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

• 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: Geography; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Arctic; Sea ice
• 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

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.