Spatio-temporal variability of snowmelt across Svalbard during the period 2000-08 derived from QuikSCAT/SeaWinds scatterometry
Significant changes in Arctic systems are underway, which are attributed to global warming. An important example is reduction in snow and ice coverage due to intensified melting in many regions. Active microwave instruments are used to detect surface melt and freeze-up based on the high sensitivity...
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ftjpolarres:oai:journals.openacademia.net:article/3047 2023-05-15T14:54:51+02:00 Spatio-temporal variability of snowmelt across Svalbard during the period 2000-08 derived from QuikSCAT/SeaWinds scatterometry Rotschky, Gerit Schuler, Thomas Vikhamar Haarpaintner, Jörg Kohler, Jack Isaksson, Elisabeth 2011-02-17 application/pdf text/html application/epub+zip text/xml https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3047 https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.5963 eng eng Norwegian Polar Institute https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3047/pdf_103 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3047/pdf_104 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3047/html_89 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3047/6896 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3047/xml_89 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3047 doi:10.3402/polar.v30i0.5963 Copyright (c) 2018 Polar Research Polar Research; Vol 30 (2011) 1751-8369 Svalbard radar remote sensing snowmelt detection climate variability scatterometry info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2011 ftjpolarres https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.5963 2021-11-11T19:13:37Z Significant changes in Arctic systems are underway, which are attributed to global warming. An important example is reduction in snow and ice coverage due to intensified melting in many regions. Active microwave instruments are used to detect surface melt and freeze-up based on the high sensitivity of radar backscatter to liquid water in the snow.We monitor two snowmelt parameters, the annual total of melt days and the date of summer melt onset across the archipelago of Svalbard using microwave backscatter measurements from the Ku-band scatterometer SeaWinds onboard the QuikSCAT satellite. Our analysis covers a nine-year time span from 2000 to 2008. Meteorological data from synoptic and automatic weather stations at several locations in Svalbard are used to investigate climatologic controls on pattern and timing of snowmelt. Svalbard temperature and precipitation regimes are highly variable throughout the year due to the location of the archipelago within a zone that is characterized by the convergence of atmospheric fronts from the Arctic Ocean, Nordic seas and the Barents Sea. Accordingly, our results show pronounced regional and interannual variability in snowmelt dynamics. However, we do find a trend towards earlier summer melt onset and an increasing number of melt days per year over the nine-year period of study. Our findings agree with climate-model predictions that project increasingly warmer and wetter conditions in the Arctic. Keywords: Svalbard; radar remote sensing; snowmelt detection; climate variability; scatterometry (Published: 17 February 2011) Citation: Polar Research 2011, 30, 5963, doi:10.3402/polar.v30i0.5963 Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Ocean Barents Sea Global warming Nordic Seas Polar Research Svalbard Polar Research (E-Journal) Arctic Arctic Ocean Svalbard Barents Sea Polar Research 30 1 5963 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Polar Research (E-Journal) |
op_collection_id |
ftjpolarres |
language |
English |
topic |
Svalbard radar remote sensing snowmelt detection climate variability scatterometry |
spellingShingle |
Svalbard radar remote sensing snowmelt detection climate variability scatterometry Rotschky, Gerit Schuler, Thomas Vikhamar Haarpaintner, Jörg Kohler, Jack Isaksson, Elisabeth Spatio-temporal variability of snowmelt across Svalbard during the period 2000-08 derived from QuikSCAT/SeaWinds scatterometry |
topic_facet |
Svalbard radar remote sensing snowmelt detection climate variability scatterometry |
description |
Significant changes in Arctic systems are underway, which are attributed to global warming. An important example is reduction in snow and ice coverage due to intensified melting in many regions. Active microwave instruments are used to detect surface melt and freeze-up based on the high sensitivity of radar backscatter to liquid water in the snow.We monitor two snowmelt parameters, the annual total of melt days and the date of summer melt onset across the archipelago of Svalbard using microwave backscatter measurements from the Ku-band scatterometer SeaWinds onboard the QuikSCAT satellite. Our analysis covers a nine-year time span from 2000 to 2008. Meteorological data from synoptic and automatic weather stations at several locations in Svalbard are used to investigate climatologic controls on pattern and timing of snowmelt. Svalbard temperature and precipitation regimes are highly variable throughout the year due to the location of the archipelago within a zone that is characterized by the convergence of atmospheric fronts from the Arctic Ocean, Nordic seas and the Barents Sea. Accordingly, our results show pronounced regional and interannual variability in snowmelt dynamics. However, we do find a trend towards earlier summer melt onset and an increasing number of melt days per year over the nine-year period of study. Our findings agree with climate-model predictions that project increasingly warmer and wetter conditions in the Arctic. Keywords: Svalbard; radar remote sensing; snowmelt detection; climate variability; scatterometry (Published: 17 February 2011) Citation: Polar Research 2011, 30, 5963, doi:10.3402/polar.v30i0.5963 |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rotschky, Gerit Schuler, Thomas Vikhamar Haarpaintner, Jörg Kohler, Jack Isaksson, Elisabeth |
author_facet |
Rotschky, Gerit Schuler, Thomas Vikhamar Haarpaintner, Jörg Kohler, Jack Isaksson, Elisabeth |
author_sort |
Rotschky, Gerit |
title |
Spatio-temporal variability of snowmelt across Svalbard during the period 2000-08 derived from QuikSCAT/SeaWinds scatterometry |
title_short |
Spatio-temporal variability of snowmelt across Svalbard during the period 2000-08 derived from QuikSCAT/SeaWinds scatterometry |
title_full |
Spatio-temporal variability of snowmelt across Svalbard during the period 2000-08 derived from QuikSCAT/SeaWinds scatterometry |
title_fullStr |
Spatio-temporal variability of snowmelt across Svalbard during the period 2000-08 derived from QuikSCAT/SeaWinds scatterometry |
title_full_unstemmed |
Spatio-temporal variability of snowmelt across Svalbard during the period 2000-08 derived from QuikSCAT/SeaWinds scatterometry |
title_sort |
spatio-temporal variability of snowmelt across svalbard during the period 2000-08 derived from quikscat/seawinds scatterometry |
publisher |
Norwegian Polar Institute |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3047 https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.5963 |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Svalbard Barents Sea |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Svalbard Barents Sea |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Barents Sea Global warming Nordic Seas Polar Research Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Barents Sea Global warming Nordic Seas Polar Research Svalbard |
op_source |
Polar Research; Vol 30 (2011) 1751-8369 |
op_relation |
https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3047/pdf_103 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3047/pdf_104 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3047/html_89 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3047/6896 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3047/xml_89 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3047 doi:10.3402/polar.v30i0.5963 |
op_rights |
Copyright (c) 2018 Polar Research |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.5963 |
container_title |
Polar Research |
container_volume |
30 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
5963 |
_version_ |
1766326598780321792 |