Melt Detection over Greenland Using Smap Radiometer Observations

Seyedmohammad Mousavi, Andreas Colliander, Julie Miller, Dara Entekhabi, Joel T. Johnson, Christopher A. Shuman, John S. Kimball, Zoe R. Courville

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Microwave measurements have been previously used to detect melt events due to their sensitivity to the presence of liquid water in snow. Since NASA's SMAP mission offers a valuable set of low frequency radiometer measurements, SMAP measurements have been used as a tool to detect melt events. SMAP's L-band radiometer also covers virtually the entire Greenland ice sheet twice daily. The overpasses center on morning and evening hours as the satellite is on a 6AM/6PM equator-crossing orbit, and the spatial resolution of the instrument is about 40 km. In this paper, the response of L-band measurements to surface melting of the ice sheet from 2015 through 2019 melt seasons is investigated. It is shown that the Greenland ice sheet experienced an unusually strong melt event at the end of July 2019, which extended the melt area across much of dry snow zone of the ice sheet over a period of two days.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2020 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, IGARSS 2020 - Proceedings
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages2972-2974
Number of pages3
ISBN (Electronic)9781728163741
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 26 2020
Event2020 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, IGARSS 2020 - Virtual, Waikoloa, United States
Duration: Sep 26 2020Oct 2 2020

Publication series

NameInternational Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS)

Conference

Conference2020 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, IGARSS 2020
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityVirtual, Waikoloa
Period09/26/2010/2/20

Keywords

  • Greenland
  • SMAP radiometer
  • ice sheet
  • melt events
  • microwave remote sensing

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