SPATIOTEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF ANTARCTIC SNOWMELT CHANGES USING MICROWAVE RADIOMETER DATA (1978-2015)

Antarctic surface snowmelt variations are sensitive indicators of climate change due to the direct interface with the atmosphere and ocean. Here, we have utilized the sensitivity of microwave radiometer data to detect the presence of liquid water in the snow caused due to snowmelt conditions and analyze a variety of spatiotemporal characteristics of the Antarctic snowmelt cycle over a 36-year period from 1978 to 2015 by applying an improved wavelet transform using SMMR and SSM/I data. The spatial distribution of snowmelt areas shows that most are located on the edges of Antarctic ice shelves. Snowmelt areas are affected by land cover type, surface elevation, and geographic location. The temporal distribution of snowmelt areas shows that the Antarctic snowmelt changes systematically over time. There are the roughly 5-year periodic variations in the melt intensity, which shows that the Antarctic snowmelt will adjust to climate change. In addition, the Antarctic snowmelt varies with the seasons; it is particularly acute in summer, with peak melt in December and January and low melt in March. To a certain extent, the results reveal Antarctic snowmelt spatiotemporal change characteristics.