STRIPE FEATURE ON THE ICE SHEETS 
Katsumoto Seko 
Institute for Hydrospheric-Atmospheric Sciences 
Nagoya University 
Nagoya 464-01, Japan 
ISPRS Commission VII / Working Group 8 
ABSTRACT 
We can find several types of stripes on the ice sheet, which tell us on-going climatological and 
glaciological process. By using NOAA AVHRR and DMSP SSM/I, we can detect stripes in visible, 
thermal infrared and microwave images. Stripe pattern is caused by, for example, undulating topography 
and in homogeneity of accumulation on the ice sheets. We will show the stripes found on two ice sheets 
i.e. Antarctica and Greenland. The two are located in different climatic condition and the characteristics 
of the stripe are also different. Since Antarctic ice sheet is located colder environment than Greenland, 
accumulation is affected by aeolian process. Strong re-shuffling of snow by continuously blowing 
katabatic wind makes surface inhomogeneous. Microwave brightness temperature is largey fluctuated on 
Antarctic ice sheet because large grais formed by acolian process cause strong scattering. Greenland ice 
sheet, where considerable melting occurs in summer, stripe in visible channels shows different 
orientation from that found on Antarctica. 
122