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...
Published in: | Polar Research |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Norwegian Polar Institute
2011
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.5963 https://doaj.org/article/dd7588579e1b4251ae314a0d5a89e31b |
id |
fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:dd7588579e1b4251ae314a0d5a89e31b |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:dd7588579e1b4251ae314a0d5a89e31b 2023-05-15T14:54:12+02:00 Spatio-temporal variability of snowmelt across Svalbard during the period 2000–08 derived from QuikSCAT/SeaWinds scatterometry Jack Kohler Jörg Haarpaintner Thomas Vikhamar Schuler Gerit Rotschky Elisabeth Isaksson 2011-02-01 https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.5963 https://doaj.org/article/dd7588579e1b4251ae314a0d5a89e31b en eng Norwegian Polar Institute doi:10.3402/polar.v30i0.5963 0800-0395 1751-8369 https://doaj.org/article/dd7588579e1b4251ae314a0d5a89e31b undefined Polar Research, Vol 30, Iss 0, Pp 1-15 (2011) Svalbard radar remote sensing snowmelt detection climate variability scatterometry geo envir Journal Article https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/ 2011 fttriple https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.5963 2023-01-22T18:03:48Z 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. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Ocean Barents Sea Global warming Nordic Seas Polar Research Svalbard Unknown Arctic Arctic Ocean Barents Sea Svalbard Polar Research 30 1 5963 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Unknown |
op_collection_id |
fttriple |
language |
English |
topic |
Svalbard radar remote sensing snowmelt detection climate variability scatterometry geo envir |
spellingShingle |
Svalbard radar remote sensing snowmelt detection climate variability scatterometry geo envir Jack Kohler Jörg Haarpaintner Thomas Vikhamar Schuler Gerit Rotschky Elisabeth Isaksson 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 geo envir |
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. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Jack Kohler Jörg Haarpaintner Thomas Vikhamar Schuler Gerit Rotschky Elisabeth Isaksson |
author_facet |
Jack Kohler Jörg Haarpaintner Thomas Vikhamar Schuler Gerit Rotschky Elisabeth Isaksson |
author_sort |
Jack Kohler |
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://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.5963 https://doaj.org/article/dd7588579e1b4251ae314a0d5a89e31b |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Barents Sea Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Barents Sea Svalbard |
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, Iss 0, Pp 1-15 (2011) |
op_relation |
doi:10.3402/polar.v30i0.5963 0800-0395 1751-8369 https://doaj.org/article/dd7588579e1b4251ae314a0d5a89e31b |
op_rights |
undefined |
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_ |
1766325935100919808 |