Increasing temporal resolution in Greenland ablation estimation using passive and active microwave data

• Main Authors: Ivan S. Ashcraft, David G. Long
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2003
• Subjects: Greenland
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.391.8806; http://www.mers.byu.edu/long/papers/conf/IGARSS2003JulyAshcraft.pdf

Abstract — Increasing the accuracy of melt estimation using microwave instruments by focusing on sub-day time scales is addressed. Three Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) instruments operating simultaneously over the summer of 2002 are combined to estimate brightness temperature (Tb) over daily cycles. Normalized radar cross-section (σ o) measurements from SeaWinds on QuikSCAT are employed to provide similar estimates of σ o daily variation. The estimates are compared with automatic weather station temperatures. The combination of these measurements provides an increased understanding of the diurnal melt cycle over Greenland and estimation of the melt profile.