{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]],"date-time":"2026-01-27T02:00:58Z","timestamp":1769479258526,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,2,24]],"date-time":"2017-02-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1487894400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"NASA","award":["NNX12AD03A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NNX12AD03A"]}]},{"name":"NASA","award":["NNX16AK43G"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NNX16AK43G"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Remote Sensing"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Two long records of melt onset (MO) on Arctic sea ice from passive microwave brightness temperatures (Tbs) obtained by a series of satellite-borne instruments are compared. The Passive Microwave (PMW) method and Advanced Horizontal Range Algorithm (AHRA) detect the increase in emissivity that occurs when liquid water develops around snow grains at the onset of early melting on sea ice. The timing of MO on Arctic sea ice influences the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the ice\u2013ocean system throughout the melt season by reducing surface albedos in the early spring. This work presents a thorough comparison of these two methods for the time series of MO dates from 1979 through 2012. The methods are first compared using the published data as a baseline comparison of the publically available data products. A second comparison is performed on adjusted MO dates we produced to remove known differences in inter-sensor calibration of Tbs and masking techniques used to develop the original MO date products. These adjustments result in a more consistent set of input Tbs for the algorithms. Tests of significance indicate that the trends in the time series of annual mean MO dates for the PMW and AHRA are statistically different for the majority of the Arctic Ocean including the Laptev, E. Siberian, Chukchi, Beaufort, and central Arctic regions with mean differences as large as 38.3 days in the Barents Sea. Trend agreement improves for our more consistent MO dates for nearly all regions. Mean differences remain large, primarily due to differing sensitivity of in-algorithm thresholds and larger uncertainties in thin-ice regions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/rs9030199","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,2,24]],"date-time":"2017-02-24T11:19:50Z","timestamp":1487935190000},"page":"199","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":32,"title":["Comparison of Passive Microwave-Derived Early Melt Onset Records on Arctic Sea Ice"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9208-7024","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Angela","family":"Bliss","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA"},{"name":"Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20740, USA"}]},{"given":"Jeffrey","family":"Miller","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA"},{"name":"KBRwyle, Houston, TX 77058, USA"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2857-0550","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Walter","family":"Meier","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,2,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"149","DOI":"10.3189\/S0260305500012751","article-title":"Satellite passive microwave observations and analysis of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice, 1978\u20131987","volume":"17","author":"Gloersen","year":"1993","journal-title":"Ann. Glaciol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"L01703","DOI":"10.1029\/2007GL031972","article-title":"Accelerated decline in the Arctic sea ice cover","volume":"35","author":"Comiso","year":"2008","journal-title":"Geophys. Res. Lett."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"881","DOI":"10.5194\/tc-6-881-2012","article-title":"Arctic sea ice variability and trends, 1979\u20132010","volume":"6","author":"Cavalieri","year":"2012","journal-title":"Cryosphere"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"67","DOI":"10.1175\/1520-0442(2004)017<0067:DOTASI>2.0.CO;2","article-title":"Duration of the Arctic sea ice melt season: Regional and interannual variability, 1979\u20132001","volume":"17","author":"Belchansky","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Clim."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"C12024","DOI":"10.1029\/2009JC005436","article-title":"Recent changes in Arctic sea ice melt onset, freezeup, and melt season length","volume":"114","author":"Markus","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res. Oceans"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4316","DOI":"10.1002\/2014GL060434","article-title":"Spatially mapped reductions in the length of the Arctic sea ice season","volume":"41","author":"Parkinson","year":"2014","journal-title":"Geophys. Res. Lett."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"C03005","DOI":"10.1029\/2006JC003558","article-title":"Seasonal evolution and interannual variability of the local solar energy absorbed by the Arctic sea ice-ocean system","volume":"112","author":"Perovich","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res. Oceans"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1349","DOI":"10.1007\/s00382-011-1196-9","article-title":"Onset and end of the summer melt season over sea ice: Thermal structure and surface energy perspective from SHEBA","volume":"39","author":"Persson","year":"2012","journal-title":"Clim. Dyn."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14303","DOI":"10.1029\/94JC00381","article-title":"Springtime microwave emissivity changes in the southern Kara Sea","volume":"99","author":"Crane","year":"1994","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res. Oceans"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"240","DOI":"10.1175\/1520-0442(1995)008<0240:SIACFM>2.0.CO;2","article-title":"Sea-ice albedo climate feedback mechanism","volume":"8","author":"Curry","year":"1995","journal-title":"J. Clim."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.3189\/172756401781818851","article-title":"Comparison of interannual snowmelt-onset dates with atmospheric conditions","volume":"33","author":"Drobot","year":"2001","journal-title":"Ann. Glaciol."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11283","DOI":"10.3390\/rs61111283","article-title":"Daily area of snow melt onset on Arctic sea ice from passive microwave satellite observations 1979\u20132012","volume":"6","author":"Bliss","year":"2014","journal-title":"Remote Sens."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6636","DOI":"10.1002\/2016GL069330","article-title":"Arctic sea ice controlled by atmospheric moisture transport","volume":"43","author":"Mortin","year":"2016","journal-title":"Geophys. Res. Lett."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27753","DOI":"10.1029\/98JC02416","article-title":"Observation of perennial Arctic sea ice melt and freeze-up using passive microwave data","volume":"103","author":"Smith","year":"1998","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res. Oceans"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"24033","DOI":"10.1029\/2000JD000171","article-title":"An improved method for determining snowmelt onset dates over Arctic sea ice using Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer and Special Sensor Microwave\/Imager data","volume":"106","author":"Drobot","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res. Atmos."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rse.2004.05.001","article-title":"Estimating the time of melt onset and freeze onset over Arctic sea-ice area using active and passive microwave data","volume":"92","author":"Belchansky","year":"2004","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"22425","DOI":"10.1029\/94JC01268","article-title":"Observation of melt onset on multiyear Arctic sea ice using the ERS 1 synthetic aperture radar","volume":"99","author":"Winebrenner","year":"1994","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3363","DOI":"10.1029\/2002JC001363","article-title":"A study of the onset of melt over the Arctic ocean in RADARSAT synthetic aperture radar data","volume":"108","author":"Kwok","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res. Oceans"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rse.2016.03.003","article-title":"Detection of melt onset over the northern Canadian Arctic Archipelago sea ice from RADARSAT, 1997\u20132014","volume":"178","author":"Mahmud","year":"2016","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.3189\/172756401781818428","article-title":"The onset of Arctic sea-ice snowmelt as detected with passive- and active-microwave remote sensing","volume":"33","author":"Forster","year":"2001","journal-title":"Ann. Glaciol."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"D22103","DOI":"10.1029\/2011JD016256","article-title":"Integrated pan-Arctic melt onset detection from satellite active and passive microwave measurements, 2000\u20132009","volume":"116","author":"Wang","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res. Atmos."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"522","DOI":"10.1002\/grl.50098","article-title":"Recent changes in pan-arctic melt onset from satellite passive microwave measurements","volume":"40","author":"Wang","year":"2013","journal-title":"Geophys. Res. Lett."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2089","DOI":"10.5194\/tc-8-2089-2014","article-title":"Arctic sea ice melt onset from passive microwave satellite data: 1979\u20132012","volume":"8","author":"Bliss","year":"2014","journal-title":"Cryosphere"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1216","DOI":"10.1002\/2013GL058951","article-title":"Changes in Arctic melt season and implications for sea ice loss","volume":"41","author":"Stroeve","year":"2014","journal-title":"Geophys. Res. Lett."},{"key":"ref_25","unstructured":"NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center Documentation: Polar Stereographic Projection and Grid. Available online: https:\/\/nsidc.org\/data\/polar-stereo\/ps_grids.html."},{"key":"ref_26","unstructured":"Gloersen, P. (2006). Nimbus-7 SMMR Polar Gridded Radiances and Sea Ice Concentrations, NASA DAAC at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Version 1."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Livingstone, C.E., Singh, K.P., and Gray, A.L. (1987). Seasonal and regional variations of active\/passive microwave signatures of sea ice. IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens.","DOI":"10.1109\/TGRS.1987.289815"},{"key":"ref_28","unstructured":"Eppler, D.T., Farmer, L.D., Lohanick, A.W., Anderson, M.R., Cavalieri, D.J., Comiso, J., Gloersen, P., Garrity, C., Grenfell, T.C., and Hallikainen, M. (1992). Microwave Remote Sensing of Sea Ice, American Geophysical Union."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"74","DOI":"10.3189\/172756401781818284","article-title":"Spatial and temporal variability in snowmelt onset over arctic sea ice","volume":"33","author":"Anderson","year":"2001","journal-title":"Ann. Glaciol."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5355","DOI":"10.1029\/JD089iD04p05355","article-title":"Determination of sea ice parameters with the NIMBUS 7 SMMR","volume":"89","author":"Cavalieri","year":"1984","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res. Atmos."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jeffries, M.O. (1998). Antarctic Sea Ice: Physical Processes, Interactions and Variability, American Geophysical Union.","DOI":"10.1029\/AR074"},{"key":"ref_32","unstructured":"Meier, W., Fetterer, F., Savoie, M., Mallory, S., Duerr, R., and Stroeve, J. (2013). NOAA\/NSIDC Climate Data Record of Passive Microwave Sea Ice Concentration, NASA DAAC at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Version 2."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"311","DOI":"10.5194\/essd-5-311-2013","article-title":"A long-term and reproducible passive microwave sea ice concentration data record for climate studies and monitoring","volume":"5","author":"Peng","year":"2013","journal-title":"Earth Syst. Sci. Data"},{"key":"ref_34","unstructured":"Jezek, K.C., Merry, C., Cavalieri, D., Grace, S., Bedner, J., Wilson, D., and Lampkin, D. (1991). Comparison between SMMR and SSM\/I Passive Microwave Data Collected over the Antarctic Ice Sheet, Byrd Polar Research Center. BPRC Technical Report."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1223","DOI":"10.1080\/01431169508954473","article-title":"Comparison of brightness temperatures from SSMI instruments on the DMSP F8 and F11 satellites for Antarctica and the Greenland ice sheet","volume":"16","author":"Abdalati","year":"1995","journal-title":"Int. J. Remote Sens."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"132","DOI":"10.1016\/S0034-4257(97)00174-0","article-title":"An intercomparison of DMSP F11- and F13-derived sea ice products","volume":"64","author":"Stroeve","year":"1998","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.1109\/LGRS.2011.2166754","article-title":"Intersensor calibration between F13 SSMI and F17 SSMIS for global sea ice data records","volume":"9","author":"Cavalieri","year":"2012","journal-title":"IEEE Geosci. Remote Sens. Lett."},{"key":"ref_38","unstructured":"Maslanik, J., and Stroeve, J. (2004). DMSP SSM\/I-SSMIS Daily Polar Gridded Brightness Temperatures, NASA DAAC at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Version 4."},{"key":"ref_39","unstructured":"Maslanik, J., and Stroeve, J. (1999). Near-Real-Time DMSP SSM\/I-SSMIS Daily Polar Gridded Brightness Temperatures, NASA DAAC at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Version 1."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"896","DOI":"10.1175\/1520-0442(2000)013<0896:VISATO>2.0.CO;2","article-title":"Variations in surface air temperature observations in the Arctic","volume":"13","author":"Rigor","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Clim."},{"key":"ref_41","unstructured":"Anderson, M.R., Bliss, A.C., and Drobot, S.D. (2014). Snow Melt Onset over Arctic Sea Ice from SMMR and SSM\/I-SSMIS Brightness Temperatures, NASA DAAC at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Version 3."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15803","DOI":"10.1029\/1999JC900081","article-title":"Deriving long-term time series of sea ice cover from satellite passive-microwave multisensor data sets","volume":"104","author":"Cavalieri","year":"1999","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"C07005","DOI":"10.1029\/2009JC005312","article-title":"Thinning and volume loss of the Arctic ocean sea ice cover: 2003\u20132008","volume":"114","author":"Kwok","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Geophys. Res. Oceans"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"198","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rse.2016.05.020","article-title":"New visualizations highlight new information on the contrasting Arctic and Antarctic sea-ice trends since the late 1970s","volume":"183","author":"Parkinson","year":"2016","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1176","DOI":"10.1175\/JCLI-D-11-00113.1","article-title":"Large decadal decline of the Arctic multiyear ice cover","volume":"25","author":"Comiso","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Clim."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"L19504","DOI":"10.1029\/2007GL031138","article-title":"Rapid reduction of Arctic perennial sea ice","volume":"34","author":"Nghiem","year":"2007","journal-title":"Geophys. Res. Lett."},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"536","DOI":"10.1109\/JSTARS.2010.2048305","article-title":"Tracking the movement and changing surface characteristics of Arctic sea ice","volume":"3","author":"Tschudi","year":"2010","journal-title":"IEEE J. Sel. Top. Appl. Earth Obs. Remote Sens."}],"container-title":["Remote Sensing"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-4292\/9\/3\/199\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T18:29:08Z","timestamp":1760207348000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-4292\/9\/3\/199"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2017,2,24]]},"references-count":47,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,3]]}},"alternative-id":["rs9030199"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/rs9030199","relation":{},"ISSN":["2072-4292"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2072-4292","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2017,2,24]]}}}