The Joint Ice Center SAR Workstation: Algorithm Evaluation

• Main Authors: Gineris, Denise J., Fetterer, Florence M.
• Other Authors: NAVAL RESEARCH LAB STENNIS SPACE CENTER MS
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1993
• Subjects: Snow; Ice and Permafrost; Active & Passive Radar Detection & Equipment; *ALGORITHMS; *SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR; *REMOTE DETECTION; *SEA ICE; *ICE REPORTING; TEST AND EVALUATION; POLARIZATION; DETECTION; COMMUNITIES; TOOLS; NAVY; FACILITIES; ALASKA; MOTION; ACCURACY; RADAR; TIME; ICE; DOCUMENTS; ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES; CLASSIFICATION; LABORATORIES; UNIVERSITIES; MICROCOMPUTERS; OCEANS; DISCRIMINATION; GEOPHYSICS; APERTURES; JET PROPULSION; RIDGES; ARCTIC OCEAN; PE63704N; WUDN258116; Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Fairbanks; Ice; permafrost; Sea ice; Alaska
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA262351; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA262351

Great improvements in remote sensing can be achieved through the use of active sensors. The European Space Agency's synthetic aperture radar (SAR) on board the ERS-1 satellite is one example of such a sensor. Operating at 5.5 GHz, VV polarization, it provides excellent detection of and discrimination between types of arctic sea ice. Data from this satellite are downlinked to the Alaska SAR Facility (ASF) located at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. The ASF in turn disseminates raw and processed SAR products to the scientific and operational communities. Among those users interested in SAR data for operational ice analysis is the Navy/NOAA Joint Ice Center (JIC). The JIC analyzes SAR data on a microcomputer-based workstation specifically designed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for sea ice analysis. The workstation includes software tools and algorithms for detailed ice classification, ice motion estimation, and lead and ridge analysis. Before the workstation can be used with confidence, however, it must first be tested for accuracy of analysis and ease of use. General workstation performance was evaluated over about a 6-month period (March to October 1992), while ice algorithm performance was evaluated by comparing SAR results to results from other sensors over a much shorter time period. The system operated excellently, but there is still room for improvement. Details of the evaluation and recommendations for improvements are contained in this document. Remote sensing, SAR, ERS-1, Sea Ice. Orignial contains color plates: All DTIC reproductions will be in black and white.