Snow and ice reflectance spectra of the Nansen Ice Sheet surfaces

Reflectance spectra of glacier ice, lake ice and snow taken over the Nansen Ice Sheet (Antarctica) are presented and discussed. Glacier and lake ice spectra show very similar shapes with a maximum in the visible and a strong decrease in the very near infrared. The generally lower reflectance of lake ice, with respect to reflectance of glacier ice, and the decrease in reflectance of lake ice from the green to the blue, with respect to the almost flat reflectance of glacier ice in the same spectral region, appear to be the most significant features when discriminating between the two ice types. Snow spectra show a decrease in reflectance, more marked in the near infrared, on grain size increase. Shallow snowpacks, compared to semi-infinite snow packs, show an appreciable decrease in reflectance in the visible due to reflectance contribution of the underlying ice surface.