Ice Surface Temperatures in the Arctic Region

Abstract The Arcticcurrently provides some of the most visible indicators of climate change. The perennial sea ice cover has shrunk by > 50% in the last 35 years. Many glaciers have lost 40% of their volume during the last century, and the Greenland ice sheethas been losing mass at the rate of 250 gigatons/year. Warming is amplified by as much as three times in the Arcticcompared to the global average, and the influence of enhanced surface temperature is manifested in the entire high-latitude region. This chapter describes the ability of satellite sensors to provide consistent basin-wide distribution of surface temperature in the Arcticregion and vicinity. Satellite data provide insights into the actual spatial and temporal variability of surface temperature in the Arcticregion.