Articles | Volume 9, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1551-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1551-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
12 Aug 2015
Research article |
| 12 Aug 2015
Melt pond fraction and spectral sea ice albedo retrieval from MERIS data – Part 1: Validation against in situ, aerial, and ship cruise data
L. Istomina
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
G. Heygster
Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
M. Huntemann
Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
P. Schwarz
Department of Environmental Meteorology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
G. Birnbaum
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
R. Scharien
Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
C. Polashenski
Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Engineer Research and Development Center, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
D. Perovich
Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Engineer Research and Development Center, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
E. Zege
B. I. Stepanov Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus
A. Malinka
B. I. Stepanov Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus
A. Prikhach
B. I. Stepanov Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus
I. Katsev
B. I. Stepanov Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus
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Stephan Paul and Marcus Huntemann
The Cryosphere, 15, 1551–1565, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1551-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1551-2021, 2021
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Evelyn Jäkel, Tim Carlsen, André Ehrlich, Manfred Wendisch, Michael Schäfer, Sophie Rosenburg, Konstantina Nakoudi, Marco Zanatta, Gerit Birnbaum, Veit Helm, Andreas Herber, Larysa Istomina, Linlu Mei, and Anika Rohde
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-14, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-14, 2021
Preprint withdrawn
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Different approaches to retrieve the optical-equivalent snow grain size using satellite, airborne, and ground-based observations were evaluated and compared to modeled data. The study is focused on low Sun and partly rough surface conditions encountered North of Greenland in March/April 2018. We proposed an adjusted airborne retrieval method to reduce the retrieval uncertainty.
Stephen E. L. Howell, Randall K. Scharien, Jack Landy, and Mike Brady
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Larysa Istomina, Henrik Marks, Marcus Huntemann, Georg Heygster, and Gunnar Spreen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 6459–6472, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6459-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6459-2020, 2020
Tim Carlsen, Gerit Birnbaum, André Ehrlich, Veit Helm, Evelyn Jäkel, Michael Schäfer, and Manfred Wendisch
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Christine Pohl, Larysa Istomina, Steffen Tietsche, Evelyn Jäkel, Johannes Stapf, Gunnar Spreen, and Georg Heygster
The Cryosphere, 14, 165–182, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-165-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-165-2020, 2020
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A spectral to broadband conversion is developed empirically that can be used in combination with the Melt Pond Detector algorithm to derive broadband albedo (300–3000 nm) of Arctic sea ice from MERIS data. It is validated and shows better performance compared to existing conversion methods. A comparison of MERIS broadband albedo with respective values from ERA5 reanalysis suggests a revision of the albedo values used in ERA5. MERIS albedo might be useful for improving albedo representation.
Yufang Ye, Mohammed Shokr, Signe Aaboe, Wiebke Aldenhoff, Leif E. B. Eriksson, Georg Heygster, Christian Melsheimer, and Fanny Girard-Ardhuin
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-200, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2019-200, 2019
Revised manuscript not accepted
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Sea ice has been monitored with microwave satellite observations since the late 1970s. However, the question remains as to which sea ice type concentration (SITC) method is most appropriate for ice type distribution and hence climate monitoring. This paper presents key results of inter-comparison and evaluation for eight SITC methods. The SITC methods were inter-compared with sea ice age and sea ice type products. Their performances were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively.
Valentin Ludwig, Gunnar Spreen, Christian Haas, Larysa Istomina, Frank Kauker, and Dmitrii Murashkin
The Cryosphere, 13, 2051–2073, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2051-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2051-2019, 2019
Short summary
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Sea-ice concentration, the fraction of an area covered by sea ice, can be observed from satellites with different methods. We combine two methods to obtain a product which is better than either of the input measurements alone. The benefit of our product is demonstrated by observing the formation of an open water area which can now be observed with more detail. Additionally, we find that the open water area formed because the sea ice drifted in the opposite direction and faster than usual.
Lise Kilic, Rasmus Tage Tonboe, Catherine Prigent, and Georg Heygster
The Cryosphere, 13, 1283–1296, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1283-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1283-2019, 2019
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In this study, we develop and present simple algorithms to derive the snow depth, the snow–ice interface temperature, and the effective temperature of Arctic sea ice. This is achieved using satellite observations collocated with buoy measurements. The errors of the retrieved parameters are estimated and compared with independent data. These parameters are useful for sea ice concentration mapping, understanding sea ice properties and variability, and for atmospheric sounding applications.
Cătălin Paţilea, Georg Heygster, Marcus Huntemann, and Gunnar Spreen
The Cryosphere, 13, 675–691, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-675-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-675-2019, 2019
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Sea ice thickness is important for representing atmosphere–ocean interactions in climate models. A validated satellite sea ice thickness measurement algorithm is transferred to a new sensor. The results offer a better temporal and spatial coverage of satellite measurements in the polar regions. Here we describe the calibration procedure between the two sensors, taking into account their technical differences. In addition a new filter for interference from artificial radio sources is implemented.
Thomas Lavergne, Atle Macdonald Sørensen, Stefan Kern, Rasmus Tonboe, Dirk Notz, Signe Aaboe, Louisa Bell, Gorm Dybkjær, Steinar Eastwood, Carolina Gabarro, Georg Heygster, Mari Anne Killie, Matilde Brandt Kreiner, John Lavelle, Roberto Saldo, Stein Sandven, and Leif Toudal Pedersen
The Cryosphere, 13, 49–78, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-49-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-49-2019, 2019
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The loss of polar sea ice is an iconic indicator of Earth’s climate change. Many satellite-based algorithms and resulting data exist but they differ widely in specific sea-ice conditions. This spread hinders a robust estimate of the future evolution of sea-ice cover.
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Erlend M. Knudsen, Bernd Heinold, Sandro Dahlke, Heiko Bozem, Susanne Crewell, Irina V. Gorodetskaya, Georg Heygster, Daniel Kunkel, Marion Maturilli, Mario Mech, Carolina Viceto, Annette Rinke, Holger Schmithüsen, André Ehrlich, Andreas Macke, Christof Lüpkes, and Manfred Wendisch
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The paper describes the synoptic development during the ACLOUD/PASCAL airborne and ship-based field campaign near Svalbard in spring 2017. This development is presented using near-surface and upperair meteorological observations, satellite, and model data. We first present time series of these data, from which we identify and characterize three key periods. Finally, we put our observations in historical and regional contexts and compare our findings to other Arctic field campaigns.
Anton Andreevich Korosov, Pierre Rampal, Leif Toudal Pedersen, Roberto Saldo, Yufang Ye, Georg Heygster, Thomas Lavergne, Signe Aaboe, and Fanny Girard-Ardhuin
The Cryosphere, 12, 2073–2085, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2073-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2073-2018, 2018
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A new algorithm for estimating sea ice age in the Arctic is presented. The algorithm accounts for motion, deformation, melting and freezing of sea ice and uses daily sea ice drift and sea ice concentration products. The major advantage of the new algorithm is the ability to generate individual ice age fractions in each pixel or, in other words, to provide a frequency distribution of the ice age. Multi-year ice concentration can be computed as a sum of all ice fractions older than 1 year.
Aleksey Malinka, Eleonora Zege, Larysa Istomina, Georg Heygster, Gunnar Spreen, Donald Perovich, and Chris Polashenski
The Cryosphere, 12, 1921–1937, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1921-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1921-2018, 2018
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Melt ponds occupy a large part of the Arctic sea ice in summer and strongly affect the radiative budget of the atmosphere–ice–ocean system. The melt pond reflectance is modeled in the framework of the radiative transfer theory and validated with field observations. It improves understanding of melting sea ice and enables better parameterization of the surface in Arctic atmospheric remote sensing (clouds, aerosols, trace gases) and re-evaluating Arctic climatic feedbacks at a new accuracy level.
Jan Melchior van Wessem, Willem Jan van de Berg, Brice P. Y. Noël, Erik van Meijgaard, Charles Amory, Gerit Birnbaum, Constantijn L. Jakobs, Konstantin Krüger, Jan T. M. Lenaerts, Stef Lhermitte, Stefan R. M. Ligtenberg, Brooke Medley, Carleen H. Reijmer, Kristof van Tricht, Luke D. Trusel, Lambertus H. van Ulft, Bert Wouters, Jan Wuite, and Michiel R. van den Broeke
The Cryosphere, 12, 1479–1498, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1479-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1479-2018, 2018
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We present a detailed evaluation of the latest version of the regional atmospheric climate model RACMO2.3p2 (1979-2016) over the Antarctic ice sheet. The model successfully reproduces the present-day climate and surface mass balance (SMB) when compared with an extensive set of observations and improves on previous estimates of the Antarctic climate and SMB.
This study shows that the latest version of RACMO2 can be used for high-resolution future projections over the AIS.
Peng Lu, Matti Leppäranta, Bin Cheng, Zhijun Li, Larysa Istomina, and Georg Heygster
The Cryosphere, 12, 1331–1345, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1331-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1331-2018, 2018
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It is the first time that the color of melt ponds on Arctic sea ice was quantitatively and thoroughly investigated. We answer the question of why the color of melt ponds can change and what the physical and optical reasons are that lead to such changes. More importantly, melt-pond color was provided as potential data in determining ice thickness, especially under the summer conditions when other methods such as remote sensing are unavailable.
Raul Cristian Scarlat, Christian Melsheimer, and Georg Heygster
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 2067–2084, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-2067-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-2067-2018, 2018
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An obstacle in achieving reliable satellite measurements of atmospheric water vapour in the Arctic is the presence of sea ice. Here we have built on a previous method that achieves consistent atmospheric measurements over sea-ice-covered regions. The main focus was to adapt the method for better coverage in shallow-ice-covered and ice-free areas by accounting for the signal from the open-ocean surface. This approach extends the coverage from the central Arctic to the entire Arctic region.
Tim Carlsen, Gerit Birnbaum, André Ehrlich, Johannes Freitag, Georg Heygster, Larysa Istomina, Sepp Kipfstuhl, Anaïs Orsi, Michael Schäfer, and Manfred Wendisch
The Cryosphere, 11, 2727–2741, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2727-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2727-2017, 2017
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The optical size of snow grains (ropt) affects the reflectivity of snow surfaces and thus the local surface energy budget in particular in polar regions. The temporal evolution of ropt retrieved from ground-based, airborne, and spaceborne remote sensing could reproduce optical in situ measurements for a 2-month period in central Antarctica (2013/14). The presented validation study provided a unique testbed for retrievals of ropt under Antarctic conditions where in situ data are scarce.
André Ehrlich, Eike Bierwirth, Larysa Istomina, and Manfred Wendisch
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 3215–3230, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-3215-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-3215-2017, 2017
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In the Arctic, uncertainties in passive solar remote sensing of cloud properties arise from uncertainties in the assumed spectral surface albedo, mainly determined by the generally unknown effective snow grain size. Therefore, a retrieval method is presented that simultaneously derives liquid water cloud and snow surface parameters, including cloud optical thickness, droplet effective radius, and effective snow grain size. Airborne measurements were used to test the retrieval procedure.
Aleksey Malinka, Eleonora Zege, Georg Heygster, and Larysa Istomina
The Cryosphere, 10, 2541–2557, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2541-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2541-2016, 2016
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The number of melt ponds on Arctic summer sea ice and its reflectance are required for better climate modeling and weather prediction. In order to derive these quantities from optical satellite observations, simple analytical formulas for the bidirectional reflectance factor and albedo at direct and diffuse incidence are derived from basic assumptions and verified with in situ measurements made during the expedition ARK-XXVII/3 of research vessel Polarstern in 2012.
François Ritter, Hans Christian Steen-Larsen, Martin Werner, Valérie Masson-Delmotte, Anais Orsi, Melanie Behrens, Gerit Birnbaum, Johannes Freitag, Camille Risi, and Sepp Kipfstuhl
The Cryosphere, 10, 1647–1663, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1647-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-1647-2016, 2016
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We present successful continuous measurements of water vapor isotopes performed in Antarctica in January 2013. The interest is to understand the impact of the water vapor isotopic composition on the near-surface snow isotopes. Our study reveals a diurnal cycle in the snow isotopic composition in phase with the vapor. This finding suggests fractionation during the sublimation of the ice, which has an important consequence on the interpretation of water isotope variations in ice cores.
N. Ivanova, L. T. Pedersen, R. T. Tonboe, S. Kern, G. Heygster, T. Lavergne, A. Sørensen, R. Saldo, G. Dybkjær, L. Brucker, and M. Shokr
The Cryosphere, 9, 1797–1817, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1797-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1797-2015, 2015
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Thirty sea ice algorithms are inter-compared and evaluated systematically over low and high sea ice concentrations, as well as in the presence of thin ice and melt ponds. A hybrid approach is suggested to retrieve sea ice concentration globally for climate monitoring purposes. This approach consists of a combination of two algorithms plus the implementation of a dynamic tie point and atmospheric correction of input brightness temperatures.
L. Istomina, G. Heygster, M. Huntemann, H. Marks, C. Melsheimer, E. Zege, A. Malinka, A. Prikhach, and I. Katsev
The Cryosphere, 9, 1567–1578, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1567-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1567-2015, 2015
R. K. Scharien, J. Landy, and D. G. Barber
The Cryosphere, 8, 2147–2162, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-2147-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-2147-2014, 2014
R. K. Scharien, K. Hochheim, J. Landy, and D. G. Barber
The Cryosphere, 8, 2163–2176, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-2163-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-2163-2014, 2014
A. Tetzlaff, C. Lüpkes, G. Birnbaum, J. Hartmann, T. Nygård, and T. Vihma
The Cryosphere, 8, 1757–1762, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1757-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1757-2014, 2014
T. Vihma, R. Pirazzini, I. Fer, I. A. Renfrew, J. Sedlar, M. Tjernström, C. Lüpkes, T. Nygård, D. Notz, J. Weiss, D. Marsan, B. Cheng, G. Birnbaum, S. Gerland, D. Chechin, and J. C. Gascard
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 9403–9450, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-9403-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-9403-2014, 2014
J. W. Halfacre, T. N. Knepp, P. B. Shepson, C. R. Thompson, K. A. Pratt, B. Li, P. K. Peterson, S. J. Walsh, W. R. Simpson, P. A. Matrai, J. W. Bottenheim, S. Netcheva, D. K. Perovich, and A. Richter
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 4875–4894, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-4875-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-4875-2014, 2014
M. Huntemann, G. Heygster, L. Kaleschke, T. Krumpen, M. Mäkynen, and M. Drusch
The Cryosphere, 8, 439–451, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-439-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-439-2014, 2014
Related subject area
Remote Sensing
MMSeaIce: a collection of techniques for improving sea ice mapping with a multi-task model
Snow water equivalent retrieved from X- and dual Ku-band scatterometer measurements at Sodankylä using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method
Lead fractions from SAR-derived sea ice divergence during MOSAiC
Bayesian physical–statistical retrieval of snow water equivalent and snow depth from X- and Ku-band synthetic aperture radar – demonstration using airborne SnowSAr in SnowEx'17
A low-cost and open-source approach for supraglacial debris thickness mapping using UAV-based infrared thermography
Snow water equivalent retrieval over Idaho – Part 1: Using Sentinel-1 repeat-pass interferometry
Passive microwave remote-sensing-based high-resolution snow depth mapping for Western Himalayan zones using multifactor modeling approach
Mapping surface hoar from near-infrared texture in a laboratory
Refined glacial lake extraction in a high-Asia region by deep neural network and superpixel-based conditional random field methods
Retrieval of snow water equivalent from dual-frequency radar measurements: using time series to overcome the need for accurate a priori information
Ice floe segmentation and floe size distribution in airborne and high-resolution optical satellite images: towards an automated labelling deep learning approach
Annual to seasonal glacier mass balance in High Mountain Asia derived from Pléiades stereo images: examples from the Pamir and the Tibetan Plateau
Snow accumulation, albedo and melt patterns following road construction on permafrost, Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway, Canada
Co-registration and residual correction of digital elevation models: a comparative study
Out-of-the-box calving-front detection method using deep learning
Sea ice transport and replenishment across and within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago: 2016–2022
Mapping the extent of giant Antarctic icebergs with deep learning
Allometric scaling of retrogressive thaw slumps
Mapping Antarctic crevasses and their evolution with deep learning applied to satellite radar imagery
Measuring the spatiotemporal variability in snow depth in subarctic environments using UASs – Part 1: Measurements, processing, and accuracy assessment
Measuring the spatiotemporal variability in snow depth in subarctic environments using UASs – Part 2: Snow processes and snow–canopy interactions
Evaluating Snow Microwave Radiative Transfer (SMRT) model emissivities with 89 to 243 GHz observations of Arctic tundra snow
Temperature-dominated spatiotemporal variability in snow phenology on the Tibetan Plateau from 2002 to 2021
Brief communication: Identification of tundra topsoil frozen/thawed state from SMAP and GCOM-W1 radiometer measurements using the spectral gradient method
New estimates of pan-Arctic sea ice–atmosphere neutral drag coefficients from ICESat-2 elevation data
GLAcier Feature Tracking testkit (GLAFT): a statistically and physically based framework for evaluating glacier velocity products derived from optical satellite image feature tracking
Thermal infrared shadow-hiding in GOES-R ABI imagery: snow and forest temperature observations from the SnowEx 2020 Grand Mesa field campaign
Evaluating the utility of active microwave observations as a snow mission concept using observing system simulation experiments
Relevance of warm air intrusions for Arctic satellite sea ice concentration time series
Observing the evolution of summer melt on multiyear sea ice with ICESat-2 and Sentinel-2
Cast shadows reveal changes in glacier surface elevation
AutoTerm: an automated pipeline for glacier terminus extraction using machine learning and a “big data” repository of Greenland glacier termini
Lake Ice Break-Up in Greenland: Timing and Spatio-Temporal Variability
Characterizing the surge behaviour and associated ice-dammed lake evolution of the Kyagar Glacier in the Karakoram
Spaceborne thermal infrared observations of Arctic sea ice leads at 30 m resolution
Evaluation of snow depth retrievals from ICESat-2 using airborne laser-scanning data
How do tradeoffs in satellite spatial and temporal resolution impact snow water equivalent reconstruction?
SAR Deep Learning Sea Ice Retrieval Trained with Airborne Laser Scanner Measurements from the MOSAiC Expedition
Exploring the use of multi-source high-resolution satellite data for snow water equivalent reconstruction over mountainous catchments
Constraining regional glacier reconstructions using past ice thickness of deglaciating areas – a case study in the European Alps
Wind redistribution of snow impacts the Ka- and Ku-band radar signatures of Arctic sea ice
Estimating snow accumulation and ablation with L-band interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR)
Bedfast and floating-ice dynamics of thermokarst lakes using a temporal deep-learning mapping approach: case study of the Old Crow Flats, Yukon, Canada
First observations of sea ice flexural–gravity waves with ground-based radar interferometry in Utqiaġvik, Alaska
Climatic control on seasonal variations in mountain glacier surface velocity
Snowmelt characterization from optical and synthetic-aperture radar observations in the La Joie Basin, British Columbia
Recent changes in drainage route and outburst magnitude of the Russell Glacier ice-dammed lake, West Greenland
Feasibility of retrieving Arctic sea ice thickness from the Chinese HY-2B Ku-band radar altimeter
Sea ice classification of TerraSAR-X ScanSAR images for the MOSAiC expedition incorporating per-class incidence angle dependency of image texture
Topographic and vegetation controls of the spatial distribution of snow depth in agro-forested environments by UAV lidar
Xinwei Chen, Muhammed Patel, Fernando J. Pena Cantu, Jinman Park, Javier Noa Turnes, Linlin Xu, K. Andrea Scott, and David A. Clausi
The Cryosphere, 18, 1621–1632, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1621-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1621-2024, 2024
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This paper introduces an automated sea ice mapping pipeline utilizing a multi-task U-Net architecture. It attained the top score of 86.3 % in the AutoICE challenge. Ablation studies revealed that incorporating brightness temperature data and spatial–temporal information significantly enhanced model accuracy. Accurate sea ice mapping is vital for comprehending the Arctic environment and its global climate effects, underscoring the potential of deep learning.
Jinmei Pan, Michael Durand, Juha Lemmetyinen, Desheng Liu, and Jiancheng Shi
The Cryosphere, 18, 1561–1578, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1561-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1561-2024, 2024
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We developed an algorithm to estimate snow mass using X- and dual Ku-band radar, and tested it in a ground-based experiment. The algorithm, the Bayesian-based Algorithm for SWE Estimation (BASE) using active microwaves, achieved an RMSE of 30 mm for snow water equivalent. These results demonstrate the potential of radar, a highly promising sensor, to map snow mass at high spatial resolution.
Luisa von Albedyll, Stefan Hendricks, Nils Hutter, Dmitrii Murashkin, Lars Kaleschke, Sascha Willmes, Linda Thielke, Xiangshan Tian-Kunze, Gunnar Spreen, and Christian Haas
The Cryosphere, 18, 1259–1285, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1259-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1259-2024, 2024
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Leads (openings in sea ice cover) are created by sea ice dynamics. Because they are important for many processes in the Arctic winter climate, we aim to detect them with satellites. We present two new techniques to detect lead widths of a few hundred meters at high spatial resolution (700 m) and independent of clouds or sun illumination. We use the MOSAiC drift 2019–2020 in the Arctic for our case study and compare our new products to other existing lead products.
Siddharth Singh, Michael Durand, Edward Kim, and Ana P. Barros
The Cryosphere, 18, 747–773, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-747-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-747-2024, 2024
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Seasonal snowfall accumulation plays a critical role in climate. The water stored in it is measured by the snow water equivalent (SWE), the amount of water released after completely melting. We demonstrate a Bayesian physical–statistical framework to estimate SWE from airborne X- and Ku-band synthetic aperture radar backscatter measurements constrained by physical snow hydrology and radar models. We explored spatial resolutions and vertical structures that agree well with ground observations.
Jérôme Messmer and Alexander Raphael Groos
The Cryosphere, 18, 719–746, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-719-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-719-2024, 2024
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The lower part of mountain glaciers is often covered with debris. Knowing the thickness of the debris is important as it influences the melting and future evolution of the affected glaciers. We have developed an open-source approach to map variations in debris thickness on glaciers using a low-cost drone equipped with a thermal infrared camera. The resulting high-resolution maps of debris surface temperature and thickness enable more accurate monitoring and modelling of debris-covered glaciers.
Shadi Oveisgharan, Robert Zinke, Zachary Hoppinen, and Hans Peter Marshall
The Cryosphere, 18, 559–574, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-559-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-559-2024, 2024
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The seasonal snowpack provides water resources to billions of people worldwide. Large-scale mapping of snow water equivalent (SWE) with high resolution is critical for many scientific and economics fields. In this work we used the radar remote sensing interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) to estimate the SWE change between 2 d. The error in the estimated SWE change is less than 2 cm for in situ stations. Additionally, the retrieved SWE using InSAR is correlated with lidar snow depth.
Dhiraj Kumar Singh, Srinivasarao Tanniru, Kamal Kant Singh, Harendra Singh Negi, and RAAJ Ramsankaran
The Cryosphere, 18, 451–474, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-451-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-451-2024, 2024
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In situ techniques for snow depth (SD) measurement are not adequate to represent the spatiotemporal variability in SD in the Western Himalayan region. Therefore, this study focuses on the high-resolution mapping of daily snow depth in the Indian Western Himalayan region using passive microwave remote-sensing-based algorithms. Overall, the proposed multifactor SD models demonstrated substantial improvement compared to the operational products. However, there is a scope for further improvement.
James Dillon, Christopher Donahue, Evan Schehrer, Karl Birkeland, and Kevin Hammonds
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-3133, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-3133, 2024
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Surface hoar crystals are snow grains that form when vapor deposits on the snow surface. They create a weak layer in the snowpack that can cause large avalanches to occur. Thus, determining when and where surface hoar forms is a lifesaving matter. Here, we developed a means of mapping surface hoar using remote sensing technologies. We found that surface hoar displayed heightened texture, hence the variability of brightness. Using this, we created surface hoar maps with accuracy upwards of 95 %.
Yungang Cao, Rumeng Pan, Meng Pan, Ruodan Lei, Puying Du, and Xueqin Bai
The Cryosphere, 18, 153–168, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-153-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-153-2024, 2024
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This study built a glacial lake dataset with 15376 samples in seven types and proposed an automatic method by two-stage (the semantic segmentation network and post-processing) optimizations to detect glacial lakes. The proposed method for glacial lake extraction has achieved the best results so far, in which the F1 score and IoU reached 0.945 and 0.907, respectively. The area of the minimum glacial lake that can be entirely and correctly extracted has been raised to the 100 m2 level.
Michael Durand, Joel T. Johnson, Jack Dechow, Leung Tsang, Firoz Borah, and Edward J. Kim
The Cryosphere, 18, 139–152, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-139-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-139-2024, 2024
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Seasonal snow accumulates each winter, storing water to release later in the year and modulating both water and energy cycles, but the amount of seasonal snow is one of the most poorly measured components of the global water cycle. Satellite concepts to monitor snow accumulation have been proposed but not selected. This paper shows that snow accumulation can be measured using radar, and that (contrary to previous studies) does not require highly accurate information about snow microstructure.
Qin Zhang and Nick Hughes
The Cryosphere, 17, 5519–5537, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5519-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5519-2023, 2023
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To alleviate tedious manual image annotations for training deep learning (DL) models in floe instance segmentation, we employ a classical image processing technique to automatically label floes in images. We then apply a DL semantic method for fast and adaptive floe instance segmentation from high-resolution airborne and satellite images. A post-processing algorithm is also proposed to refine the segmentation and further to derive acceptable floe size distributions at local and global scales.
Daniel Falaschi, Atanu Bhattacharya, Gregoire Guillet, Lei Huang, Owen King, Kriti Mukherjee, Philipp Rastner, Tandong Yao, and Tobias Bolch
The Cryosphere, 17, 5435–5458, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5435-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5435-2023, 2023
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Because glaciers are crucial freshwater sources in the lowlands surrounding High Mountain Asia, constraining short-term glacier mass changes is essential. We investigate the potential of state-of-the-art satellite elevation data to measure glacier mass changes in two selected regions. The results demonstrate the ability of our dataset to characterize glacier changes of different magnitudes, allowing for an increase in the number of inaccessible glaciers that can be readily monitored.
Jennika Hammar, Inge Grünberg, Steven V. Kokelj, Jurjen van der Sluijs, and Julia Boike
The Cryosphere, 17, 5357–5372, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5357-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5357-2023, 2023
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Roads on permafrost have significant environmental effects. This study assessed the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway (ITH) in Canada and its impact on snow accumulation, albedo and snowmelt timing. Our findings revealed that snow accumulation increased by up to 36 m from the road, 12-day earlier snowmelt within 100 m due to reduced albedo, and altered snowmelt patterns in seemingly undisturbed areas. Remote sensing aids in understanding road impacts on permafrost.
Tao Li, Yuanlin Hu, Bin Liu, Liming Jiang, Hansheng Wang, and Xiang Shen
The Cryosphere, 17, 5299–5316, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5299-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5299-2023, 2023
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Raw DEMs are often misaligned with each other due to georeferencing errors, and a co-registration process is required before DEM differencing. We present a comparative analysis of the two classical DEM co-registration and three residual correction algorithms. The experimental results show that rotation and scale biases should be considered in DEM co-registration. The new non-parametric regression technique can eliminate the complex systematic errors, which existed in the co-registration results.
Oskar Herrmann, Nora Gourmelon, Thorsten Seehaus, Andreas Maier, Johannes J. Fürst, Matthias H. Braun, and Vincent Christlein
The Cryosphere, 17, 4957–4977, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4957-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4957-2023, 2023
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Delineating calving fronts of marine-terminating glaciers in satellite images is a labour-intensive task. We propose a method based on deep learning that automates this task. We choose a deep learning framework that adapts to any given dataset without needing deep learning expertise. The method is evaluated on a benchmark dataset for calving-front detection and glacier zone segmentation. The framework can beat the benchmark baseline without major modifications.
Stephen E. L. Howell, David G. Babb, Jack C. Landy, Isolde A. Glissenaar, Kaitlin McNeil, Benoit Montpetit, and Mike Brady
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2366, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2366, 2023
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The CAA serves as both a source and sink for sea ice from the Arctic Ocean, while also exporting sea ice into Baffin Bay and is also an important region with respect to navigating the Northwest Passage. Here, we quantify sea ice transport and replenishment across and within the CAA from 2016 to 2022. We also provide the first estimates of the ice area and volume flux within the CAA from the Queen Elizabeth Islands to the Parry Channel which spans the central region of the Northwest Passage.
Anne Braakmann-Folgmann, Andrew Shepherd, David Hogg, and Ella Redmond
The Cryosphere, 17, 4675–4690, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4675-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4675-2023, 2023
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In this study, we propose a deep neural network to map the extent of giant Antarctic icebergs in Sentinel-1 images automatically. While each manual delineation requires several minutes, our U-net takes less than 0.01 s. In terms of accuracy, we find that U-net outperforms two standard segmentation techniques (Otsu, k-means) in most metrics and is more robust to challenging scenes with sea ice, coast and other icebergs. The absolute median deviation in iceberg area across 191 images is 4.1 %.
Jurjen van der Sluijs, Steven V. Kokelj, and Jon F. Tunnicliffe
The Cryosphere, 17, 4511–4533, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4511-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4511-2023, 2023
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There is an urgent need to obtain size and erosion estimates of climate-driven landslides, such as retrogressive thaw slumps. We evaluated surface interpolation techniques to estimate slump erosional volumes and developed a new inventory method by which the size and activity of these landslides are tracked through time. Models between slump area and volume reveal non-linear intensification, whereby model coefficients improve our understanding of how permafrost landscapes may evolve over time.
Trystan Surawy-Stepney, Anna E. Hogg, Stephen L. Cornford, and David C. Hogg
The Cryosphere, 17, 4421–4445, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4421-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4421-2023, 2023
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The presence of crevasses in Antarctica influences how the ice sheet behaves. It is important, therefore, to collect data on the spatial distribution of crevasses and how they are changing. We present a method of mapping crevasses from satellite radar imagery and apply it to 7.5 years of images, covering Antarctica's floating and grounded ice. We develop a method of measuring change in the density of crevasses and quantify increased fracturing in important parts of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Anssi Rauhala, Leo-Juhani Meriö, Anton Kuzmin, Pasi Korpelainen, Pertti Ala-aho, Timo Kumpula, Bjørn Kløve, and Hannu Marttila
The Cryosphere, 17, 4343–4362, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4343-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4343-2023, 2023
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Snow conditions in the Northern Hemisphere are rapidly changing, and information on snow depth is important for decision-making. We present snow depth measurements using different drones throughout the winter at a subarctic site. Generally, all drones produced good estimates of snow depth in open areas. However, differences were observed in the accuracies produced by the different drones, and a reduction in accuracy was observed when moving from an open mire area to forest-covered areas.
Leo-Juhani Meriö, Anssi Rauhala, Pertti Ala-aho, Anton Kuzmin, Pasi Korpelainen, Timo Kumpula, Bjørn Kløve, and Hannu Marttila
The Cryosphere, 17, 4363–4380, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4363-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4363-2023, 2023
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Information on seasonal snow cover is essential in understanding snow processes and operational forecasting. We study the spatiotemporal variability in snow depth and snow processes in a subarctic, boreal landscape using drones. We identified multiple theoretically known snow processes and interactions between snow and vegetation. The results highlight the applicability of the drones to be used for a detailed study of snow depth in multiple land cover types and snow–vegetation interactions.
Kirsty Wivell, Stuart Fox, Melody Sandells, Chawn Harlow, Richard Essery, and Nick Rutter
The Cryosphere, 17, 4325–4341, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4325-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4325-2023, 2023
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Satellite microwave observations improve weather forecasts, but to use these observations in the Arctic, snow emission must be known. This study uses airborne and in situ snow observations to validate emissivity simulations for two- and three-layer snowpacks at key frequencies for weather prediction. We assess the impact of thickness, grain size and density in key snow layers, which will help inform development of physical snow models that provide snow profile input to emissivity simulations.
Jiahui Xu, Yao Tang, Linxin Dong, Shujie Wang, Bailang Yu, Jianping Wu, Zhaojun Zheng, and Yan Huang
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-135, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-135, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
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Understanding snow phenology (SP) and its possible feedback are important. We reveal dynamic variability in SP and the mediating effects from meteorological, topographic, and environmental factors on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). SP is spatiotemporal heterogeneous and its interannual variation is elevation-dependent. The importance of temperature versus precipitation to SP shifted across elevation. This study contributes to understanding past global warming and predicting future trends on the TP.
Konstantin Muzalevskiy, Zdenek Ruzicka, Alexandre Roy, Michael Loranty, and Alexander Vasiliev
The Cryosphere, 17, 4155–4164, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4155-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4155-2023, 2023
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A new all-weather method for determining the frozen/thawed (FT) state of soils in the Arctic region based on satellite data was proposed. The method is based on multifrequency measurement of brightness temperatures by the SMAP and GCOM-W1/AMSR2 satellites. The created method was tested at sites in Canada, Finland, Russia, and the USA, based on climatic weather station data. The proposed method identifies the FT state of Arctic soils with better accuracy than existing methods.
Alexander Mchedlishvili, Christof Lüpkes, Alek Petty, Michel Tsamados, and Gunnar Spreen
The Cryosphere, 17, 4103–4131, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4103-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4103-2023, 2023
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In this study we looked at sea ice–atmosphere drag coefficients, quantities that help with characterizing the friction between the atmosphere and sea ice, and vice versa. Using ICESat-2, a laser altimeter that measures elevation differences by timing how long it takes for photons it sends out to return to itself, we could map the roughness, i.e., how uneven the surface is. From roughness we then estimate drag force, the frictional force between sea ice and the atmosphere, across the Arctic.
Whyjay Zheng, Shashank Bhushan, Maximillian Van Wyk De Vries, William Kochtitzky, David Shean, Luke Copland, Christine Dow, Renette Jones-Ivey, and Fernando Pérez
The Cryosphere, 17, 4063–4078, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4063-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4063-2023, 2023
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We design and propose a method that can evaluate the quality of glacier velocity maps. The method includes two numbers that we can calculate for each velocity map. Based on statistics and ice flow physics, velocity maps with numbers close to the recommended values are considered to have good quality. We test the method using the data from Kaskawulsh Glacier, Canada, and release an open-sourced software tool called GLAcier Feature Tracking testkit (GLAFT) to help users assess their velocity maps.
Steven J. Pestana, C. Chris Chickadel, and Jessica D. Lundquist
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1784, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1784, 2023
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We compared infrared images taken by GOES-R satellites of an area with snow and forests against surface temperature measurements taken on the ground, from an aircraft, and by another satellite. We found that GOES-R measured warmer temperatures than the other measurements, especially in areas with more forest, and when the sun was behind the satellite. From this work, we’ve learned that the position of the sun and surface features such as trees that can cast shadows impact GOES-R infrared images.
Eunsang Cho, Carrie M. Vuyovich, Sujay V. Kumar, Melissa L. Wrzesien, and Rhae Sung Kim
The Cryosphere, 17, 3915–3931, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3915-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3915-2023, 2023
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As a future snow mission concept, active microwave sensors have the potential to measure snow water equivalent (SWE) in deep snowpack and forested environments. We used a modeling and data assimilation approach (a so-called observing system simulation experiment) to quantify the usefulness of active microwave-based SWE retrievals over western Colorado. We found that active microwave sensors with a mature retrieval algorithm can improve SWE simulations by about 20 % in the mountainous domain.
Philip Rostosky and Gunnar Spreen
The Cryosphere, 17, 3867–3881, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3867-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3867-2023, 2023
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During winter, storms entering the Arctic region can bring warm air into the cold environment. Strong increases in air temperature modify the characteristics of the Arctic snow and ice cover. The Arctic sea ice cover can be monitored by satellites observing the natural emission of the Earth's surface. In this study, we show that during warm air intrusions the change in the snow characteristics influences the satellite-derived sea ice cover, leading to a false reduction of the estimated ice area.
Ellen M. Buckley, Sinéad L. Farrell, Ute C. Herzfeld, Melinda A. Webster, Thomas Trantow, Oliwia N. Baney, Kyle A. Duncan, Huilin Han, and Matthew Lawson
The Cryosphere, 17, 3695–3719, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3695-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3695-2023, 2023
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In this study, we use satellite observations to investigate the evolution of melt ponds on the Arctic sea ice surface. We derive melt pond depth from ICESat-2 measurements of the pond surface and bathymetry and melt pond fraction (MPF) from the classification of Sentinel-2 imagery. MPF increases to a peak of 16 % in late June and then decreases, while depth increases steadily. This work demonstrates the ability to track evolving melt conditions in three dimensions throughout the summer.
Monika Pfau, Georg Veh, and Wolfgang Schwanghart
The Cryosphere, 17, 3535–3551, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3535-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3535-2023, 2023
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Cast shadows have been a recurring problem in remote sensing of glaciers. We show that the length of shadows from surrounding mountains can be used to detect gains or losses in glacier elevation.
Enze Zhang, Ginny Catania, and Daniel T. Trugman
The Cryosphere, 17, 3485–3503, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3485-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3485-2023, 2023
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Glacier termini are essential for studying why glaciers retreat, but they need to be mapped automatically due to the volume of satellite images. Existing automated mapping methods have been limited due to limited automation, lack of quality control, and inadequacy in highly diverse terminus environments. We design a fully automated, deep-learning-based method to produce termini with quality control. We produced 278 239 termini in Greenland and provided a way to deliver new termini regularly.
Christoph Posch, Jakob Abermann, and Tiago Manuel Ferreira da Silva
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1762, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1762, 2023
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Radar beams from satellites exhibit different reflection behaviors between water and ice. Utilizing this conditions and the comprehensive coverage and high temporal resolution of the Sentinel-1 radar satellite mission, the timing when ice cover of lakes in Greenland disappear can be automatically detected. We found that per 100 m elevation gain, lake ice breaks up 3 days later because of lower air temperatures with increasing elevation, while latitude has no influence on their break-up timing.
Guanyu Li, Mingyang Lv, Duncan J. Quincey, Liam S. Taylor, Xinwu Li, Shiyong Yan, Yidan Sun, and Huadong Guo
The Cryosphere, 17, 2891–2907, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2891-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2891-2023, 2023
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Kyagar Glacier in the Karakoram is well known for its surge history and its frequent blocking of the downstream valley, leading to a series of high-magnitude glacial lake outburst floods. Using it as a test bed, we develop a new approach for quantifying surge behaviour using successive digital elevation models. This method could be applied to other surge studies. Combined with the results from optical satellite images, we also reconstruct the surge process in unprecedented detail.
Yujia Qiu, Xiao-Ming Li, and Huadong Guo
The Cryosphere, 17, 2829–2849, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2829-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2829-2023, 2023
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Spaceborne thermal infrared sensors with kilometer-scale resolution cannot support adequate parameterization of Arctic leads. For the first time, we applied the 30 m resolution data from the Thermal Infrared Spectrometer (TIS) on the emerging SDGSAT-1 to detect Arctic leads. Validation with Sentinel-2 data shows high accuracy for the three TIS bands. Compared to MODIS, the TIS presents more narrow leads, demonstrating its great potential for observing previously unresolvable Arctic leads.
César Deschamps-Berger, Simon Gascoin, David Shean, Hannah Besso, Ambroise Guiot, and Juan Ignacio López-Moreno
The Cryosphere, 17, 2779–2792, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2779-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2779-2023, 2023
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The estimation of the snow depth in mountains is hard, despite the importance of the snowpack for human societies and ecosystems. We measured the snow depth in mountains by comparing the elevation of points measured with snow from the high-precision altimetric satellite ICESat-2 to the elevation without snow from various sources. Snow depths derived only from ICESat-2 were too sparse, but using external airborne/satellite products results in spatially richer and sufficiently precise snow depths.
Edward H. Bair, Jeff Dozier, Karl Rittger, Timbo Stillinger, William Kleiber, and Robert E. Davis
The Cryosphere, 17, 2629–2643, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2629-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2629-2023, 2023
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To test the title question, three snow cover products were used in a snow model. Contrary to previous work, higher-spatial-resolution snow cover products only improved the model accuracy marginally. Conclusions are as follows: (1) snow cover and albedo from moderate-resolution sensors continue to provide accurate forcings and (2) finer spatial and temporal resolutions are the future for Earth observations, but existing moderate-resolution sensors still offer value.
Karl Kortum, Suman Singha, Gunnar Spreen, Nils Hutter, Arttu Jutila, and Christian Haas
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-72, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2023-72, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
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A dataset of 20 radar satellite acquisitions and near simultaneous helicopter-based measurements of the ice topography during an expedition is constructed and used to train a variety of deep learning algorithms. The results show, that the ice types derived directly from the helicopter measurement are harder to retrieve than those from human annotations. Models that can learn from the spatial distribution of measured sea ice classes are shown to have a clear advantage over those that cannot.
Valentina Premier, Carlo Marin, Giacomo Bertoldi, Riccardo Barella, Claudia Notarnicola, and Lorenzo Bruzzone
The Cryosphere, 17, 2387–2407, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2387-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2387-2023, 2023
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The large amount of information regularly acquired by satellites can provide important information about SWE. We explore the use of multi-source satellite data, in situ observations, and a degree-day model to reconstruct daily SWE at 25 m. The results show spatial patterns that are consistent with the topographical features as well as with a reference product. Being able to also reproduce interannual variability, the method has great potential for hydrological and ecological applications.
Christian Sommer, Johannes J. Fürst, Matthias Huss, and Matthias H. Braun
The Cryosphere, 17, 2285–2303, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2285-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2285-2023, 2023
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Knowledge on the volume of glaciers is important to project future runoff. Here, we present a novel approach to reconstruct the regional ice thickness distribution from easily available remote-sensing data. We show that past ice thickness, derived from spaceborne glacier area and elevation datasets, can constrain the estimated ice thickness. Based on the unique glaciological database of the European Alps, the approach will be most beneficial in regions without direct thickness measurements.
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.
Jack Tarricone, Ryan W. Webb, Hans-Peter Marshall, Anne W. Nolin, and Franz J. Meyer
The Cryosphere, 17, 1997–2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1997-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1997-2023, 2023
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Mountain snowmelt provides water for billions of people across the globe. Despite its importance, we cannot currently measure the amount of water in mountain snowpacks from satellites. In this research, we test the ability of an experimental snow remote sensing technique from an airplane in preparation for the same sensor being launched on a future NASA satellite. We found that the method worked better than expected for estimating important snowpack properties.
Maria Shaposhnikova, Claude Duguay, and Pascale Roy-Léveillée
The Cryosphere, 17, 1697–1721, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1697-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1697-2023, 2023
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We explore lake ice in the Old Crow Flats, Yukon, Canada, using a novel approach that employs radar imagery and deep learning. Results indicate an 11 % increase in the fraction of lake ice that grounds between 1992/1993 and 2020/2021. We believe this is caused by widespread lake drainage and fluctuations in water level and snow depth. This transition is likely to have implications for permafrost beneath the lakes, with a potential impact on methane ebullition and the regional carbon budget.
Dyre Oliver Dammann, Mark A. Johnson, Andrew R. Mahoney, and Emily R. Fedders
The Cryosphere, 17, 1609–1622, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1609-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1609-2023, 2023
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We investigate the GAMMA Portable Radar Interferometer (GPRI) as a tool for evaluating flexural–gravity waves in sea ice in near real time. With a GPRI mounted on grounded ice near Utqiaġvik, Alaska, we identify 20–50 s infragravity waves in landfast ice with ~1 mm amplitude during 23–24 April 2021. Observed wave speed and periods compare well with modeled wave propagation and on-ice accelerometers, confirming the ability to track propagation and properties of waves over hundreds of meters.
Ugo Nanni, Dirk Scherler, Francois Ayoub, Romain Millan, Frederic Herman, and Jean-Philippe Avouac
The Cryosphere, 17, 1567–1583, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1567-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1567-2023, 2023
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Surface melt is a major factor driving glacier movement. Using satellite images, we have tracked the movements of 38 glaciers in the Pamirs over 7 years, capturing their responses to rapid meteorological changes with unprecedented resolution. We show that in spring, glacier accelerations propagate upglacier, while in autumn, they propagate downglacier – all resulting from changes in meltwater input. This provides critical insights into the interplay between surface melt and glacier movement.
Sara E. Darychuk, Joseph M. Shea, Brian Menounos, Anna Chesnokova, Georg Jost, and Frank Weber
The Cryosphere, 17, 1457–1473, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1457-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1457-2023, 2023
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We use synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) and optical observations to map snowmelt timing and duration on the watershed scale. We found that Sentinel-1 SAR time series can be used to approximate snowmelt onset over diverse terrain and land cover types, and we present a low-cost workflow for SAR processing over large, mountainous regions. Our approach provides spatially distributed observations of the snowpack necessary for model calibration and can be used to monitor snowmelt in ungauged basins.
Mads Dømgaard, Kristian K. Kjeldsen, Flora Huiban, Jonathan L. Carrivick, Shfaqat A. Khan, and Anders A. Bjørk
The Cryosphere, 17, 1373–1387, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1373-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1373-2023, 2023
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Sudden releases of meltwater from glacier-dammed lakes can influence ice flow, cause flooding hazards and landscape changes. This study presents a record of 14 drainages from 2007–2021 from a lake in west Greenland. The time series reveals how the lake fluctuates between releasing large and small amounts of drainage water which is caused by a weakening of the damming glacier following the large events. We also find a shift in the water drainage route which increases the risk of flooding hazards.
Zhaoqing Dong, Lijian Shi, Mingsen Lin, Yongjun Jia, Tao Zeng, and Suhui Wu
The Cryosphere, 17, 1389–1410, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1389-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1389-2023, 2023
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We try to explore the application of SGDR data in polar sea ice thickness. Through this study, we find that it seems difficult to obtain reasonable results by using conventional methods. So we use the 15 lowest points per 25 km to estimate SSHA to retrieve more reasonable Arctic radar freeboard and thickness. This study also provides reference for reprocessing L1 data. We will release products that are more reasonable and suitable for polar sea ice thickness retrieval to better evaluate HY-2B.
Wenkai Guo, Polona Itkin, Suman Singha, Anthony P. Doulgeris, Malin Johansson, and Gunnar Spreen
The Cryosphere, 17, 1279–1297, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1279-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1279-2023, 2023
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Sea ice maps are produced to cover the MOSAiC Arctic expedition (2019–2020) and divide sea ice into scientifically meaningful classes. We use a high-resolution X-band synthetic aperture radar dataset and show how image brightness and texture systematically vary across the images. We use an algorithm that reliably corrects this effect and achieve good results, as evaluated by comparisons to ground observations and other studies. The sea ice maps are useful as a basis for future MOSAiC studies.
Vasana Dharmadasa, Christophe Kinnard, and Michel Baraër
The Cryosphere, 17, 1225–1246, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1225-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1225-2023, 2023
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This study highlights the successful usage of UAV lidar to monitor small-scale snow depth distribution. Our results show that underlying topography and wind redistribution of snow along forest edges govern the snow depth variability at agro-forested sites, while forest structure variability dominates snow depth variability in the coniferous environment. This emphasizes the importance of including and better representing these processes in physically based models for accurate snowpack estimates.
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