Cross-Comparison of Albedo Products for Glacier Surfaces Derived from Airborne and Satellite (Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8) Optical Data

• DOI: 10.3390/rs9020110
• Publication Date: 2017-01-27T16:23:02Z
• Authors: Kathrin Naegeli; Alexander Damm; Matthias Huss; Hendrik Wulf; Michael Schaepman; Martin Hoelzle
• Keywords: Albedo (alchemy); Shortwave

Surface albedo partitions the amount of energy received by glacier surfaces from shortwave fluxes and modulates available for melt processes. The ice-albedo feedback, influenced contamination bare-ice with light-absorbing impurities, plays a major role in melting mountain glaciers warming climate. However, little is known about spatial temporal distribution variability surface under changing conditions. In this study, we focus on two located western Swiss Alps perform cross-comparison different products. We take advantage high spectral resolution (284 bands, 2 m) imaging spectrometer data Airborne Prism Experiment (APEX) investigate applicability potential Sentinel-2 Landsat 8 to derive broadband performance retrievals tested assess reliability published narrow-to-broadband conversion algorithms. resulting products three sensors algorithms are further cross-compared. Moreover, impact anisotropy correction analysed depending types. While degradation impacted glacier-wide mean 5%, reducing resulted changes less than 1%. any case, coarser was no longer able represent small-scale surfaces. discuss implications when using map dynamic glaciological processes monitor larger more frequent scales.