[GLIMS] GLIMS STARs acquisition success check

[Jeffrey Kargel]

Bill,
Generally, start dates this summer have been delayed father into the summer to try to avoid excessively snowy conditions. 
As I understand it, you've been finding 2011 ASTER scenes from southern Greenland, but none above 77.1N.  There may be a good reason for it, hopefully, and maybe the STARs are functioning.  
I just compared some of the high-latitude Greenland STARs for a January 2009 implementation versus what should have been implemented for this year starting last month.  In 2009 some of the far northern Greenland STARs had acquisition windows starting on June 1, 2009 and ran until Sep. 4, 2009.  In 2011, the same STARs started either July 1 or July 12.  One reason for the change was that we had been getting images that were too snowy, as you reported; hence the July start dates now.  I don't recall why some now start July 1 versus July 12.  However, in 2009, some of the Greenland STARs also started as late as July 15.  The biggest reason for the delayed start is that we don't want any June images even from southern Greenland. But we want more images from July and August!  
In any case, can you search again now that a few more days have elapsed? We need to be sure that the GLIMS STARs are implemented and working. We are checking other areas, so if you can re-check Greenland that would be helpful. 
Other regional center checks would be helpful, especially from the northern hemisphere. (However, the Himalaya STARs mainly start in September due to the monsoon.)
--Jeff

> Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2011 09:53:29 -0400
> Subject: Re: acquisitions success check
> From: william.sneedjr at maine.edu
> To: jeffreyskargel at hotmail.com
> 
> Good morning Jeff....
> 
> I just checked again at the LPDAAC for ASTER images between 01 June and 10 July.
> 
> It is very strange but there does not appear to be a single image of
> northeastern Greenland above
> about 77.1 N. If 2009 and 2010 are any indication there should be a
> number of images by now.
> 
> ....very weird....bill....
> 
> 
> 
> On Mon, Jul 4, 2011 at 7:34 PM, Jeffrey Kargel
> <jeffreyskargel at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Bill and Greg,
> > Can you do a quickie rough search to see whether GLIMS is working in
> > your/our respective northern hemisphere special areas, e.g., Greenland,
> > including northern Greenland, and Alaska, Mount Rainier, Hoodoo Glacier?
> > (But not Himalaya, since the image season starts later in the year) I don't
> > need detailed stats, and anyway, I think you won't be able to download any
> > more than the thumbnails until JPL does something with my requests for
> > relisting for free ASTER (this mid week? late week?)  But you could look at
> > browse scenes. (If you have time).  You should have gotten some images
> > already; mostly snowy I would guess, but the next couple weeks maybe some
> > good ones will be acquired.  I hope.   Greg, you might add just a handful of
> > other arbitrary places in the search.
> > If there are few or no images this year, then there is trouble. I actually
> > don't expect things to change for Alaska, but Greenland had better perform.
> > --Jeff
> 
> -- 
> william a. sneed
> climate change institute
> university of maine, orono, ME, 04469 USA
> 207-581-1491
> william.sneedjr at maine.edu
 		 	   		  
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