Articles | Volume 20, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1559-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1559-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
16 Mar 2026
Research article |
| 16 Mar 2026
| 16 Mar 2026
A decade of winter supraglacial lake drainage across Northeast Greenland using C-band SAR
Connor Wolfgang Dean
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
Randall Scharien
Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
Ian Willis
Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Kali Ann McDougall
Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
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EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1336, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1336, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
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Radiometric low-frequency microwave measurements collected in the Canadian Arctic are used to evaluate how well different models reproduce the emission of snow-covered sea ice. Standard models assume that radiation from different layers does not interfere, but the in situ observations can only be explained when interference effects are included. The results show that this coherent approach reproduces the measurements better, highlighting an effect often neglected in current approaches.
Konstantis Alexopoulos, Ian C. Willis, Hamish D. Pritchard, Giorgos Kyros, Vassiliki Kotroni, and Konstantinos Lagouvardos
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-327, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-327, 2026
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Our research shows that Greece's highest mountains have lost half of their winter snow over the past four decades. Using a new model that reconstructs daily snow cover from satellite and climate data, we found a rapid and widespread decline driven mainly by rising temperatures. These changes fall outside the natural variability of the climate and highlight growing risks for water resources in Mediterranean mountain regions, due to snow droughts.
Julien Meloche, Melody Sandells, Henning Löwe, Nick Rutter, Richard Essery, Ghislain Picard, Randall K. Scharien, Alexandre Langlois, Matthias Jaggi, Josh King, Peter Toose, Jérôme Bouffard, Alessandro Di Bella, and Michele Scagliola
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Sea ice thickness is essential for climate studies. Radar altimetry has provided sea ice thickness measurement, but uncertainty arises from interaction of the signal with the snow cover. Therefore, modelling the signal interaction with the snow is necessary to improve retrieval. A radar model was used to simulate the radar signal from the snow-covered sea ice. This work paved the way to improved physical algorithm to retrieve snow depth and sea ice thickness for radar altimeter missions.
Vishnu Nandan, Rosemary Willatt, Robbie Mallett, Julienne Stroeve, Torsten Geldsetzer, Randall Scharien, Rasmus Tonboe, John Yackel, Jack Landy, David Clemens-Sewall, Arttu Jutila, David N. Wagner, Daniela Krampe, Marcus Huntemann, Mallik Mahmud, David Jensen, Thomas Newman, Stefan Hendricks, Gunnar Spreen, Amy Macfarlane, Martin Schneebeli, James Mead, Robert Ricker, Michael Gallagher, Claude Duguay, Ian Raphael, Chris Polashenski, Michel Tsamados, Ilkka Matero, and Mario Hoppmann
The Cryosphere, 17, 2211–2229, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2211-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2211-2023, 2023
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We show that wind redistributes snow on Arctic sea ice, and Ka- and Ku-band radar measurements detect both newly deposited snow and buried snow layers that can affect the accuracy of snow depth estimates on sea ice. Radar, laser, meteorological, and snow data were collected during the MOSAiC expedition. With frequent occurrence of storms in the Arctic, our results show that
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Nikolas O. Aksamit, Randall K. Scharien, Jennifer K. Hutchings, and Jennifer V. Lukovich
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Coherent flow patterns in sea ice have a significant influence on sea ice fracture and refreezing. We can better understand the state of sea ice, and its influence on the atmosphere and ocean, if we understand these structures. By adapting recent developments in chaotic dynamical systems, we are able to approximate ice stretching surrounding individual ice buoys. This illuminates the state of sea ice at much higher resolution and allows us to see previously invisible ice deformation patterns.
Karla Boxall, Frazer D. W. Christie, Ian C. Willis, Jan Wuite, and Thomas Nagler
The Cryosphere, 16, 3907–3932, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3907-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3907-2022, 2022
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Using high-spatial- and high-temporal-resolution satellite imagery, we provide the first evidence for seasonal flow variability of land ice draining to George VI Ice Shelf (GVIIS), Antarctica. Ultimately, our findings imply that other glaciers in Antarctica may be susceptible to – and/or currently undergoing – similar ice-flow seasonality, including at the highly vulnerable and rapidly retreating Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers.
Brent G. T. Else, Araleigh Cranch, Richard P. Sims, Samantha Jones, Laura A. Dalman, Christopher J. Mundy, Rebecca A. Segal, Randall K. Scharien, and Tania Guha
The Cryosphere, 16, 3685–3701, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3685-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3685-2022, 2022
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Sea ice helps control how much carbon dioxide polar oceans absorb. We compared ice cores from two sites to look for differences in carbon chemistry: one site had thin ice due to strong ocean currents and thick snow; the other site had thick ice, thin snow, and weak currents. We did find some differences in small layers near the top and the bottom of the cores, but for most of the ice volume the chemistry was the same. This result will help build better models of the carbon sink in polar oceans.
Corinne L. Benedek and Ian C. Willis
The Cryosphere, 15, 1587–1606, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1587-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1587-2021, 2021
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The surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet contains thousands of surface lakes. These lakes can deliver water through cracks to the ice sheet base and influence the speed of ice flow. Here we look at instances of lakes draining in the middle of winter using the Sentinel-1 radar satellites. Winter-draining lakes can help us understand the mechanisms for lake drainages throughout the year and can point to winter movement of water that will impact our understanding of ice sheet hydrology.
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Short summary
In this study we track winter supraglacial lake drainage on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Winter drainage is hard to observe, so we used synthetic aperture radar images to build a method that detects events across ten winter seasons. We find drainage occurs every winter, often in cascades, is most common at lower elevations, and indicates clear links to summer drainage and melt conditions. Winter drainage seldom drives seasonal changes in ice speed, though brief increases can follow cascade events.
In this study we track winter supraglacial lake drainage on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Winter...
