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

Rotschky, G.; Schuler, Thomas; Haarpaintner, Jörg; Kohler, Jack; Isaksson, Elisabeth

doi:10.3402/polar.v30i0.5963

Cited by 34 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Riming causes a preferential separation in snow chemistry as snowflakes scavenge nitrate (NO − 3 ) more efficiently than sulfate (SO 2− 4 ) (Raynor and Hayes, 1983). Consequently, the nitrate to sulfate ratio is different in rimed as opposed to nonrimed snow (Takahashi et al, 1996).…”

Section: Changes In Scavenging Efficiency?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, while exact meteorological measurements from the coring site are missing, these summertime water losses are expected to have a rather small effect on the whole years' snow accumulation (Pfeffer and Humphrey, 1996), especially as the mean annual melt season on Holtedahlfonna is of the order of ca. 80 days per year (Rotschky et al, 2011) and most of the melt water refreezes within the annual snow layer. Thus, increased melt is likely to have only a minor impact on the EC concentration trend.…”

Section: The Linkage Between Summer Melt and The Ec Concentration Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Increase in elemental carbon values between 1970 and 2004 observed in a 300-year ice core from Holtedahlfonna (Svalbard)

et al. 2014

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Abstract. Black carbon (BC) is a light-absorbing particle that warms the atmosphere–Earth system. The climate effects of BC are amplified in the Arctic, where its deposition on light surfaces decreases the albedo and causes earlier melt of snow and ice. Despite its suggested significant role in Arctic climate warming, there is little information on BC concentrations and deposition in the past. Here we present results on BC (here operationally defined as elemental carbon (EC)) concentrations and deposition on a Svalbard glacier between 1700 and 2004. The inner part of a 125 m deep ice core from Holtedahlfonna glacier (79°8' N, 13°16' E, 1150 m a.s.l.) was melted, filtered through a quartz fibre filter and analysed for EC using a thermal–optical method. The EC values started to increase after 1850 and peaked around 1910, similar to ice core records from Greenland. Strikingly, the EC values again increase rapidly between 1970 and 2004 after a temporary low point around 1970, reaching unprecedented values in the 1990s. This rise is not seen in Greenland ice cores, and it seems to contradict atmospheric BC measurements indicating generally decreasing atmospheric BC concentrations since 1989 in the Arctic. For example, changes in scavenging efficiencies, post-depositional processes and differences in the vertical distribution of BC in the atmosphere are discussed for the differences between the Svalbard and Greenland ice core records, as well as the ice core and atmospheric measurements in Svalbard. In addition, the divergent BC trends between Greenland and Svalbard ice cores may be caused by differences in the analytical methods used, including the operational definitions of quantified particles, and detection efficiencies of different-sized BC particles. Regardless of the cause of the increasing EC values between 1970 and 2004, the results have significant implications for the past radiative energy balance at the coring site.

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Section: Changes In Scavenging Efficiency?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Linkage Between Summer Melt and The Ec Concentration Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increase in elemental carbon values between 1970 and 2004 observed in a 300-year ice core from Holtedahlfonna (Svalbard)

et al. 2014

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“…Snow melt onset is defined as the point in time when microwave brightness temperatures increase sharply due to the presence of liquid water in the snowpack. Rotschky et al (2011) used the methodology to identify the annual summer melt onset (SMO) in seven regions of Svalbard ( …”

Section: Summer Melt Onsetmentioning

confidence: 99%

Snow conditions as an estimator of the breeding output in high-Arctic pink-footed geese Anser brachyrhynchus

et al. 2013

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The Svalbard-breeding population of pinkfooted geese Anser brachyrhynchus has increased during the last decades and is giving rise to agricultural conflicts along their migration route, as well as causing grazing impacts on tundra vegetation. An adaptive flyway management plan has been implemented, which will be based on predictive population models including environmental variables expected to affect goose population development, such as weather conditions on the breeding grounds. A local study in Svalbard showed that snow cover prior to egg laying is a crucial factor for the reproductive output of pink-footed geese, and MODIS satellite images provided a useful estimator of snow cover. In this study, we up-scaled the analysis to the population level by examining various measures of snow conditions and compared them with the overall breeding success of the population as indexed by the proportion of juveniles in the autumn population. As explanatory variables, we explored MODIS images, satellite-based radar measures of onset of snow melt, winter NAO index, and the May temperature sum and May thaw days. To test for the presence of density dependence, we included the number of adults in the population. For 2000-2011, MODIS-derived snow cover (available since 2000) was the strongest indicator of breeding conditions. For 1981-2011, winter NAO and May thaw days had equal weight. Interestingly, there appears to have been a phase shift from density-dependent to density-independent reproduction, which is consistent with a hypothesis of released breeding potential due to the recent advancement of spring in Svalbard.

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“…The onset of surface melt is characterized by a rapid decrease in backscatter values (corresponding to no.6 in Fig. 2, Stiles and Ulaby, 1980;Smith et al, 1997;Wolken et al, 2009), most likely introduced by warm and wet weather conditions (Rotschky et al, 2011). The lowest backscatter values in the ablation zone are found when wet snow covers the glacier (corresponding to no.…”

Section: Seasonal Melt Patternsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…This has until now been mostly studied using QuikSCAT data with daily temporal resolution, but 20 low spatial resolution (e.g. Rotschky et al, 2011). It is difficult to define the melt season accurately in time from Radarsat-2 images due to the low repeat time of 24-days (Fig.…”

Section: Seasonal Melt Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using SAR satellite data time-series for regional glacier mapping

Winsvold¹,

Kääb²,

Nuth³

et al. 2017

Preprint

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With dense SAR satellite data time-series it is possible to map surface and subsurface glacier properties that vary in time. On 10 Sentinel-1A and Radarsat-2 backscatter images over mainland Norway and Svalbard, we have used descriptive methods for outlining the possibilities of using SAR time-series for mapping glaciers. We present five application scenarios, where the first shows potential for tracking transient snow lines with SAR backscatter time-series, and correlates with both optical satellite images (Sentinel-2A and Landsat 8) and equilibrium line altitudes derived from in situ surface mass balance data. In the second application scenario, time-series representation of glacier facies corresponding to SAR glacier zones shows 15 potential for a more accurate delineation of the zones and how they change in time. The third application scenario investigates the firn evolution using dense SAR backscatter time-series together with a coupled energy balance and multilayer firn model. We find strong correlation between backscatter signals with both the modeled firn air-content and modeled wetness in the firn. In the fourth application scenario, we highlight how winter rain events can be detected in SAR timeseries, revealing important information about the area extent of internal accumulation. Finally, in the last application 20 scenario, averaged summer SAR images were found to have potential in assisting the process of mapping glaciers outlines, especially in the presence of seasonal snow. Altogether we present examples of how to map glaciers and to further understand glaciological processes using the existing and future massive amount of multi-sensor time-series data. Our results reveal the potential of satellite imagery for automatically derived products as important input in modeling assessments and glacier change analysis. 25

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

Cited by 34 publications

References 55 publications

Increase in elemental carbon values between 1970 and 2004 observed in a 300-year ice core from Holtedahlfonna (Svalbard)

Increase in elemental carbon values between 1970 and 2004 observed in a 300-year ice core from Holtedahlfonna (Svalbard)

Snow conditions as an estimator of the breeding output in high-Arctic pink-footed geese Anser brachyrhynchus

Using SAR satellite data time-series for regional glacier mapping

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