Antarctic surface melting dynamics : enhanced perspectives from radar scatterometer data
Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2012. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research 117 (2012): F02023, doi:10.1029/2011JF002126. Antarctic ice sh...
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ftwhoas:oai:darchive.mblwhoilibrary.org:1912/5236 2023-05-15T13:53:14+02:00 Antarctic surface melting dynamics : enhanced perspectives from radar scatterometer data Trusel, Luke D. Frey, Karen E. Das, Sarah B. 2012-05-17 application/pdf text/plain application/postscript https://hdl.handle.net/1912/5236 en_US eng American Geophysical Union https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JF002126 Journal of Geophysical Research 117 (2012): F02023 https://hdl.handle.net/1912/5236 doi:10.1029/2011JF002126 Journal of Geophysical Research 117 (2012): F02023 doi:10.1029/2011JF002126 Antarctica Melt intensity Remote sensing Surface melting Article 2012 ftwhoas https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JF002126 2022-05-28T22:58:36Z Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2012. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research 117 (2012): F02023, doi:10.1029/2011JF002126. Antarctic ice sheet surface melting can regionally influence ice shelf stability, mass balance, and glacier dynamics, in addition to modulating near-surface physical and chemical properties over wide areas. Here, we investigate variability in surface melting from 1999 to 2009 using radar backscatter time series from the SeaWinds scatterometer aboard the QuikSCAT satellite. These daily, continent-wide observations are explored in concert with in situ meteorological records to validate a threshold-based melt detection method. Radar backscatter decreases during melting are significantly correlated with in situ positive degree-days as well as meltwater production determined from energy balance modeling at Neumayer Station, East Antarctica. These results support the use of scatterometer data as a diagnostic indicator of melt intensity (i.e., the relative liquid water production during melting). Greater spatial and temporal melting detected relative to previous passive microwave-based studies is attributed to a higher sensitivity of the scatterometer instrument. Continental melt intensity variability can be explained in part by the dynamics of the Southern Annular Mode and the Southern Oscillation Index, and extreme melting events across the Ross Ice Shelf region may be associated with El Niño conditions. Furthermore, we find that the Antarctic Peninsula accounts for only 20% of Antarctic melt extent but greater than 50% of the total Antarctic melt intensity. Over most areas, annual melt duration and intensity are proportional. However, regional and localized distinctions exist where the melt intensity metric provides greater insight into melting dynamics than previously obtainable with other remote sensing techniques. Support for this ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica East Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ross Ice Shelf Woods Hole Scientific Community: WHOAS (Woods Hole Open Access Server) Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula East Antarctica Neumayer Neumayer Station Ross Ice Shelf Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 117 F2 n/a n/a |
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Open Polar |
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Woods Hole Scientific Community: WHOAS (Woods Hole Open Access Server) |
op_collection_id |
ftwhoas |
language |
English |
topic |
Antarctica Melt intensity Remote sensing Surface melting |
spellingShingle |
Antarctica Melt intensity Remote sensing Surface melting Trusel, Luke D. Frey, Karen E. Das, Sarah B. Antarctic surface melting dynamics : enhanced perspectives from radar scatterometer data |
topic_facet |
Antarctica Melt intensity Remote sensing Surface melting |
description |
Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2012. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research 117 (2012): F02023, doi:10.1029/2011JF002126. Antarctic ice sheet surface melting can regionally influence ice shelf stability, mass balance, and glacier dynamics, in addition to modulating near-surface physical and chemical properties over wide areas. Here, we investigate variability in surface melting from 1999 to 2009 using radar backscatter time series from the SeaWinds scatterometer aboard the QuikSCAT satellite. These daily, continent-wide observations are explored in concert with in situ meteorological records to validate a threshold-based melt detection method. Radar backscatter decreases during melting are significantly correlated with in situ positive degree-days as well as meltwater production determined from energy balance modeling at Neumayer Station, East Antarctica. These results support the use of scatterometer data as a diagnostic indicator of melt intensity (i.e., the relative liquid water production during melting). Greater spatial and temporal melting detected relative to previous passive microwave-based studies is attributed to a higher sensitivity of the scatterometer instrument. Continental melt intensity variability can be explained in part by the dynamics of the Southern Annular Mode and the Southern Oscillation Index, and extreme melting events across the Ross Ice Shelf region may be associated with El Niño conditions. Furthermore, we find that the Antarctic Peninsula accounts for only 20% of Antarctic melt extent but greater than 50% of the total Antarctic melt intensity. Over most areas, annual melt duration and intensity are proportional. However, regional and localized distinctions exist where the melt intensity metric provides greater insight into melting dynamics than previously obtainable with other remote sensing techniques. Support for this ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Trusel, Luke D. Frey, Karen E. Das, Sarah B. |
author_facet |
Trusel, Luke D. Frey, Karen E. Das, Sarah B. |
author_sort |
Trusel, Luke D. |
title |
Antarctic surface melting dynamics : enhanced perspectives from radar scatterometer data |
title_short |
Antarctic surface melting dynamics : enhanced perspectives from radar scatterometer data |
title_full |
Antarctic surface melting dynamics : enhanced perspectives from radar scatterometer data |
title_fullStr |
Antarctic surface melting dynamics : enhanced perspectives from radar scatterometer data |
title_full_unstemmed |
Antarctic surface melting dynamics : enhanced perspectives from radar scatterometer data |
title_sort |
antarctic surface melting dynamics : enhanced perspectives from radar scatterometer data |
publisher |
American Geophysical Union |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/1912/5236 |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula East Antarctica Neumayer Neumayer Station Ross Ice Shelf |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula East Antarctica Neumayer Neumayer Station Ross Ice Shelf |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica East Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ross Ice Shelf |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica East Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ross Ice Shelf |
op_source |
Journal of Geophysical Research 117 (2012): F02023 doi:10.1029/2011JF002126 |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JF002126 Journal of Geophysical Research 117 (2012): F02023 https://hdl.handle.net/1912/5236 doi:10.1029/2011JF002126 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JF002126 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface |
container_volume |
117 |
container_issue |
F2 |
container_start_page |
n/a |
op_container_end_page |
n/a |
_version_ |
1766258238687281152 |