Satellite Remote Sensing of a Melting Glacier Albedo: Examples from EnMAP and an Intercomparison with Other Satellite and Ground Measurements

Abstract

Here, we study melting glacier surface albedo using satellite hyperspectral imagery from the Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program (EnMAP). The proposed broadband albedo (BBA) retrieval algorithm is based on radiative transfer theory and includes atmospheric and topography corrections. The comparison with ground and other satellite snow and ice albedo products is presented. Ways to improve current satellite snow and ice albedo retrieval algorithms are discussed. While the EnMAP-derived BBA is highly correlated with BBA retrieved from other spaceborne instrumentation and algorithms, the various modern snow and ice satellite BBA products can differ by more than 5–10% for snow and, especially, bare ice. Bare ice optical heterogeneity is high from variable roughness conditions and impurity content. Bare ice BBA uncertainties exceed requirements needed for highly accurate assessment of glacier climatic effects.