Toward a real validation of passive microwave snowmelt detection algorithms over the Antarctic Ice sheet

Abstract

Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) surface snowmelt can profoundly impact climatological and hydrological processes, as well as energy and mass balances. Passive microwave remote sensing has proven highly effective in detecting snowmelt, and the accuracy of the algorithms is typically assessed using air temperature (Tair). Nonetheless, the occurrence of snowmelt cannot be solely determined by Tair being above the melting point, it can only provide evaluation of the algorithms rather than a real validation. This study is the first to conduct a reliable validation of six commonly used algorithms by using the melt rate data from a surface energy balance model, including the cross-polarized gradient ratio (XPGR) algorithm, the diurnal amplitude variation (DAV) algorithm, the Microwave Emission Model of Layered Snowpacks based (MEMLS-based) algorithm, the constant threshold algorithm (CTA), the Ashcraft and Long Algorithm (ALA), and the M + 30 K (M30 hereafter) algorithm. Results suggest that the M30 algorithm and MEMLS-based algorithm have overall better performances, with high overall accuracies (with a value of 95.81 % and 95.56 %) and high kappa coefficient (with a value of 0.69 and 0.68). Though Tair is not reliable for evaluating the algorithms, a threshold of Tair = − 0.8 ℃ can serve as an alternative criterion in the absence of melt rate data. Additionally, two algorithms with the highest accuracy were selected to investigate interannual snowmelt trends in the Antarctic and the sub-regions. The results show a significant increase in melt extent and density in the Wilkes and Adelie sub-region during the period 1979–2020.

Keywords

• Validation
• Antarctic Ice Sheet
• Surface snowmelt
• Passive microwave remote sensing
• Surface energy balance model