HR: 15:30h
AN: H13J-08    [Abstracts]
TI: Evolution of Surface Water Extent in the Boreal Regions of Central Siberia During the 1988 to 2003 Summers
AU: * Mognard, N M
EM: nelly.mognard@cnes.fr
AF: CNES-LEGOS, 18 ave E. Belin BPi 3200, Toulouse, 31401 France
AU: Grippa, M
EM: manuela.grippa@cesbio.cnes;fr
AF: CESBIO, 18 ave E. Belin BPi 2801, Toulouse, 31401 France
AU: Biancamaria, S
EM: sbiancafr@yahoo.fr
AF: CNES-LEGOS, 18 ave E. Belin BPi 3200, Toulouse, 31401 France
AU: LeToan, T
EM: thuy.letoan@cesbio.cnes.fr
AF: CESBIO, 18 ave E. Belin BPi 2801, Toulouse, 31401 France
AB: Arctic warming has accelerated since the 1980s, driving an array of complex and ecological changes in the boreal regions. A recent study concluded that climate warming on high latitude permafrost-controlled lakes and wetlands may well be the cause of their widespread disappearance. In this paper we analyse 15 years of passive microwave SSM/I data from 1988 until 2003, to estimate the timing of snowmelt and the evolution of surface water extent during the summer. We consider an area in Central Siberia that includes the Ob river basin and we divide it into 3 regions according to the type of permafrost (the region of continuous permafrost with average temperatures less then -7°C, the region of discontinuous permafrost with average temperatures between -7°C and -1°C, and the southern area with average ground temperatures higher than -1°C). Over the 15 years period analysed the surface water extent in July and August decreased in the continuous permafrost region while it increased in the discontinuous permafrost and in the southern regions. These trends are interpreted by comparison with trends in snowmelt timings as well as temperatures and precipitation in each permafrost region.
DE: 1807 Climate impacts
DE: 1855 Remote sensing (1640)
DE: 1890 Wetlands (0497)
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005