Snow cover surveys in Alaska from ERTS-1 data

• Main Author: Benson, C. S.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 1973
• Subjects: GEOPHYSICS; Arctic; Bare Rock; Northern Foothills; Brooks Range; glaciers; Alaska
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2060/19730019642

September and October ERTS scenes have been analyzed to delineate snow cover patterns in northern Alaska's Brooks Range and on Mt. Wrangell, and active volcano in South Central Alaska. ERTS images demonstrate that the snow on the northern foothills of the Brooks Range are significantly more affected by katabatic wind action than are the southern foothills. Aufeis deposits along arctic rivers also can be identified in late summer. A survey of such aufeis deposits could identify additional summertime sources of fresh water supplies. Images of Mt. Wrangell permit monitoring of the interaction between volcanic heat and the mass balance of glaciers that exist on active volcanoes. Temporal changes in the areas of bare rock on the rim of the caldera on the summit reveal significant melting of new snow from an extensive storm on August 18. Digital analysis of data from subsequent passes over the summit on September 7, 23 and 24 revealed considerable bare rock exposed by melting, which is virtually impossible from solar heating at this altitude and date.