Brief communication: Mapping Greenland's perennial firn aquifers using enhanced-resolution L-band brightness temperature image time series

J. Z. Miller; J. Z. Miller; D. G. Long; K. C. Jezek; J. T. Johnson; M. J. Brodzik; M. J. Brodzik; C. A. Shuman; L. S. Koenig; L. S. Koenig; T. A. Scambos; T. A. Scambos

doi:10.5194/tc-14-2809-2020

The Cryosphere (Sep 2020)

Brief communication: Mapping Greenland's perennial firn aquifers using enhanced-resolution L-band brightness temperature image time series

J. Z. Miller,
J. Z. Miller,
D. G. Long,
K. C. Jezek,
J. T. Johnson,
M. J. Brodzik,
M. J. Brodzik,
C. A. Shuman,
L. S. Koenig,
L. S. Koenig,
T. A. Scambos,
T. A. Scambos

Affiliations

J. Z. Miller: Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
J. Z. Miller: Earth Science and Observation Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
D. G. Long: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
K. C. Jezek: Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
J. T. Johnson: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
M. J. Brodzik: Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
M. J. Brodzik: National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
C. A. Shuman: University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology at Code 615, Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
L. S. Koenig: Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
L. S. Koenig: National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
T. A. Scambos: Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
T. A. Scambos: Earth Science and Observation Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2809-2020
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 14
pp. 2809 – 2817

Abstract

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Enhanced-resolution L-band brightness temperature (TB) image time series generated from observations collected over the Greenland Ice Sheet by NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite are used to map Greenland's perennial firn aquifers from space. Exponentially decreasing L-band TB signatures are correlated with perennial firn aquifer areas identified via the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) Multi-Channel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) that was flown by NASA's Operation IceBridge (OIB) campaign. An empirical algorithm to map extent is developed by fitting these signatures to a set of sigmoidal curves. During the spring of 2016, perennial firn aquifer areas are found to extend over ∼66 000 km2.

Published in The Cryosphere

ISSN: 1994-0416 (Print); 1994-0424 (Online)
Publisher: Copernicus Publications
Country of publisher: Germany
LCC subjects: Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Environmental sciences; Science: Geology
Website: http://www.the-cryosphere.net/

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