Kilometer-scale digital elevation models of the sea ice surface with airborne laser scanning during MOSAiC

• Main Authors: Jutila, Arttu, Hutter, Nils, Hendricks, Stefan, Ricker, Robert, von Albedyll, Luisa, Birnbaum, Gerit, Haas, Christian
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Sea ice
• Online Access: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/57246/; https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/57246/1/ALS-poster-Jutila-v5.pdf; https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.6e57f8c2-0d63-43f3-8b32-3a732636601e

An integrated sensor platform including an inertial navigation system (INS) and a commercial airborne laser scanner (ALS) among other sensor was mounted in the cargo compartment in one of the Polarstern helicopters during MOSAiC. ALS data was acquired from more than 60 flights between October 2019 and September 2020 with a range of survey types intended to map changes of the sea ice surface during the full annual cycle at high spatial resolution and coverage. Here, we provide an overview of the collected data, the challenge of achieving centimeter elevation accuracy with a helicopter platform at high polar latitudes as well as the content and specifications of ALS data products. The high spatial resolution and repeated coverage of the larger area around Polarstern allow studying various surface features (e.g. pressure ridges, floes, melt ponds, snow drifts, etc.), their seasonal evolution, and their impact on atmosphere and ocean. Finally, we outline methods for planned applications, such as identifying individual floes and surface types using both measured freeboard and surface reflectance. Collocated helicopter-based optical and infrared imagery allow analyzing sea ice properties in further applications and to upscale comparable in-situ observations.