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Faculty Publications

2006

Antarctic

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Melt Detection In Antarctic Ice Shelves Using Scatterometers And Microwave Radiometers, David G. Long, Lucas B. Kunz Sep 2006

Melt Detection In Antarctic Ice Shelves Using Scatterometers And Microwave Radiometers, David G. Long, Lucas B. Kunz

Faculty Publications

Ku-band dual-polarization radar backscatter measurements from the SeaWinds-on-QuikSCAT scatterometer are used to determine periods of surface freeze and melt in the Antarctic ice shelves. The normalized horizontal-polarization radar backscatter (sigmao) and backscatter polarization ratio are used in maximum-likelihood estimation of the ice state. This method is used to infer the daily ice-surface conditions for 25 study locations located on the Ronne, Ross, Larsen, Amery, Shackleton, and other ice shelves. The temporal and spatial variations of the radar response are observed for various neighborhood sizes surrounding each given location during the study period. Criteria for determining the dates of melt onset …