Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T13:00:02.131Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Passive microwave images of the polar regions and research applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2009

H. Jay Zwally  and
Per Gloersen
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Passive microwave images of the polar regions, first produced after the launch of the Nimbus-5 Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR)in December 1972, have become a valuable new source of polar information. Some of the potential applications of this new capability were anticipated. Of these, the sensing of sea ice through clouds and the polar night is probably the most important application for polar research and for operations on the polar seas. Other applications, such as the measurement of certain near-surfaceice sheet parameters, have been formulated more recently. Measurement of various ocean surface parameters is expected from the forthcoming multifrequency microwave observations. Undoubtedly additional uses of passive microwave datawill be conceived and developed. Two remarkable aspects of satellite-borne microwave radiometers are the complete spatial detail obtained by the scanning sensors and the temporal detail provided by continual coverage. For example, the observations of detailed microwave emission patterns over the Antarctic ice sheet should yield information that could not be obtained by surface or even aircraft measurements. Sequences of images produced at three-day intervalsreveal short-term ice sheet and sea ice phenomena that would otherwise be missed.

Type
Articles
Information
Polar Record , Volume 18 , Issue 116 , May 1977 , pp. 431 - 450
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ackley, S. F. and Keliher, T. E. 1976. Antarctic sea ice dynamics and its possible climatic effects. AJDJEX Bulletin, No 33, p 53–76.Google Scholar
Allison, L. J.and others. 1974. Tropical cyclone rainfall as measured by the Nimbus-5 electrically scanning microwave radiometer. By Allison, L. J., Rodgers, E. B., Wilheit, T. T., and Fett, R. W.. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Vol 55, No 93 p 1074–89.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Budd, W. F. 1968. The Wilkes ice cap project. In: Gow, A. J.and others, eds. International Symposium on Antarctic Glaciological Exploration (ISAGE)… 1968 …. Gentbrugge, International Association of Scientific Hydrology, p 414–29. (IASH Publication No 86.)Google Scholar
Bull, C. B. B. 1971. Snow accumulation in Antarctica. In: Quam, L. O. ed. Research in the Antarctic. A symposiumpresented at the Dallas meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, December 1968. Washington, DC, American Association for the Advancement of Science, p 367–421.Google Scholar
Campbell, W. J.and others. 1974. Dynamics and morphology of Beaufort Sea ice determined from satellites, aircraft, and drifting stations. By Campbell, W. J., Gloersen, P., Nordberg, W., and Wilheit, T. T.. In: Bock, P. ed. Proceedings of the COSPAR Symposium on Approaches to Earth Survey Problems Through Use of Space Techniques … 1974 …. Berlin, Akademie-Verlag, p 311–27.Google Scholar
Campbell, W. J.and others. 1976. Beaufort sea ice zones as delineated by microwave imagery. By Campbell, W. J., Gloersen, P., Webster, W. J., Wilheit, T. T., and Ramseier, R. O.. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol 81, No 6, p 1103–10.Google Scholar
Chang, T. C. and Gloersen, P. 1975. Microwaveemission from dry and wet snow. In: Rango, A. ed. Operational applications of satellite snotvcover observations. Washington, DC, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, p 399–407. (NASA SP-361.)Google Scholar
Chang, T. C.and others. 1976. Microwave emission from snow and glacier ice. By Chang, T. C., Gloersen, P., Schmugge, T., Wilheit, T. T., and Zwally, H. J.. Journal of Glaciology, Vol 17, No 75, p 23–29.Google Scholar
Fletcher, J. O. 1972. Ice on the ocean and world climate. Symposium on Beneficial Modifications of the Marine Environment … 1968…. Washington, DC, National Academy of Sciences, p 4–65.Google Scholar
Giovinetto, M. B. 1964. The drainage systems of Antarctica: accumulation. In: Mellor, M. ed. Antarctic snow and ice studies. Washington, DC, American Geophysical Union, p127–55. (Antarctic Research Series, Vol 2.)Google Scholar
Gloersen, P. and Salomonson, V. V. 1975. Satellites—new global observing techniques for ice and snow. Journal of Glaciology, Vol 5, No 73, p 373–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gloersen, P. and Barath, F. T. 1977. A scanning multichannel microwave radiometer for Nimbus-G and SEASAT-A. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering (in press).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gloersen, P.and others. 1973. Microwave signatures of first-year and multiyear sea ice. By Gloersen, P., Nordberg, W., Schmugge, T. J., and Wilheit, T. T.. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol 78, No 18, p 3564–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gloersen, P.and others. 1974. Microwave maps of the polar ice on the earth. By Gloersen, P., Wilheit, T. T., Chang, T. C., Nordberg, W., and Campbell, W. J.. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Vol 55, No 12, p 1442–48.Google Scholar
Gloersen, P.and others. 1977. Time dependence of seaice concentration and multi-year ice fraction in the arctic basin. By Gloersen, P., Campbell, W. J., Zwally, H. J., Chang, T. C., Wilheit, T. T., Hall, D. K., and Ramseier, R. O.. Boundary Layer Meteorology (in press).Google Scholar
Gow, A. J. 1969. On the rates of growth of grains andcrystals in south polar firn. Journal of Glaciology, Vol 8, No 53, p 241–52.Google Scholar
Heap, J. A. 1964. Pack ice. In: Priestley, R.and others, eds. Antarctic research: a review of British scientific achievement in Antarctica. London, Butterworth, p 308–17.Google Scholar
Knapp, W. W. 1969. A satellite study of large stationary polynyas in Antarctic coastal waters. Madison, University of Wisconsin. (Unpublished PhD thesis.)Google Scholar
Lane, J. A. and Saxton, J. A. 1952. Dielectric dispersion in pure polar liquids at very high radio frequencies. Proceedings of the Royal Society, Series A, Vol 213, p 400–08.Google Scholar
McLain, E. P. 1976. Monitoring earth surface characteristics important to weather and climate with earth satellites. Proceedings of the Symposium on Meteorological Observations from Space: Their Contributions to the First GARP Experiment … 1976 …. Boulder, Colorado, National Center for Atmospheric Research, p 129–35.Google Scholar
Mock, S. J. 1967. Accumulation patterns on the Greenland ice sheet. US Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. Research Report, 233.Google Scholar
Schmugge, T.and others. 1976. Remote sensing of soil moisture with microwave radiometers—II. NASA Technical Note, NASA TN D-8321.Google Scholar
Swithinbank, C. W. M.and others. 1977. Drift tracks of Antarctic icebergs. By Swithinbank, C. W. M., McClain, P. and Little, P.. Polar Record, Vol 118, No 16, p 495–501.Google Scholar
Vonwinckel, E. and Orvig, S. 1970. The climate of the north polar basin. In: Orvig, S. ed. World survey of climatology. Vol 14. Climates of the polar regions. Amsterdam etc, Elsevier, p 200.Google Scholar
Wilheit, T. T. 1972. The electronically scanning microwave radiometer (ESMR). In: The Nimbus-5 user's guide. US Government Printing Office, p 59–104. (1972-735-963-259.)Google Scholar
Wilheit, T. T. 1973. ESMR corrections to the user's guide. In: Nimbus-5 data catalog. Vol 3. Greenbelt, Maryland, Goddard Space Flight Center.Google Scholar
Wilheit, T. T.and others. 1972. Aircraft measurements of microwave emission from Arctic sea ice. By Wilheit, T. T., Nordberg, W., Blinn, J., Campbell, W., and Edgerton, A.. Remote Sensing of Environment, Vol 2, No 3, p 129–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilheit, T. T.and others. 1975. A satellite technique for quantitatively mapping rainfall rates over the oceans. By Wilheit, T. T., Rao, M. S. V., Chang, T. C., Rodgers, E. B., and Theon, J. S.. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Document, X-911-75-72.Google Scholar
Zwally, H. J.and others. 1976. Characteristics of Antarctic sea ice as determined by satellite-borne microwave imagers. By Zwally, H. J., Wilheit, T. T., Gloersen, P., and Mueller, J. L.. Proceedings of the Symposium on Meteorological Observations from Space: Their Contributions to the First GARP Experiment … 1976…. Boulder, Colorado, National Center for Atmospheric Research, p 94–97.Google Scholar
Zwallyj, H. J. 1977. Microwave emissivity and accumulation rate of polar firn. Journal of Glaciology, Vol18, No 79.Google Scholar