[A-CG36] Satellite Earth Environment Observation

[ACG36-P15] Synchronous satellite observations for blowing snow detection with a ground-based snow particle counter and CALIPSO attenuated backscatter around Dome Fuji in Antarctica

*Konosuke Sugiura¹, Naohiko Hirasawa² (1.School of Sustainable Design, University of Toyama, 2.National Institute of Polar Research)

Keywords:blowing snow, CALIPSO, snow particle counter, surface mass balance

In recent years, satellite observations (CALIPSO, ICESat, ICESat-2) have been used to detect blowing snow. Monthly frequency distribution products of blowing snow in the polar regions have been published, but their evaluation is limited. In this presentation, we first confirmed the operation of a snow particle counter in the low-temperature region around Dome Fuji in Antarctica, then obtained verification data of blowing snow lacking in the field observations in Antarctica, and confirmed the current status of blowing snow detection from synchronous satellite observations based on the obtained data. The SPC-S7 was selected as the ground-based snow particle counter, which measures the number flux of blowing snow particles. The observation location was the area around the Dome Fuji at 77°S and 39°E, and the observation period was daytime only (December 18, 2017 to January 3, 2018). On the other hand, total attenuated backscatter data from the CALIOP/atmospheric lidar onboard CALIPSO, which was in operation during the ground-based observation period, were used as the synchronous satellite observations. The vertical resolution is 30 meters. CALIPSO orbits passing within a horizontal distance of 100 km radius from the ground observation point during the ground observation period were extracted.
The following results were obtained. The SPC-S7 worked well even in the area around Dome Fuji in Antarctica. We obtained synchronous satellite observation data for 17 cases, and in more than 60% of the cases, there was a correspondence between the presence of blowing snow particles by SPC and CALIPSO total attenuated backscatter data. Further analysis is needed for the cases where the correspondence is not clear. This study was supported by JAXA's (The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) EORA3 (The 3rd Research Announcement on the Earth Observations) program.