Engineering topics

Nghiem, S. V.

Publications and source records attributed to Nghiem, S. V..

At least 19 records

NASA NTRS2014

Effects of Mackenzie River Discharge and Bathymetry on Sea Ice in the Beaufort Sea

Mackenzie River discharge and bathymetry effects on sea ice in the Beaufort Sea are examined in 2012 when Arctic sea ice extent hit a record low. Satellite-derived sea surface temperature revealed warmer waters closer to river mouths. By 5 July 2012, Mackenzie warm waters occupied most of an open water area about 316,000 sq km. Surface temperature in a common open water area increased by 6.5 C between 14 June and 5 July 2012, before and after the river waters broke through a recurrent landfast ice barrier formed over the shallow seafloor offshore the Mackenzie Delta. In 2012, melting by warm river waters was especially effective when the strong Beaufort Gyre fragmented sea ice into unconsolidated floes. The Mackenzie and other large rivers can transport an enormous amount of heat across immense continental watersheds into the Arctic Ocean, constituting a stark contrast to the Antarctic that has no such rivers to affect sea ice.

Mackenzie↗

NASA NTRS2011

Seafloor Control on Sea Ice

The seafloor has a profound role in Arctic sea ice formation and seasonal evolution. Ocean bathymetry controls the distribution and mixing of warm and cold waters, which may originate from different sources, thereby dictating the pattern of sea ice on the ocean surface. Sea ice dynamics, forced by surface winds, are also guided by seafloor features in preferential directions. Here, satellite mapping of sea ice together with buoy measurements are used to reveal the bathymetric control on sea ice growth and dynamics. Bathymetric effects on sea ice formation are clearly observed in the conformation between sea ice patterns and bathymetric characteristics in the peripheral seas. Beyond local features, bathymetric control appears over extensive ice-prone regions across the Arctic Ocean. The large-scale conformation between bathymetry and patterns of different synoptic sea ice classes, including seasonal and perennial sea ice, is identified. An implication of the bathymetric influence is that the maximum extent of the total sea ice cover is relatively stable, as observed by scatterometer data in the decade of the 2000s, while the minimum ice extent has decreased drastically. Because of the geologic control, the sea ice cover can expand only as far as it reaches the seashore, the continental shelf break, or other pronounced bathymetric features in the peripheral seas. Since the seafloor does not change significantly for decades or centuries, sea ice patterns can be recurrent around certain bathymetric features, which, once identified, may help improve short-term forecast and seasonal outlook of the sea ice cover. Moreover, the seafloor can indirectly influence cloud cover by its control on sea ice distribution, which differentially modulates the latent heat flux through ice covered and open water areas.

Nghiem, S. V.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Mapping of ice layer extent and snow accumulation in the percolation zone of the Greenland ice sheet

The Greenland ice sheet underwent record extensive melt in 2002 and prolonged melt in 2003. The severe melting created a significant and extensive ice layer over the Greenland ice sheet. An innovative approach is developed to detect the ice layer formation using data acquired by the SeaWinds scatterometer on the QuikSCAT satellite. QuikSCAT backscatter together with in situ data from automatic weather stations of the Greenland Climate Network are used to map the extent of ice layer formation. The results reveal areas of extensive ice layer formed by the 2002 melt, which is consistent with the maximum melt extent in 2002. Moreover, during freezing seasons, QuikSCAT data show a linear decrease in backscatter (in decibels or dB) that is related to the amount of snow accumulation in the ice layer formation region. This snow accumulation signature is caused by the attenuation of radar waves in the snow layer, accumulating since the last major melt event, whose thickness appears as an exponential function in relation to the backscatter signature. We use the Greenland Climate Network data to calibrate the QuikSCAT accumulation rate in order to estimate and map snow accumulation. QuikSCAT results capture the extreme snowfall in mid-April 2003, which deposited more than 0.5 m of snow in a day as measured by the automated weather station at the NASA South East site. Large-scale QuikSCAT results show an anomalous increase of snow accumulation over the southeast region of Greenland during the 2002-2003 freezing season.

snow↗

NASA NTRS2005

Anomalous snow accumulation over the southeast region of the Greenland ice sheet during 2002-2003 snow season

Our objective is to determine seasonal snow accumulation in the percolation zone of the Greenland ice sheet on the daily-weekly basis over the large scale. Our approach utilizes data from the Greenland Climate Network (GC-Net) and from the SeaWinds Scatterometer on the QuikSCAT satellite (QSCAT) to measure snow accumulation (SA) in the percolation zone of the Greenland ice sheet. GC-Net measurements provide crucial in-situ data to facilitate the interpretation of QSCAT backscatter signature for the development of an algorithm to map SA.

Greenland↗

NASA NTRS2003

Flood warnings, flood disaster assessments, and flood hazard reduction: the roles of orbital remote sensing

Orbital remote sensing of the Earth is now poised to make three fundamental contributions towards reducing the detrimental effects of extreme floods. Effective Flood warning requires frequent radar observation of the Earth's surface through cloud cover. In contrast, both optical and radar wavelengths will increasingly be used for disaster assessment and hazard reduction.

floods↗

NASA NTRS2003