Spatio-temporal variability of snowmelt across Svalbard during the period 2000–08 derived from QuikSCAT/SeaWinds scatterometry

Polar research

Thomas Vikhamar Schuler¹  Jörg Haarpaintner²  Jack Kohler³  Elisabeth Isaksson³  Gerit Rotschky⁴ 

[1] Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo PO Box 1047BlindernNO-0316OsloNorway;NORUT AS PO Box 6434ForskningsparkenNO-9294TromsøNorway;Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram CentreNO-9296TromsøNorway;Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram CentreNO-9296TromsøNorway Correspondence

关键词: Svalbard;    radar remote sensing;    snowmelt detection;    climate variability;    scatterometry;   

DOI  :  10.3402/polar.v30i0.5963

学科分类：自然科学（综合）

来源: Co-Action Publishing

【 摘 要 】

Significant changes in Arctic systems are underway, which are attributed to global warming. An important example is reduction in snow and ice coverage due to intensified melting in many regions. Active microwave instruments are used to detect surface melt and freeze-up based on the high sensitivity of radar backscatter to liquid water in the snow. We monitor two snowmelt parameters, the annual total of melt days and the date of summer melt onset across the archipelago of Svalbard using microwave backscatter measurements from the Ku-band scatterometer SeaWinds onboard the QuikSCAT satellite. Our analysis covers a nine-year time span from 2000 to 2008. Meteorological data from synoptic and automatic weather stations at several locations in Svalbard are used to investigate climatologic controls on pattern and timing of snowmelt. Svalbard temperature and precipitation regimes are highly variable throughout the year due to the location of the archipelago within a zone that is characterized by the convergence o...

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC