryosphere, 14, 3811–3827, 2020

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3811-2020

© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

The Cryosphere, 14, 3811–3827, 2020

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3811-2020

© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 14, issue 11

Research article 09 Nov 2020

Research article | 09 Nov 2020

Recent changes in pan-Antarctic region surface snowmelt detected by AMSR-E and AMSR2

Lei Zheng et al.

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-3811-2020-supplement

Data sets

AMSR-E/Aqua Daily EASE-Grid Brightness Temperatures, Version 1 K. Knowles, M. Savoie, R. Armstrong, and M. J. Brodzik https://doi.org/10.5067/XIMNXRTQVMOX

Model code and software

Bootstrap Sea Ice Concentrations from Nimbus-7 SMMR and DMSP SSM/I-SSMIS, Version 3 J. Comiso https://doi.org/10.5067/7Q8HCCWS4I0R

Short summary

Snowmelt plays a key role in mass and energy balance in polar regions. In this study, we report on the spatial and temporal variations in the surface snowmelt over the Antarctic sea ice and ice sheet (pan-Antarctic region) based on AMSR-E and AMSR2. Melt detection on sea ice is improved by excluding the effect of open water. The decline in surface snowmelt on the Antarctic ice sheet was very likely linked with the enhanced summer Southern Annular Mode.