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Remote sensing using aircraft and satellites has helped to open up to intensified scientific scrutiny the cold and remote regions in which snow and ice are prevalent. In this book, the utility of remote sensing for identifying, mapping and analyzing surface and subsurface properties of worldwide ice and snow features is described. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing for developing an improved understanding of the physical properties of ice and snow and understanding the interrelationships of cryospheric processes with atmospheric, hydrospheric and oceanic processes. Current and potential applications of remotely sensed data are also stressed. At present, all-weather, day and night observations of the polar regions can be obtained from sensors operating in different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because the approaches for analysis of remotely sensed data are not straightforward, Chapter 1 serves to introduce the reader to some of the optical, thermal and electrical properties of ice and snow as they pertain to remote sensing. In Chapter 2 we briefly describe many of the sensors and platforms that are referred to in the rest of the book. The remaining chapters deal with remote sensing of the seasonal snow cover, lake and river ice, permafrost, glacier ice and sea ice.
List of contents
1 An introduction to the optical, thermal and electrical properties of ice and snow.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Optical and thermal properties of ice and snow.- 1.3 Electrical properties of ice and snow.- References.- 2 Sensors and platforms.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 Multispectral Scanner (MSS) on the Landsat series.- 2.3 Thematic Mapper (TM) on Landsats 4 and 5.- 2.4 NOAA satellites and sensors.- 2.5 Heat Capacity Mapping Mission (HCMM).- 2.6 Nimbus 5 and 6 Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR) and Nimbus 7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR).- 2.7 Passive microwave aircraft sensors.- 2.8 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).- 2.9 Seasat SAR and radar altimeter.- 2.10 Impulse radar.- References.- 3 Snow cover.- 3.1 Snow cover in the global water balance.- 3.2 Snow properties.- 3.3 Seasonal snow cover.- 3.4 Snow-cover mapping.- 3.5 Snow-cover depletion curves.- References.- 4 Applications of remotely derived snow data.- 4.1 Hydrological importance of snow.- 4.2 Snowmelt-runoff modelling.- 4.3 Discharge forecasts.- 4.4 Economic benefits.- References.- 5 Lake and river ice.- 5.1 The importance of lake and river ice.- 5.2 Freshwater ice thickness studies.- 5.3 Lake depth and ice thickness studies in northern Alaska.- 5.4 Ice in large lakes and estuaries.- 5.5 River ice break-up.- 5.6 Ice jams and aufeis.- References.- 6 Permafrost.- 6.1 Hydrological and geological implications of permafrost.- 6.2 Vegetation mapping in permafrost areas.- 6.3 Snow and ice break-up.- 6.4 Surface temperature and energy balance studies.- 6.5 Tundra surface disturbances.- 6.6 Subsurface probing of permafrost.- References.- 7 Glaciers, ice caps and ice sheets.- 7.1 Global significance of glaciers.- 7.2 Distribution and mass balance of glaciers.- 7.3 Catastrophic events: surges,jökulhlaups and rapid glacier movement.- 7.4 Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.- 7.5 Icebergs.- 7.6 Radio echo sounding of glacier ice.- References.- 8 Sea ice.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 Sea ice age.- 8.3 Sea ice type and interannual variability.- 8.4 Sea ice concentration.- 8.5 Sea ice movement.- References.
