Radiometric Survey of Aufeis Bodies in the Microwave Range: A Case Study of the Smolenka River in the Transbaikal Territory

A. A. Gurulev; A. O. Orlov; V. A. Kazantsev; A. K. Kozlov

doi:10.7868/S2412376526010128

Radiometric Survey of Aufeis Bodies in the Microwave Range: A Case Study of the Smolenka River in the Transbaikal Territory

A. A. Gurulev, A. O. Orlov, V. A. Kazantsev, A. K. Kozlov

https://doi.org/10.7868/S2412376526010128

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Abstract

Aufeis bodies are one of the most common natural phenomena. They exert an adverse effect on technical facilities and infrastructure of the regions. Remote sensing is one of the methods of aufeis monitoring within a wide range of frequencies. The paper presents the results of remote sensing of the aufeis, which has a layered structure: ice–water–ice. The possibility of aufeis monitoring by the intensity of thermal radiation in the microwave range is shown. It was found that the optimal wavelength for operational radiometric monitoring of aufeis is the decimeter range due to the relatively high mineralization and moisture content of aufeis. Usually, when an ice cover is formed on a freshwater body, a small quantity of salts is captured with ice, and desalination occurs throughout the year. By the end of the year mineralization of the reservoir may decrease to 0.0009 g/dm3. As for the aufeis ice, the salt concentration, as a rule, has a higher value from hundreds of milligrams per kilogram to several thousand due to mineralized water freezing onto the ice or on a ground. Analyzing intensity of thermal radiation in the microwave range, it is possible to determine internal characteristics of aufeis, such as ineralization level, presence of water under or inside the ice, etc. Thefield measurements ofthespatial distribution ofradiance temperature, which characterizes intensity ofown aufeis thermal radiation, shown that the centimeter and millimeter wavelength ranges are complementary for monitoring. To accelerate the construction of maps of the distribution of radio–brightness temperature of the aufeis it is relevant to use unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with radiometric systems and scanning devices. The study also demonstrated the possibility of identifying aufeis from the spatial distribution of snow pollution index, which is derived at wavelengths of 1.57–1.65, 0.85–0.88, and 0.53–0.59 µm from space.

Keywords

aufeis, microwave range, snow pollution index, radiometry,

About the Authors

A. A. Gurulev

Institute of Natural Resources, Ecology and Cryology SB RAS
Russian Federation
Chita

A. O. Orlov

Institute of Natural Resources, Ecology and Cryology SB RAS
Russian Federation
Chita

V. A. Kazantsev

Institute of Natural Resources, Ecology and Cryology SB RAS
Russian Federation
Chita

A. K. Kozlov

Institute of Natural Resources, Ecology and Cryology SB RAS
Russian Federation
Chita

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Supplementary files

For citation: Gurulev A.A., Orlov A.O., Kazantsev V.A., Kozlov A.K. Radiometric Survey of Aufeis Bodies in the Microwave Range: A Case Study of the Smolenka River in the Transbaikal Territory. Ice and Snow. 2026;66(1):172-182. https://doi.org/10.7868/S2412376526010128

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