Effects of weather events on X-SAR returns from ice fields: case-study of Hielo Patagónico Sur, South America

Abstract

The space-shuttle-based SIR-C/X-SAR synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaged part of Hielo Patagónico Sur (HPS; southern Patagonia ice field, South America) for five successive days during missions in April and October 1994. A significant meteorological event occurred during each mission, including a major storm in April and a sharp temperature decrease in October. Changes in backscatter are observed for both episodes in X-SAR returns from the mid-portions of one of the two large outlet glaciers in the study area. Ground-station and satellite meteorological, and hydrological data are combined with the daily X-SAR images to interpret changes in glacier surface conditions caused by meteorological events. Effects interpreted from the April storm are (1) wind- and precipitation-influenced surface roughening of a wet snowpack, and (2) the deposition of new wet snow at lower elevation and its subsequent retreat up-glacier. An abrupt decrease in regional temperature during October is thought to reduce the snow wetness and increase grain-size. The changes in the radar-defined glacier zones due to the April precipitation event are subtle, while the October temperature drop causes significant backscatter increases. Our results suggest that trends in HPS glacier surface and near-surface conditions observable from spaceborne SARs are not significantly masked by precipitation events.