Remote sensing aids in sea‐ice analysis | CU Experts

Satellite‐borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is fast becoming an indispensable tool for operational sea‐ice analysis. In anticipation of this, the Naval Research Laboratory and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration established a data link between the Alaska SAR Facility (ASF) in Fairbanks and the Navy/NOAA Joint Ice Center in Suitland, Md. The Joint Ice Center is the national center for ice analysis and forecasting. At the NRL Remote Sensing Applications Branch, we are working to ensure that SAR and other satellite data are used to best advantage for ice analysis by putting together appropriate software tools for manipulating images, developing algorithms for automated image analysis, and combining sensor data in ways that increase confidence in the final product, usually an ice type and concentration map. This article gives a brief look at some recent work in each of these areas.

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