<p>&#160;</p><p>Remote sensing has long been used as a powerful tool for the observation in cryospheric sciences. With the advances brought by the ESA Copernicus program, Earth observation goes a step further in its ability to get acquisitions at very high temporal rate. This is even amplified in polar regions due to heliosynchronism of satellites&#8217; orbits. Earth observation shifts from sporadic observations to Earth monitoring.</p><p>Observations are a critical aspect for the assessment of geophysical models. The ability of a model to replicate observations is crucial as a benchmark. It also allows to refine our comprehension of Earth systems, such as in cryospheric sciences.</p><p>In this work, we are using the regional climate model MAR to compute the surface melt on a domain focusing on the Roi Baudouin Ice Shelf, Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica. From the results, we extract the number of days with surface melt in a region. In parallel, we employ remote sensing to obtain comparison data. Synthetic aperture radar appears as a solution of choice thanks to its day-and-night (critical in polar regions) and atmospheric-free capabilities. Radar backscattering anomalies between different dates are witnesses of substantial increase of soil moisture. Using Sentinel-1 in its wide-swath modes (namely Interferometric Wide Swath and Extra Wide Swath modes) and multiple satellite paths, near-daily acquisitions can be obtained. By comparing the two independent results, we better constraint model&#8217;s outputs while also better interpret SAR acquisitions.&#160;</p>
Glacier shrinkage and climatic change in the Russian Altai from the mid-20th century: An assessment using remote sensing and PRECIS regional climate model
