Seasonal mean air temperatures and ice phenology characteristics of Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake (2002-2009) ...

• Main Authors: Kang, Kyung-Kuk, Duguay, Claude R, Howell, Stephen E L
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2012
• Subjects: International Polar Year 2007-2008 IPY; Great Bear Lake; Great Slave Lake; International Polar Year; IPY
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.811831; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.811831

Time series of brightness temperatures (T(B)) from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) are examined to determine ice phenology variables on the two largest lakes of northern Canada: Great Bear Lake (GBL) and Great Slave Lake (GSL). T(B) measurements from the 18.7, 23.8, 36.5, and 89.0 GHz channels (H- and V- polarization) are compared to assess their potential for detecting freeze-onset/melt-onset and ice-on/ice-off dates on both lakes. The 18.7 GHz (H-pol) channel is found to be the most suitable for estimating these ice dates as well as the duration of the ice cover and ice-free seasons. A new algorithm is proposed using this channel and applied to map all ice phenology variables on GBL and GSL over seven ice seasons (2002-2009). Analysis of the spatio-temporal patterns of each variable at the pixel level reveals that: (1) both freeze-onset and ice-on dates occur on average about one week earlier on GBL than on GSL (Day of Year (DY) 318 and 333 for GBL; DY 328 and 343 ... : Data extracted in the frame of a joint ICSTI/PANGAEA IPY effort, see http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.150150 ...