Application of Remote Sensing Observations for the Detection of Lake Ice

The formation of ice cover on lakes in the winter season and its thawing during the spring season depends on climate factors such as air temperature & water temperature, wind speed, humidity, and sunshine duration. Heavy rains also affect the length of time a lake is frozen. Thus, ice formation and breakup dates, known as ice-on and ice-off, respectively, are key indicators of climate change. If a lake remains frozen for longer periods of time, it indicates that the climate is cooling. Conversely, shorter periods of lake ice coverage indicate the climate is getting warmer. In this project, we utilized satellite observations from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) infrared-based surface temperatures from year 2013 to 2015 to define the status of lake in terms of ice-off and ice-on. The results were compared against historical ground observations and they revealed reasonable agreement. The developed methodology shows great potential of monitoring lakes during winter seasons especially in remote places.