scholarly journals Deriving sea-ice thickness and ice types in the Sea of Okhotsk using dual-frequency airborne SAR (Pi-SAR) data

2002 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 429-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takeshi Matsuoka ◽  
Seiho Uratsuka ◽  
Makoto Satake ◽  
Akitsugu Nadai ◽  
Toshihiko Umehara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Ice Thickness ◽  
Dual Frequency ◽  
Backscattering Coefficient ◽  
Sea Ice Thickness ◽  
National Space ◽  
L Band ◽  
Airborne Sar

AbstractDual-frequency, multi-polarization airborne synthetic aperture radar (Pi-SAR; developed by the Communications Research Laboratory and National Space Development Agency of Japan) observations of the seasonal sea-ice region off the Okhotsk coast of Hokkaido, Japan, were carried out in February 1999 using X- and L-band radar frequencies with a resolution of 1.5 and 3.0 m. In conjunction with the SAR observations, the sea-ice thickness (draft) and velocity were measured by a moored Ice Profiling Sonar (IPS) and an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). Tracks of the sea ice passing over the IPS were estimated from the time series of the ADCP ice-velocity and -direction data. Along these tracks, the SAR backscattering coefficient profiles were compared with the IPS ice-draft profiles. The results showed that the L-band SAR backs cattering profiles correlated well with the IPS ice-draft data, particularly in the thicker part (a few meters thick) of the rim of first-year ice, which had a large backscattering coefficient. Although the X-band SAR backscattering profiles did not correlate well with the IPS data, thin ice (<10 cm thick) showed a large backscattering coefficient. The L-band SAR and IPS data did not distinguish thin ice from open water.

scholarly journals Estimation of sea-ice physical parameters using polarimetric SAR: results from Okhotsk and Lake Saroma campaign

2001 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 120-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Wakabayashi ◽  
Takeshi Matsuoka ◽  
Kazuki Nakamura ◽  
Fumihiko Nishio
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Dual Frequency ◽  
Ground Truth Data ◽  
National Space ◽  
Airborne Sar ◽  
Interferometric Sar

AbstractWe have acquired ground-truth data at Lake Saroma, northeast Hokkaido, Japan, and the surrounding area since 1993 in order to collect data on regional sea ice in the Sea of Okhotsk. The data were acquired in 1999 by polarimetric and interferometric SAR (Pi-SAR), the dual-frequency, fully polarimetric airborne SAR system jointly developed by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) and the Communications Research Laboratory (CRL), simultaneously with ground experiments. This paper describes the results of polarimetric data analysis of typical sea ice observed in the offshore region near Lake Saroma. The polarimetric parameters used were correlation coefficient and phase difference. Based on the analysis of these parameters, we found that the correlation coefficient between RR and LL polarizations can discriminate four categories including three types of ice and open water.

scholarly journals Effects of decimetre-scale surface roughness on L-band Brightness Temperature of Sea Ice

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maciej Miernecki ◽  
Lars Kaleschke ◽  
Nina Maaß ◽  
Stefan Hendricks ◽  
Sten Schmidl Søbjrg
Keyword(s):  
Surface Roughness ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Brightness Temperature ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ice Thickness ◽  
Emission Model ◽  
Vertical Polarization ◽  
Sea Ice Thickness ◽  
L Band ◽  
Scale Surface

Abstract. Sea ice thickness measurements with L-band radiometry is a technique which allows daily, weather-independent monitoring of the polar sea ice cover. The sea-ice thickness retrieval algorithms relay on the sensitivity of the L-band brightness temperature to sea-ice thickness. In this work, we investigate the decimetre-scale surface roughness as a factor influencing the L-band emissions from sea ice. We used an airborne laser scanner to construct a digital elevation model of the sea ice surface. We found that the probability density function of surface slopes is exponential for a range of degrees of roughness. Then we applied the geometrical optics, bounded with the MIcrowave L-band LAyered Sea ice emission model in the Monte Carlo simulation to simulate the effects of surface roughness. According to this simulations, the most affected by surface roughness is the vertical polarization around Brewster's angle, where the decrease in brightness temperature can reach 8 K. The vertical polarization for the same configuration exhibits a 4 K increase. The near-nadir angles are little affected, up to 2.6 K decrease for the most deformed ice. Overall the effects of large-scale surface roughness can be expressed as a superposition of two factors: the change in intensity and the polarization mixing. The first factor depends on surface permittivity, second shows little dependence on it. Comparison of the brightness temperature simulations with the radiometer data does not yield definite results.

scholarly journals Assessment with Controlled In-Situ Data of the Dependence of L-Band Radiometry on Sea-Ice Thickness

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 650
Author(s):  
Pablo Sánchez-Gámez ◽  
Carolina Gabarro ◽  
Antonio Turiel ◽  
Marcos Portabella
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Brightness Temperature ◽  
European Space Agency ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Ice Thickness ◽  
Sea Ice Thickness ◽  
In Situ Data ◽  
L Band

The European Space Agency (ESA) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) missions are providing brightness temperature measurements at 1.4 GHz (L-band) for about 10 and 4 years respectively. One of the new areas of geophysical exploitation of L-band radiometry is on thin (i.e., less than 1 m) Sea Ice Thickness (SIT), for which theoretical and empirical retrieval methods have been proposed. However, a comprehensive validation of SIT products has been hindered by the lack of suitable ground truth. The in-situ SIT datasets most commonly used for validation are affected by one important limitation: They are available mainly during late winter and spring months, when sea ice is fully developed and the thickness probability density function is wider than for autumn ice and less representative at the satellite spatial resolution. Using Upward Looking Sonar (ULS) data from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), acquired all year round, permits overcoming the mentioned limitation, thus improving the characterization of the L-band brightness temperature response to changes in thin SIT. State-of-the-art satellite SIT products and the Cumulative Freezing Degree Days (CFDD) model are verified against the ULS ground truth. The results show that the L-band SIT can be meaningfully retrieved up to 0.6 m, although the signal starts to saturate at 0.3 m. In contrast, despite the simplicity of the CFDD model, its predicted SIT values correlate very well with the ULS in-situ data during the sea ice growth season. The comparison between the CFDD SIT and the current L-band SIT products shows that both the sea ice concentration and the season are fundamental factors influencing the quality of the thickness retrieval from L-band satellites.

scholarly journals A sea-ice thickness retrieval model for 1.4 GHz radiometry and application to airborne measurements over low salinity sea-ice

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 583-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Kaleschke ◽  
N. Maaß ◽  
C. Haas ◽  
S. Hendricks ◽  
G. Heygster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Brightness Temperature ◽  
Ice Thickness ◽  
First Year ◽  
Sea Ice Thickness ◽  
Model Calculations ◽  
Airborne Measurements ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Research Aircraft ◽  
L Band

Abstract. In preparation for the European Space Agency's (ESA) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission, we investigated the potential of L-band (1.4 GHz) radiometry to measure sea-ice thickness. Sea-ice brightness temperature was measured at 1.4 GHz and ice thickness was measured along nearly coincident flight tracks during the SMOS Sea-Ice campaign in the Bay of Bothnia in March 2007. A research aircraft was equipped with the L-band Radiometer EMIRAD and coordinated with helicopter based electromagnetic induction (EM) ice thickness measurements. We developed a three layer (ocean-ice-atmosphere) dielectric slab model for the calculation of ice thickness from brightness temperature. The dielectric properties depend on the relative brine volume which is a function of the bulk ice salinity and temperature. The model calculations suggest a thickness sensitivity of up to 1.5 m for low-salinity (multi-year or brackish) sea-ice. For Arctic first year ice the modelled thickness sensitivity is less than half a meter. It reduces to a few centimeters for temperatures approaching the melting point. The campaign was conducted under unfavorable melting conditions and the spatial overlap between the L-band and EM-measurements was relatively small. Despite these disadvantageous conditions we demonstrate the possibility to measure the sea-ice thickness with the certain limitation up to 1.5 m. The ice thickness derived from SMOS measurements would be complementary to ESA's CryoSat-2 mission in terms of the error characteristics and the spatiotemporal coverage. The relative error for the SMOS ice thickness retrieval is expected to be not less than about 20%.

scholarly journals Dual Frequency Radar Ice and Snow Signatures

1983 ◽  
Vol 29 (102) ◽  
pp. 286-295
Author(s):  
R. D. Ketchum
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Good Choice ◽  
Signal Loss ◽  
Dual Frequency ◽  
X Band ◽  
Radar Imagery ◽  
High Backscatter ◽  
L Band

AbstractDual frequency (X-band and L-band) synthetic-aperture radar imagery of sea ice is examined to show the differences between the bands and their complementary nature for resolving ambiguities in interpretation. High backscatter at X-band from visibly smooth thin ice is not observed at L-band. One hypothesis is that the high X-band backscatter may be caused by a reflective layer at the snow/ice interface. A second hypothesis is that the high X-band backscatter may be caused by moisture in the snow. A third hypothesis states that the phenomenon may be due to snow flowers. High backscatter at L-band is observed for slush on open water. The return is very weak at X-band, thus allowing distinction of slush by comparing L-band and X-band images. High intensity, but only partial returns from icebergs at L-band have been observed. The hypothesis is that internal iceberg/sea-water reflections are occurring. Some signals are directed away from the antenna, other reinforced signals are returned, producing very bright images. Occasionally, time-delayed signals are returned causing a false image at far range from the iceberg. The conclusion is that L-band is a poor choice for studies of iceberg distribution and size, but a good choice for iceberg detection because of the high reinforced returns from many icebergs and the low return from the adjacent sea ice. The penetration and subsequent signal loss of L-band in glacial ice, when compared to high X-band returns, may be useful to map glacierized land masses.

scholarly journals Retrieval of sea-ice thickness distribution in the Sea of Okhotsk from ALOS/PALSAR backscatter data

2011 ◽  
Vol 52 (57) ◽  
pp. 177-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takenobu Toyota ◽  
Shuji Ono ◽  
Kohei Cho ◽  
Kay I. Ohshima
Keyword(s):  
Surface Roughness ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Sea Of Okhotsk ◽  
Thickness Distribution ◽  
Ice Thickness ◽  
Alos Palsar ◽  
Sea Ice Thickness ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
L Band ◽  
Interferometric Sar

AbstractAlthough satellite data are useful for obtaining ice-thickness distribution for perennial sea ice or in stable thin-sea-ice areas, they are still largely an unresolved issue for the seasonal ice zone (SIZ). We address this problem using L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR). In the SIZ, ice-thickness growth is closely related to deformation, so surface roughness is expected to correlate with ice thickness. L-band SAR, suitable for detecting such surface roughness, is a promising tool for obtaining thickness distribution. This idea was supported by an airborne polarimetric and interferometric SAR (Pi-SAR) validation. To extend this result to spaceborne L-band SAR with coarser resolution, we conducted in situ measurements of ice thickness and surface roughness in February 2008 in the southern Sea of Okhotsk with an icebreaker in coordination with the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS)/Phased Array-type L-band SAR (PALSAR) orbit. A helicopter-borne laser profiler was used to improve the estimation of surface roughness. It was found that backscatter coefficients (HH) correlated well with ice thickness (R = 0.86) and surface roughness (R = 0.70), which confirms the possibility of determining ice-thickness distribution in the SIZ. the interannual variation of PALSAR-derived ice-thickness distribution in the southern Sea of Okhotsk is also discussed.

Early detection of the Weddell polynya re-opening using SAR imagery

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriano Lemos ◽  
Céline Heuzé
Keyword(s):  
Early Detection ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Weddell Sea ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Ice Thickness ◽  
Sar Images ◽  
Sea Ice Thickness ◽  
Sar Imagery ◽  
Microwave Sensors

&lt;p&gt;The sea ice thickness in the Weddell Sea during the austral winter normally exceeds 1 m, but in the case of a polynya, this thickness decreases to 10 cm or less. There are two theories as to why the Weddell Polynya opens: 1) comparatively warm oceanic water upwelling from its nominal depth of several hundred metres to the surface where it melts the sea ice from underneath; or 2) opening of a lead by a passing storm, lead which will then be maintained open either by the atmosphere or ocean and grow. The objective of this study is to estimate how long in advance the recent Weddell Polynya opening could have been detected by synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images due to the decrease of the sea ice thickness and/or early appearance of leads. We use high temporal and spatial resolution SAR images from the Sentinel-1 constellation (C-band) and ALOS2 (L-band) during the austral winters 2014-2018. We use an adapted version of the algorithm developed by Aldenhoff et al. (2018) to monitor changes in sea ice thickness over the polynya region. The algorithm detects the transition of the sea ice thickness through changes in small scale surface roughness and thus reduced backscatter, and allowing us to distinguish three different categories: ice, thin ice, and open water. The transition from ice to thin ice and then to open water indicates that the polynya is melted from under, whereas a direct transition from ice to open water will reveal leads. The high resolution and good coverage of the SAR imagery, and a combined effort of different satellites sensors (e.g. infrared and microwave sensors), opens the possibility of an early detection of Weddell Polynya opening.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals On the retrieval of sea ice thickness and snow depth using concurrent laser altimetry and L-band remote sensing data

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 993-1012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Zhou ◽  
Shiming Xu ◽  
Jiping Liu ◽  
Bin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Snow Depth ◽  
Microwave Remote Sensing ◽  
Ice Cover ◽  
Ice Thickness ◽  
Laser Altimetry ◽  
Sea Ice Thickness ◽  
Passive Remote Sensing ◽  
L Band

Abstract. The accurate knowledge of sea ice parameters, including sea ice thickness and snow depth over the sea ice cover, is key to both climate studies and data assimilation in operational forecasts. Large-scale active and passive remote sensing is the basis for the estimation of these parameters. In traditional altimetry or the retrieval of snow depth with passive microwave remote sensing, although the sea ice thickness and the snow depth are closely related, the retrieval of one parameter is usually carried out under assumptions over the other. For example, climatological snow depth data or as derived from reanalyses contain large or unconstrained uncertainty, which result in large uncertainty in the derived sea ice thickness and volume. In this study, we explore the potential of combined retrieval of both sea ice thickness and snow depth using the concurrent active altimetry and passive microwave remote sensing of the sea ice cover. Specifically, laser altimetry and L-band passive remote sensing data are combined using two forward models: the L-band radiation model and the isostatic relationship based on buoyancy model. Since the laser altimetry usually features much higher spatial resolution than L-band data from the Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite, there is potentially covariability between the observed snow freeboard by altimetry and the retrieval target of snow depth on the spatial scale of altimetry samples. Statistically significant correlation is discovered based on high-resolution observations from Operation IceBridge (OIB), and with a nonlinear fitting the covariability is incorporated in the retrieval algorithm. By using fitting parameters derived from large-scale surveys, the retrievability is greatly improved compared with the retrieval that assumes flat snow cover (i.e., no covariability). Verifications with OIB data show good match between the observed and the retrieved parameters, including both sea ice thickness and snow depth. With detailed analysis, we show that the error of the retrieval mainly arises from the difference between the modeled and the observed (SMOS) L-band brightness temperature (TB). The narrow swath and the limited coverage of the sea ice cover by altimetry is the potential source of error associated with the modeling of L-band TB and retrieval. The proposed retrieval methodology can be applied to the basin-scale retrieval of sea ice thickness and snow depth, using concurrent passive remote sensing and active laser altimetry based on satellites such as ICESat-2 and WCOM.

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