A high temporal resolution data set of ERS scatterometer radar backscatter for research in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions

Radar backscatter in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions is temporally dynamic and reflects changes in sea ice, glacier facies, soil thaw state, vegetation cover, and moisture content. Wind scatterometers on the ERS-1 and ERS-2 satellites have amassed a global archive of C-band radar backscatter data sinc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polar Record
Main Authors: Sheng, Yongwei, Smith, Laurence C., Frey, Karen E., Alsdorf, Douglas E.
Format: Text
Language:unknown
Published: Clark Digital Commons 2002
Subjects:
Online Access:https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_geography/256
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247400017502
https://commons.clarku.edu/context/faculty_geography/article/1255/viewcontent/GeogFacWorks_Frey_HighRes_2004.pdf
Description
Summary:Radar backscatter in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions is temporally dynamic and reflects changes in sea ice, glacier facies, soil thaw state, vegetation cover, and moisture content. Wind scatterometers on the ERS-1 and ERS-2 satellites have amassed a global archive of C-band radar backscatter data since 1991. This paper derives three high temporal resolution data products from this archive that are designed to facilitate scatterometer research in high-latitude environments. Radar backscatter data have a grid spacing of 25 km and are mapped northwards from 60°N latitude over intervals of one, three, and seven days for the period 1991-2000. Data are corrected to a normalized incident angle of 40°. Animations and full-resolution data products are freely available for scientific use at http://merced.gis.ucla.edu/scatterometer/index.htm.