SAR imagery of the Grand Banks (Newfoundland) pack ice pack and its relationship to surface featuresSynthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data and aerial photographs were obtained over pack ice off the East Coast of Canada in March 1987 as part of the Labrador Ice Margin Experiment (LIMEX) pilot project. Examination of this data shows that although the pack ice off the Canadian East Coast appears essentially homogeneous to visible light imagery, two clearly defined zones of ice are apparent on C-band SAR imagery. To identify factors that create the zones seen on the radar image, aerial photographs were compared to the SAR imagery. Floe size data from the aerial photographs was compared to digital number values taken from SAR imagery of the same ice. The SAR data of the inner zone acquired three days apart over the melt period was also examined. The studies indicate that the radar response is governed by floe size and meltwater distribution.
Argus, S. D. (Canada Centre for Remote Sensing Ottawa (Ontario)., United States)
Carsey, F. D. (Jet Propulsion Lab. California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena., United States)
Date Acquired
September 5, 2013
Publication Date
August 1, 1988
Publication Information
Publication: ESA, Proceedings of the 1988 International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) '88 on Remote Sensing: Moving Towards the 21st Century, Volume 3