An intercomparison between AMSR-E snow-depth and satellite C- and Ku-Band radar backscatter data for Antarctic sea ice

• Main Authors: Kern, S., Ozsoy-Cicek, B., Willmes, S., Nicolaus, M., Haas , C., Ackley, S.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Antarctic; Bellingshausen Sea; Weddell; Weddell Sea; Annals of Glaciology; Antarc*; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0024-9F21-6

Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) snow-depth data for Antarctic sea ice are compared with ship-based visual observations of snow depth, ice type and ridged-ice fraction, and with satellite C-band and Ku-band radar backscatter observations for two ship cruises into the Weddell Sea (ISPOL 2004–05, WWOS 2006) and one cruise into the Bellingshausen Sea (SIMBA 2007) during late winter/spring. Most (>75%) AMSR-E and ship-based snow-depth observations agree within 0.2m during WWOS and SIMBA. Remaining observations indicate substantial underestimations of snow depths by AMSR-E data. These underestimations tend to increase with the ridged-ice fraction for WWOS and SIMBA. In areas with large snow depths, a combination of relatively stable low C-band radar backscatter and variable Ku-band radar backscatter is associated with undeformed first-year ice and may indicate snow metamorphism at this time of year during SIMBA. In areas with small snow depths, a combination of relatively stable low Ku-band radar backscatter, high C-band radar backscatter and low C-band radar backscatter standard deviations is associated with rough first-year ice during SIMBA. This information can help to better understand causes of the observed AMSR-E snow-depth bias during late-winter/spring conditions with decreasing average snow depth and to delineate areas where this bias occurs.