Alaska's glaciers are highly sensitive to rising temperatures. According to new research using satellite radar observations, every 1 degree Celsius increase in average summer temperatures extends glacier melting by roughly three weeks.
A single degree Celsius equals 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
The study also demonstrates that synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can automatically and consistently monitor glaciers and their snowlines throughout the year. Traditionally, snowlines are usually measured only near the end of the melt season using optical instruments.
Researchers found that SAR provides more dependable data than conventional surface-based optical methods.
The findings were published in Nature.
