River ice phenology and thickness from satellite altimetry: potential for ice bridge road operation and climate studies
<p>River ice is a key component of the cryosphere. Satellite monitoring of river ice is a rapidly developing area of scientific enquiry, which has wide-ranging implications for climate, environmental and socioeconomic applications. Spaceborne radar altimetry is widely used for monitoring river...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2021-12-01
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| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/5387/2021/tc-15-5387-2021.pdf |
| _version_ | 1829488471771709440 |
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| author | E. Zakharova E. Zakharova S. Agafonova C. Duguay C. Duguay N. Frolova A. Kouraev |
| author_facet | E. Zakharova E. Zakharova S. Agafonova C. Duguay C. Duguay N. Frolova A. Kouraev |
| author_sort | E. Zakharova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>River ice is a key component of the cryosphere. Satellite monitoring of
river ice is a rapidly developing area of scientific enquiry, which has
wide-ranging implications for climate, environmental and socioeconomic
applications. Spaceborne radar altimetry is widely used for monitoring river water regimes; however, its potential for the observation of river ice processes and properties has not been demonstrated yet. Using Ku-band backscatter measurements from the Jason-2 and Jason-3 satellite missions (2008–2019), we demonstrate the potential of radar altimetry for the retrieval of river ice phenology dates and ice thickness for the first time. The altimetric measurements were determined to be sensitive enough to detect the first appearance of ice and the beginning of thermal breakup on the lower Ob River (Western Siberia). The uncertainties in the retrieval of ice event timing were within the 10 d repeat cycle of Jason-2 and Jason-3 in 88 %–90 % of the cases analysed. The uncertainties in the river ice thickness retrievals made via empirical relations between the satellite backscatter measurements and in situ observations, expressed as the root mean square error (RMSE), were of 0.07–0.18 m. A novel application of radar altimetry is the prediction of ice bridge road operations, which is demonstrated herein. We established that the dates of ferry closing and ice road opening and closing in the city of Salekhard can be predicted with an accuracy (expressed as RMSE) of 3–5 d.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T23:50:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5b944b5ecc8b4f4ba978b37326111725 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T23:50:27Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Cryosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-5b944b5ecc8b4f4ba978b373261117252022-12-21T22:43:15ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe Cryosphere1994-04161994-04242021-12-01155387540710.5194/tc-15-5387-2021River ice phenology and thickness from satellite altimetry: potential for ice bridge road operation and climate studiesE. Zakharova0E. Zakharova1S. Agafonova2C. Duguay3C. Duguay4N. Frolova5A. Kouraev6Water Problems Institute, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, RussiaEOLA, Toulouse, FranceDepartment of Land Hydrology, Moscow State University, Moscow, RussiaDepartment of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, CanadaH2O Geomatics, Waterloo, CanadaDepartment of Land Hydrology, Moscow State University, Moscow, RussiaLEGOS, Université de Toulouse, CNES, CNRS, IRD, UPS, Toulouse, France<p>River ice is a key component of the cryosphere. Satellite monitoring of river ice is a rapidly developing area of scientific enquiry, which has wide-ranging implications for climate, environmental and socioeconomic applications. Spaceborne radar altimetry is widely used for monitoring river water regimes; however, its potential for the observation of river ice processes and properties has not been demonstrated yet. Using Ku-band backscatter measurements from the Jason-2 and Jason-3 satellite missions (2008–2019), we demonstrate the potential of radar altimetry for the retrieval of river ice phenology dates and ice thickness for the first time. The altimetric measurements were determined to be sensitive enough to detect the first appearance of ice and the beginning of thermal breakup on the lower Ob River (Western Siberia). The uncertainties in the retrieval of ice event timing were within the 10 d repeat cycle of Jason-2 and Jason-3 in 88 %–90 % of the cases analysed. The uncertainties in the river ice thickness retrievals made via empirical relations between the satellite backscatter measurements and in situ observations, expressed as the root mean square error (RMSE), were of 0.07–0.18 m. A novel application of radar altimetry is the prediction of ice bridge road operations, which is demonstrated herein. We established that the dates of ferry closing and ice road opening and closing in the city of Salekhard can be predicted with an accuracy (expressed as RMSE) of 3–5 d.</p>https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/5387/2021/tc-15-5387-2021.pdf |
| spellingShingle | E. Zakharova E. Zakharova S. Agafonova C. Duguay C. Duguay N. Frolova A. Kouraev River ice phenology and thickness from satellite altimetry: potential for ice bridge road operation and climate studies The Cryosphere |
| title | River ice phenology and thickness from satellite altimetry: potential for ice bridge road operation and climate studies |
| title_full | River ice phenology and thickness from satellite altimetry: potential for ice bridge road operation and climate studies |
| title_fullStr | River ice phenology and thickness from satellite altimetry: potential for ice bridge road operation and climate studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | River ice phenology and thickness from satellite altimetry: potential for ice bridge road operation and climate studies |
| title_short | River ice phenology and thickness from satellite altimetry: potential for ice bridge road operation and climate studies |
| title_sort | river ice phenology and thickness from satellite altimetry potential for ice bridge road operation and climate studies |
| url | https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/5387/2021/tc-15-5387-2021.pdf |
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