Articles | Volume 20, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-4367-2026
© 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-20-4367-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
12 Aug 2026
Research article |
| 12 Aug 2026
| 12 Aug 2026
Mapping snow on northern winter roads: a dual-frequency polarimetric radar approach for snow characterization over land, lake and sea ice
Julienne Stroeve
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Centre for Earth Observation Science (CEOS), Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI), 48310 Bremerhaven, Germany
Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
Rosemary Willatt
Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling, Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK
Madeleine Downie
Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling, Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK
Monojit Saha
University of Maryland, College Park and NASA Goddard, Greenbelt, MD, USA
Carmen Nab
Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling, Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK
British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK
Alicia Fallows
Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling, Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK
Clement Soriot
Centre for Earth Observation Science (CEOS), Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Robbie Mallett
Earth Observation Group, Department of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
Anton Komarov
Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (AWI), 48310 Bremerhaven, Germany
Vishnu Nandan
Department of Geography, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
Thomas Newman
Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling, Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK
Jennifer Lukovich
Centre for Earth Observation Science (CEOS), Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
John Yackel
Department of Geography, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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We examined how winter rain falling on snow may change across northwestern Eurasia as the climate warms. Using projections from nine climate models, we found more winter precipitation and a larger portion falling as rain. Rain-on-snow events become less concentrated in spring and occur over more of the winter, while some southern areas lose spring events as snow cover becomes less persistent. These changes could affect snow conditions, reindeer herding, ecosystems, transport and infrastructure.
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This study examines how changing weather is affecting sea ice near the Arctic community of Tuktoyaktuk in Canada. Using satellite images and weather records, we found that stronger winds from certain directions are causing the sea ice to break more often in winter. These changes pose risks for local people who depend on stable ice for travel and hunting. Our findings help understand how climate change is making Arctic ice less reliable and more dangerous.
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This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
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This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS).
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The Cryosphere, 20, 3913–3932, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3913-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3913-2026, 2026
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Lanqing Huang, Julienne Stroeve, Thomas Newman, Robbie Mallett, Rosemary Willatt, Lu Zhou, Malin Johansson, Carmen Nab, and Alicia Fallows
The Cryosphere, 20, 2825–2849, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-2825-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-2825-2026, 2026
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Catherine Taelman, Jack Landy, Robbie Mallett, and Polona Itkin
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Short summary
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Rasmus Tage Tonboe, Vishnu Nandan, Marcus Huntemann, Julienne Stroeve, Randall Scharien, John Yackel, Lars Kaleschke, Hoyeon Shi, and Tânia Casal
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Jack C. Landy, Claude de Rijke-Thomas, Carmen Nab, Isobel Lawrence, Isolde A. Glissenaar, Robbie D. C. Mallett, Renée M. Fredensborg Hansen, Alek Petty, Michel Tsamados, Amy R. Macfarlane, and Anne Braakmann-Folgmann
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Nicole A. Loeb, Alex Crawford, Brice Noël, and Julienne Stroeve
The Cryosphere, 19, 5403–5422, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5403-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-5403-2025, 2025
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Vaishali Chaudhary, Julienne Stroeve, Vishnu Nandan, and Dustin Isleifson
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Short summary
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Franck Eitel Kemgang Ghomsi, Muharrem Hilmi Erkoç, Roshin P. Raj, Atinç Pirti, Antonio Bonaduce, Babatunde J. Abiodun, and Julienne Stroeve
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Short summary
Short summary
Snow on sea ice is vital for near-shore sea ice geophysical and biological processes. Past studies have measured snow depths using the satellite altimeters Cryosat-2 and ICESat-2 (Cryo2Ice), but estimating sea surface height from leadless landfast sea ice remains challenging. Snow depths from Cryo2Ice are compared to in situ data after adjusting for tides. Realistic snow depths are retrieved, but differences in roughness, satellite footprints, and snow geophysical properties are identified.
Caroline R. Holmes, Thomas J. Bracegirdle, Paul R. Holland, Julienne Stroeve, and Jeremy Wilkinson
The Cryosphere, 18, 5641–5652, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5641-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5641-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Until recently, satellite data showed an increase in Antarctic sea ice area since 1979, but climate models simulated a decrease over this period. This mismatch was one reason for low confidence in model projections of 21st-century sea ice loss. We show that following low Antarctic sea ice in 2022 and 2023, we can no longer conclude that modelled and observed trends differ. However, differences in the manner of the decline mean that model sea ice projections should still be viewed with caution.
Lu Zhou, Julienne Stroeve, Vishnu Nandan, Rosemary Willatt, Shiming Xu, Weixin Zhu, Sahra Kacimi, Stefanie Arndt, and Zifan Yang
The Cryosphere, 18, 4399–4434, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4399-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4399-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Snow over Antarctic sea ice, influenced by highly variable meteorological conditions and heavy snowfall, has a complex stratigraphy and profound impact on the microwave signature. We employ advanced radiation transfer models to analyse the effects of complex snow properties on brightness temperatures over the sea ice in the Southern Ocean. Great potential lies in the understanding of snow processes and the application to satellite retrievals.
Wiebke Margitta Kolbe, Rasmus T. Tonboe, and Julienne Stroeve
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 1247–1264, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1247-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1247-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Current satellite-based sea-ice climate data records (CDRs) usually begin in October 1978 with the first multichannel microwave radiometer data. Here, we present a sea ice dataset based on the single-channel Electrical Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR) that operated from 1972-1977 onboard NASA’s Nimbus 5 satellite. The data were processed using modern methods and include uncertainty estimations in order to provide an important, easy-to-use reference period of good quality for current CDRs.
Alistair Duffey, Robbie Mallett, Peter J. Irvine, Michel Tsamados, and Julienne Stroeve
Earth Syst. Dynam., 14, 1165–1169, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-14-1165-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-14-1165-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The Arctic is warming several times faster than the rest of the planet. Here, we use climate model projections to quantify for the first time how this faster warming in the Arctic impacts the timing of crossing the 1.5 °C and 2 °C thresholds defined in the Paris Agreement. We show that under plausible emissions scenarios that fail to meet the Paris 1.5 °C target, a hypothetical world without faster warming in the Arctic would breach that 1.5 °C target around 5 years later.
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
wind-redistributed snow needs to be accounted for to improve snow depth estimates on sea ice from satellite radars.
Younjoo J. Lee, Wieslaw Maslowski, John J. Cassano, Jaclyn Clement Kinney, Anthony P. Craig, Samy Kamal, Robert Osinski, Mark W. Seefeldt, Julienne Stroeve, and Hailong Wang
The Cryosphere, 17, 233–253, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-233-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-233-2023, 2023
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During 1979–2020, four winter polynyas occurred in December 1986 and February 2011, 2017, and 2018 north of Greenland. Instead of ice melting due to the anomalous warm air intrusion, the extreme wind forcing resulted in greater ice transport offshore. Based on the two ensemble runs, representing a 1980s thicker ice vs. a 2010s thinner ice, a dominant cause of these winter polynyas stems from internal variability of atmospheric forcing rather than from the forced response to a warming climate.
Julienne Stroeve, Vishnu Nandan, Rosemary Willatt, Ruzica Dadic, Philip Rostosky, Michael Gallagher, Robbie Mallett, Andrew Barrett, Stefan Hendricks, Rasmus Tonboe, Michelle McCrystall, Mark Serreze, Linda Thielke, Gunnar Spreen, Thomas Newman, John Yackel, Robert Ricker, Michel Tsamados, Amy Macfarlane, Henna-Reetta Hannula, and Martin Schneebeli
The Cryosphere, 16, 4223–4250, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4223-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4223-2022, 2022
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Impacts of rain on snow (ROS) on satellite-retrieved sea ice variables remain to be fully understood. This study evaluates the impacts of ROS over sea ice on active and passive microwave data collected during the 2019–20 MOSAiC expedition. Rainfall and subsequent refreezing of the snowpack significantly altered emitted and backscattered radar energy, laying important groundwork for understanding their impacts on operational satellite retrievals of various sea ice geophysical variables.
David N. Wagner, Matthew D. Shupe, Christopher Cox, Ola G. Persson, Taneil Uttal, Markus M. Frey, Amélie Kirchgaessner, Martin Schneebeli, Matthias Jaggi, Amy R. Macfarlane, Polona Itkin, Stefanie Arndt, Stefan Hendricks, Daniela Krampe, Marcel Nicolaus, Robert Ricker, Julia Regnery, Nikolai Kolabutin, Egor Shimanshuck, Marc Oggier, Ian Raphael, Julienne Stroeve, and Michael Lehning
The Cryosphere, 16, 2373–2402, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2373-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2373-2022, 2022
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Based on measurements of the snow cover over sea ice and atmospheric measurements, we estimate snowfall and snow accumulation for the MOSAiC ice floe, between November 2019 and May 2020. For this period, we estimate 98–114 mm of precipitation. We suggest that about 34 mm of snow water equivalent accumulated until the end of April 2020 and that at least about 50 % of the precipitated snow was eroded or sublimated. Further, we suggest explanations for potential snowfall overestimation.
William Gregory, Julienne Stroeve, and Michel Tsamados
The Cryosphere, 16, 1653–1673, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1653-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1653-2022, 2022
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This research was conducted to better understand how coupled climate models simulate one of the large-scale interactions between the atmosphere and Arctic sea ice that we see in observational data, the accurate representation of which is important for producing reliable forecasts of Arctic sea ice on seasonal to inter-annual timescales. With network theory, this work shows that models do not reflect this interaction well on average, which is likely due to regional biases in sea ice thickness.
Isolde A. Glissenaar, Jack C. Landy, Alek A. Petty, Nathan T. Kurtz, and Julienne C. Stroeve
The Cryosphere, 15, 4909–4927, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4909-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4909-2021, 2021
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Scientists can estimate sea ice thickness using satellites that measure surface height. To determine the sea ice thickness, we also need to know the snow depth and density. This paper shows that the chosen snow depth product has a considerable impact on the findings of sea ice thickness state and trends in Baffin Bay, showing mean thinning with some snow depth products and mean thickening with others. This shows that it is important to better understand and monitor snow depth on sea ice.
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Short summary
We evaluate polarimetry for snow depth retrieval on Arctic winter transport routes. Over landfast ice and tundra, traditional dual-frequency (Ku/Ka) methods often fail. We demonstrate that cross-polarization (VH) provides a more reliable marker for snow/ice and snow/ground interfaces. For lakes, we successfully resolve air, snow, and ice interfaces to retrieve snow and ice thickness simultaneously. These results establish a baseline for future polarimetric satellite missions.
We evaluate polarimetry for snow depth retrieval on Arctic winter transport routes. Over...
