Comparison of the Surface Conditions of the Inland Ice Sheet, Dronning Maud Land. Antarctica. Derived from Noaa AVHRR Data with Ground Observation

Abstract

The surface conditions of the inland ice sheet in east Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, are derived from the NOAA-7 AVHRR data received at Syowa Station and then compared with the ground observations which were collected in November 1984 along a 243 km long traverse route at altitudes ranging from 2700 to 3400 m a.s.l. The variations in the AVHRR data are well related to the distribution of glazed surfaces. The areas with lower albedo, higher surface temperature, lower ratio of channel 2/channel 1, and lower T4-T5 coincide with the areas where a glazed surface has developed. This result is attributed to the fact that the glazed surface is composed of a multi-layered ice crust and that its radiative and thermal properties are closer to ice than to snow. The present study shows that the NOAA AVHRR data are useful for distinguishing bare ice, glazed surfaces, and snow surfaces of the Antarctic ice sheet.