NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
A Comparison of Sea Ice Type, Sea Ice Temperature, and Snow Thickness Distributions in the Arctic Seasonal Ice Zones with the DMSP SSM/IGlobal climate studies have shown that sea ice is a critical component in the global climate system through its effect on the ocean and atmosphere, and on the earth's radiation balance. Polar energy studies have further shown that the distribution of thin ice and open water largely controls the distribution of surface heat exchange between the ocean and atmosphere within the winter Arctic ice pack. The thickness of the ice, the depth of snow on the ice, and the temperature profile of the snow/ice composite are all important parameters in calculating surface heat fluxes. In recent years, researchers have used various combinations of DMSP SSMI channels to independently estimate the thin ice type (which is related to ice thickness), the thin ice temperature, and the depth of snow on the ice. In each case validation efforts provided encouraging results, but taken individually each algorithm gives only one piece of the information necessary to compute the energy fluxes through the ice and snow. In this paper we present a comparison of the results from each of these algorithms to provide a more comprehensive picture of the seasonal ice zone using passive microwave observations.
Document ID
20000038117
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
St.Germain, Karen
(Naval Research Lab. Washington, DC United States)
Cavalieri, Donald J.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Markus, Thorsten
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1997
Publication Information
Publication: Laboratory for Hydrospheric Processes Research Publications
Subject Category
Oceanography
Report/Patent Number
LC-97-70575
IEEE-97CH36042
Meeting Information
Meeting: Geoscience and Remote Sensing
Location: Singapore
Country: Singapore
Start Date: August 3, 1997
End Date: August 8, 1997
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available