Estimating the sea ice thickness is currently the most important issue in the study of sea ice remote sensing. With the bohai sea as the study area, a semiempirical model of the sea ice thickness semsit that can be. Seaice thickness owing to the importance of thickness in seaice mass balance and in the surface heat and energy budget, remote determination of ice thickness at almost any spatial scale has long been desired. The arctic sea ice extent and thickness have undergone dramatic changes in the past decades. In terms of earth science, remote sensing refers to the ability of satellites to detect electromagnetic radiation from features on the earths surface or in the atmosphere.
Fluctuating arctic sea ice thickness changes estimated by an in situ learned and empirically forced neural network model. Uwbrad retrievals of sea ice thickness remote sensing of sea ice thickness currently possible either with lband radiometry or cryosat altimetry lband good for 1050 cm thickness, altimetry for 2 m thickness both perform poorly for crucial 50200 cm thickness range. While its extent and age can be measured by other sensors, altimetry is the. The reason for this is that the mean thickness of arctic sea ice is about 3 m, whereas.
Originally designed for a three and a half year mission, cryosat2 has been operating since 2010, far exceeding its nominal mission lifetime. Towards a semiempirical model of the sea ice thickness based. Currently, remote sensing data are the main and very often only source of information about sea ice conditions in the arctic. However, meteoric accumulation and redistribution of snow on firstyear sea ice is highly stochastic over space and time, which makes it a poorly understood parameter. Sea ice thickness is one of the most important input parameters for the prevention and mitigation of sea ice disasters and the prediction of local sea environments and climates. We use passive microwave measurements to estimate two important sea ice parameters from space.
This paper describes the use of satellite data in remote sensing of sea ice with a focus on operational applications. Kwok jet propulsion laboratory, california institute of technology, 4800 oak. It was only two decades ago that the mean hemispheric distribution of ice thickness was first mapped for the arctic ocean bourke and garrette. The main techniques used for ice classification and ice charting in several national ice services are considered. Satellite remote sensing is a useful tool for mapping sea ice concentration globally. Dmis remote sensing research covers atmosphere, ocean and cryosphere applications with focus on radar image processing, radio occultation, ozone and uvradiation, sst, sea ice, iceberg, ice surface temperature and ice drift. Early satellites with radar altimeters were not in orbits that adequately covered the poles, so they did not collect substantial sea ice data. Kwok said, the holy grail of arctic sea ice is thickness.
Sea ice thickness sit is a key parameter of scientific interest because understanding the natural spatiotemporal variability of ice thickness is critical for improving global climate models. These data are used by a software calculating time optimized routing al. Using modis data to estimate sea ice thickness in the. Sea ice data from satellites represent one of the longest earth observation records from space. The overall objective of the project is to implement satellite monitoring by combined use of esa ers sar, rka okean slr and other remote sensing data to support ice navigation in the northern sea route nsr, offshore. With the bohai sea as the study area, a semiempirical model of the sea ice. Solar energy that reaches the earth is composed of many kinds of radiation, including light that is visible to people, thermal infrared, microwave, radar, and xrays. Remote sensing of ice sheet internal temperatures and sea. Uwbrad tb over terra nova bay sea ice portion of the nov 24, 2018 flight. The maximum retrievable sea ice thickness is limited. Knowing the thickness of the snow can help us better understand the changing of sea ice thickness.
Uwbrad retrievals of sea ice thickness remote sensing of sea ice thickness currently possible either with lband radiometry or cryosat altimetry lband good for 1050 cm thickness, altimetry for 2 m thickness both perform. An important aspect of remote sensing science is the ability to monitor complex environmental media air, land, water and their interfaces water surface wave, airsea interaction, water. An ultrawideband radiometer was used to measure microwave brightness temperature spectra over arctic sea ice in the lincoln sea near the north coast of greenland. Remote sensing of sea ice thickness using smos data. Ice area and thickness are the two fundamental parameters for estimation of ice mass balance, which shows the response of sea to climate change. Friedrichshafen happy birthday to a cool satellite. Airborne multichannel snow thickness sensing and imaging. Satellites can easily measure sea ice in the visible, infrared, and microwave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Apr 10, 2020 antarctica stores enough frozen water to raise global sea level by 58 metres. Several approaches have been proposed to monitor sea ice thickness, including in situ sampling methods, numerical simulations and remote sensing measurements. The ultrawideband softwaredefined microwave radiometer for. Knowing how much ice it is losing, is key to understanding today and in the future the impact of melting ice masses on global climate change. Parameters such as ice thickness, ice coverage, ice movement, and snow coverage are determined, which are of great importance not only for climate research but also for applications such as shipping. Sea ice thickness sit is an important parameter for monitoring.
Icewatch is the first joint project in earth observation between russian space agency rka and european space agency esa. In addition to the climate aspect, sea ice thickness is also important to observe for practical operations such as ice navigation, sea transportation and offshore drilling. On the retrieval of sea ice thickness and snow depth using. Using remote sensing to estimate sea ice thickness in the bohai sea, china based on ice type. Antarctica center for remote sensing of ice sheets. Established in 1996, aspect has the key objective of improving our understanding of the antarctic sea ice zone through focussed and ongoing field programs, remote sensing and numerical modelling. A global yearround record of icecovered antarctic and arctic seas was acquired from the electrically scanning multichannel microwave radiometer esmr on nimbus5 zwally et al. View program details for spie remote sensing conference on remote sensing of the ocean, sea ice, coastal waters, and large water regions 2017. The deployment garnered highprecisions measurements of glacial ice surface elevation, thickness, and snow cover. An important aspect of remote sensing science is the ability to monitor complex environmental media air, land, water and their interfaces water surface wave, air sea interaction, water.
Using modis data to estimate sea ice thickness in the bohai. Automatic retrieval of thin seaice thickness by remote. Jan 06, 2020 as arctic sea ice disappears, scientists seek to improve their measurements and analyses so that they can better understand future change. Greenland has lost 266 billion tons of ice in a 16 year period. The rationale for this project is that sea ice thickness is a key climate indicator at high latitudes which seems to undergo significant changes, but this parameter is a real challenge to observe and there is an urgent need for improved measurement techniques. We sit down with usgs scientist dave douglas to discuss a newly developed modeling approach to estimate sea ice thicknessthis is the only model based entirely on historic observations, and it was developed by scientists from the usgs. The assumption of 100% ice concentration leads to an underestimation of sea ice thickness for the grid cells with sea ice concentration less than 100%.
Pdf sea ice monitoring by remote sensing researchgate. The snow cover on firstyear sea ice plays a paramount role in thermodynamics by modulating sea ice ablation and accretion processes. Transactions on geoscience and remote sensing, vol. The thickness of arctic sea ice also plays a central role in the polar climate as it. European remote sensing satellite and envisat environmental satellite has been analyzed to retrieve largescale ice thickness, confirming the observed thinning of the arctic sea ice cover 7. Apr 03, 2020 with enough precision, a radar altimeter can determine the height of the sea ice surface above sea level, which scientists use to calculate the total thickness of the sea ice. The ultrawideband software defined microwave radiometer is a 5002000mhz radiometer developed to probe. A global yearround record of ice covered antarctic and arctic seas was acquired from the electrically scanning multichannel microwave radiometer esmr on nimbus5 zwally et al. Jan 17, 2020 passive sensors include different types of radiometers and spectrometers. The overall objective of the project is to implement satellite monitoring by combined use of esa ers sar, rka okean slr and other remote sensing data to support ice navigation in the northern sea route nsr, offshore industry and environmental studies. In this section the remote sensing tools that have been used to measure ice thickness to date will be introduced. Physics and remote sensing addresses experiences acquired mainly in canada by researchers in the fields of ice physics and growth history in relation to its polycrystalline structure as well as ice parameters retrieval from remote sensing observations.
In traditional altimetry or the retrieval of snow depth with passive microwave remote sensing, although the sea ice thickness and the snow depth. Jan 10, 2020 there are no largescale observations of sea ice thickness, says ronald kwok, a research scientist specializing in radar remote sensing at the jet propulsion laboratory. Sea ice, which is constantly thickening and thinning, plays an important role in the earths climate system. According to the model, an ice temperature change of 1c and an ice thickness change. The application of the smos data for sea ice forecast and ship route optimi.
The need for this or a similar system arises as follows. The measurements and choice of parameters used to derive the sea ice thickness retrieval are summarized in sections 3 and 4. It looks a bit like a torpedo, but is instead filled with various sensors measuring the thickness and roughness of the sea ice along extended transects. Remote sensing of sea ice and icebergs wiley series in remote sensing and image processing. Ron kwok is one of a team of scientists at nasas jet propulsion laboratory who are focusing their efforts on sea ice thickness, rather than extent. The volume describes processes operating at the macro and microscale e. Sea ice is always covered by snow with several meters of thickness, which modulates ice and atmosphere heat exchange. Until now, sea ice thickness measurements have been limited to analysis of data from submarine sonars or moored, upwardlooking sonars. Application of remote sensing to the estimation of sea ice. European remotesensing satellite and envisat environmental satellite has been analyzed to retrieve largescale ice thickness, confirming the observed thinning of the arctic sea ice cover 7. Remote sensing of ice sheet internal temperatures and sea ice.
Happy birthday to a cool satellite earth imaging journal. Satellite remote sensing of seaice thickness and kinematics. Satellite data are the main and very often only information source for sea ice classification and charting in the remote arctic regions. Satellite sensors measuring sea ice thickness rely on two measurements. Remote sensing of the ocean, sea ice, coastal waters, and. Remote sensing of sea ice and icebergs wiley series in remote sensing and image processing haykin, simon, lewis, edward o.
There are no largescale observations of sea ice thickness, says ronald kwok, a research scientist specializing in radar remote sensing at the jet propulsion laboratory. Remote sensing of sea ice and icebergs wiley series in. Publicreadbinaries ssh anomaly software ocean product reading. The maximum retrievable seaice thickness is limited. Remote sensing of sea ice thickness and salinity with 0. Sea ice remote sensing can contribute to both climate research and practical applications, such as shipping. A handheld camera is an example of a remote sensing instrument. Scientists use a variety of tools and techniques to measure sea ice thickness. The reason for this is that the mean thickness of arctic sea ice is about 3 m, whereas the mean thickness of antarctic sea ice is 1. Sea ice extent in the arctic is decresing during resent decades, but less observations are available on ice thickness.
Sea ice thickness is an important parameter in the surface energy exchange and mass balance of the polar oceans. The ultrawideband software defined microwave radiometer is. The study of sea ice using airborne remote sensing platforms provides unique capabilities to measure a wide variety of sea ice properties. Sea ice datasets thickness retrievals for greenland dataset reported in jezek et al, remote sensing of sea ice thickness and salinity with 0. Remote sensing science is one of the most modern approaches for studying oceans, littoral regions, seas and large lakes, as well as sea ice covered regions. We sit down with usgs scientist dave douglas to discuss a newly developed modeling approach to estimate sea ice thicknessthis is the only model based entirely on historic observations, and it was developed by scientists from the usgs and the russian academy of. Icebridge intends to monitor these areas until icesatii launches in 2015. Automatic production of high resolution sea ice thickness maps 1 km using both day and night time data. Physics and remote sensing is intended for a variety of sea ice audiences interested in different aspects of ice related to physics, geophysics, remote sensing, operational monitoring, mechanics, and cryospheric sciences. The ultrawideband softwaredefined microwave radiometer.
Jan 10, 2017 sea ice thickness is one of the most important input parameters for the prevention and mitigation of sea ice disasters and the prediction of local sea environments and climates. Aspect is an expert group on multidisciplinary antarctic sea ice zone research within the scar physical sciences program. Remote sensing offers the opportunity to monitor thin ice routinely. The variations in temperature, emissivity and reflectivity of sea ice and the differences compared to the surrounding open ocean make it an ideal application of remote sensing. Most passive systems used in remote sensing applications operate in the visible, infrared, thermal infrared, and microwave portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Current spaceborne sensors, however, can see only radiation emitted or scattered from the top.
A wideband penetrating radar system for measuring the thickness of sea ice is under development. This web pages content and links are no longer actively maintained. The summer sea ice extent is declining at an annual rate of approximately 12. Remote sensing, in simplest terms, means viewing something from a distance rather than by direct contact. A hole can be drilled in sea ice with an auger or a hot water drill, which has a boiler that heats water and a hose with a nozzle. Kwok jet propulsion laboratory, california institute of technology, 4800 oak grove drive, pasadena, california 911098099, usa. Automatic retrieval of thin seaice thickness by remote sensing. However, as the use expands and need for knowledge moves forward, remote sensing of sea ice faces new challenges. The assumption of 100% ice concentration leads to an underestimation of seaice thickness for the grid cells with seaice concentration less than 100%.