Comparisons of snowmelt detected by microwave sensors on the Shackleton Ice Shelf, East Antarctica

Abstract

ABSTRACTSurface snowmelt is of great importance to the ice sheet’s mass and energy balance. Microwave sensors, including radiometer and scatterometer can be used to map snowmelt. Two new microwave sensors, including the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) and the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT), were compared in terms of their behaviours in snowmelt detection on the Shackleton Ice Shelf (SIS) in East Antarctica. Melt signals were determined by identifying the sharp changes in AMSR2 brightness temperature and ASCAT backscatter. The results suggest that the SIS began to melt in December, melt area shrank quickly in February after reaching the peak in January. Melt area mapped by the two sensors agreed with each other on the SIS, however, also shows local discrepancies in the places with complex terrains. ASCAT failed to recognized melt signals in the regions with blue ice and rock outcrops where extensive melt ponds were observed based on Landsat 8 images. Snowmelt detected by radiometer and scatterometer shows complementary nature, the combination of multisource remote sensing images is expected to provide a better view of the ice sheet surface melting conditions.