Mapping Arctic Sea-Ice Surface Roughness with Multi-Angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer

Johnson, Thomas F.; Müller, Jan-Peter; Stroeve, Julienne

doi:10.3390/rs14246249

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…The mean and standard deviation of in situ snow depths across the whole FYI site was 20.4 ± 8.0 cm. the Arctic spring [46]. MISR roughness observations from the Eureka FYI site in April 2016 were at almost exactly the modal pan-Arctic FYI roughness for the month (Appendix A2).…”

Section: Datasetsmentioning

confidence: 79%

Airborne Investigation of Quasi-Specular Ku-Band Radar Scattering for Satellite Altimetry Over Snow-Covered Arctic Sea Ice

De Rijke-Thomas,

Landy,

Mallett

et al. 2023

IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing

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Surface-based Ku-band radar altimetry investigations indicate the radar signal is typically backscattered from well above the snow-sea ice interface. However, this would induce a bias in satellite altimeter sea ice thickness retrievals not reflected by buoy validation. Our study presents a mechanism to potentially explain this paradox: probabilistic quasi-specular radar scattering from the snow-ice interface. We introduce the theory for this mechanism before identifying it in airborne Ku-band radar observations collected over landfast first year Arctic sea ice near Eureka, Canada, in spring 2016. Based on SAR data, this study area likely represents level first year sea ice across the Arctic. Radar backscatter from the snow and ice interfaces were estimated by co-aligning laser scanner and radar observations with in situ measurements. On average, 4-5 times more radar power was scattered from the snow-ice than the air-snow interface over first-year ice. However, return power varied by up to 20 dB between consecutive radar echoes, particularly from the snow-ice interface, depending on local slope and roughness. Measured laser-radar snow depths were more accurate when radar returns were specular, but there was no systematic bias between airborne and in situ snow depths. The probability and strength of quasi-specular returns depend on the measuring height above and slope distribution of sea ice, so these findings have implications for satellite altimetry snow depth and freeboard estimates. This mechanism could explain the apparent differences in Ku-band radar penetration into snow on sea ice when observed from the range of a surface-, airborne-or satellitebased sensor.

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Section: Datasetsmentioning

confidence: 79%

Airborne Investigation of Quasi-Specular Ku-Band Radar Scattering for Satellite Altimetry Over Snow-Covered Arctic Sea Ice

De Rijke-Thomas,

Landy,

Mallett

et al. 2023

IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing

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“…Furthermore, Renfrew et al (2019) note that the effect of sea ice on surface drag is indirect, as ice morphology is the salient variable rather than SIC itself. The lack of available data places a full consideration of wind drag outside the scope of this paper, and we echo Johnson et al (2022) in calling for an extension of existing and proven mapping techniques using satellite observations to retrieve sea-ice roughness over the Antarctic ice sheets. We acknowledge the limitations that this places on our work tying SIC to cloud macrophysical properties, but contend that meaningful correlations may still be observed and reported.…”

Section: Surface-boundary Layer Physical Connectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cloud Properties and Boundary Layer Stability Above Southern Ocean Sea Ice and Coastal Antarctica

Knight,

Mallet,

Alexander

et al. 2024

JGR Atmospheres

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Significant variability in climate predictions originates from the simulated cloud cover over the Southern Ocean. Historically, Southern Ocean cloud and aerosol properties have been less studied than their northern hemisphere counterparts, and cloud‐sea‐ice interactions over the Southern Ocean also remain largely unexamined. We used data from combined radar, lidar, radiometer, radiosonde, and ERA5 reanalysis profiles to investigate cloud property relationships to cloud temperature, sea‐ice concentration, and boundary layer stability. Our findings show correlations between both cloud macrophysical properties and radiative effects and sea‐ice concentration, and that the marine atmospheric boundary layer is more stable over higher sea‐ice concentrations. Mixed‐phase cloud frequency of occurrence was highest over the sea‐ice zone at 15%, three times higher than over cold water south of the Antarctic Polar Front. For temperatures greater than −15°C, low‐level, single‐layer clouds were more likely to precipitate ice if they were coupled to cold‐water or sea‐ice surfaces than if they were decoupled from these surfaces, with the highest percentage of clouds precipitating ice observed over sea ice. These findings suggest a surface source of ice‐nucleating particles at high southern latitudes that increases cloud glaciation probability. We discuss the implications of our results for future studies into the relationship between cloud properties, aerosols, sea ice, and boundary layer stability at high latitudes over the Southern Ocean.

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“…Similarly, our knowledge of the distribution of fast‐ice roughness is also lacking. Combining maps of fast‐ice distribution with images of SAR backscatter (Segal et al., 2020) or roughness maps determined from multi‐angle visible imagery (e.g., Johnson et al., 2022) hold the key to increasing our knowledge in this area. Laser altimetry, with its fine spatial resolution (e.g., 17 m footprint in the case of the ICESat‐2), can also be used to determine the roughness of ice (van Tiggelen et al., 2021), though such techniques have yet to be implemented over Antarctic fast ice.…”

Section: Large‐scale Distribution Seasonality and Thickness Estimates...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Antarctic Landfast Sea Ice: A Review of Its Physics, Biogeochemistry and Ecology

Fraser

Wongpan

Langhorne

et al. 2023

Reviews of Geophysics

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Antarctic landfast sea ice (fast ice) is stationary sea ice that is attached to the coast, grounded icebergs, ice shelves, or other protrusions on the continental shelf. Fast ice forms in narrow (generally up to 200 km wide) bands, and ranges in thickness from centimeters to tens of meters. In most regions, it forms in autumn, persists through the winter and melts in spring/summer, but can remain throughout the summer in particular locations, becoming multi‐year ice. Despite its relatively limited extent (comprising between about 4% and 13% of overall sea ice), its presence, variability and seasonality are drivers of a wide range of physical, biological and biogeochemical processes, with both local and far‐ranging ramifications for the Earth system. Antarctic fast ice has, until quite recently, been overlooked in studies, likely due to insufficient knowledge of its distribution, leading to its reputation as a “missing piece of the Antarctic puzzle.” This review presents a synthesis of current knowledge of the physical, biogeochemical and biological aspects of fast ice, based on the sub‐domains of: fast ice growth, properties and seasonality; remote‐sensing and distribution; interactions with the atmosphere and the ocean; biogeochemical interactions; its role in primary production; and fast ice as a habitat for grazers. Finally, we consider the potential state of Antarctic fast ice at the end of the 21st Century, underpinned by Coupled Model Intercomparison Project model projections. This review also gives recommendations for targeted future work to increase our understanding of this critically‐important element of the global cryosphere.

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Mapping Arctic Sea-Ice Surface Roughness with Multi-Angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer

Cited by 6 publications

References 44 publications

Airborne Investigation of Quasi-Specular Ku-Band Radar Scattering for Satellite Altimetry Over Snow-Covered Arctic Sea Ice

Airborne Investigation of Quasi-Specular Ku-Band Radar Scattering for Satellite Altimetry Over Snow-Covered Arctic Sea Ice

Cloud Properties and Boundary Layer Stability Above Southern Ocean Sea Ice and Coastal Antarctica

Antarctic Landfast Sea Ice: A Review of Its Physics, Biogeochemistry and Ecology

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