A simple model for estimation of snow/ice surface temperature of Antarctic ice sheet using remotely sensed thermal band data

In this paper, a model has been developed to estimate surface temperature of Antarctic ice sheet using thermal bands of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor images and in situ surface temperature measurements. The brightness temperature of snow/ice surface of Antarctica has been estimated for MODIS bands 31 and 32 using Planck's spectral radiation equation. Split window technique has been used to develop the model from brightness temperature and Automatic Weather Station recorded surface temperature. The model has been validated using in situ measurements of surface temperature of the ice sheet near Indian Antarctic Research Station 'Maitri'. High coefficient of determination (R2 in the range 0.952 - 0.99) and low root mean square error (0.8 - 1.2[degrees]C) has been obtained between modeled and in situ recorded surface temperature. The model is easy to use and can generate the surface temperature maps at spatial resolution of 1.0 km. These maps can be useful in various glaciological, hydrological, climatological and ecological studies of the ice sheet.