Monitoring of Arctic Conditions from a Virtual Constellation of Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellites

• Main Author: Minnett, Peter J
• Other Authors: MIAMI UNIV FL CENTER FOR SOUTHEASTERN TROPICAL ADVANCED REMOTE SENSING
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: Snow; Ice and Permafrost; Active & Passive Radar Detection & Equipment; Unmanned Spacecraft; *ARCTIC REGIONS; *ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES; *SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR; BUOYS; CYCLES; FORECASTING; FREEZING; GLIDERS; MARGINAL ICE ZONES; MELTING; MODELS; MONITORING; SEA ICE; ARCTIC CONDITIONS; SAR(SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR); SAR SATELLITES; Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Ice; permafrost; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA617645; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA617645

The long-term goal is to utilize a constellation of satellite radars to monitor the melting and freezing cycles of the Arctic Ocean north of 65o. Satellite data collections will support in-situ buoy clusters and ice camps as well as seagoing experiments with gliders and drifting buoys. From difference maps of time series of images deduce changes in ice extent, ice-type, and lead expansion/contraction with temporal resolutions from hours to days. Ultimately provide a routine Arctic coverage and generate products for operational purposes, and as validation, boundary conditions, and initialization to numerical ice-ocean forecast models. Prepared in collaboration with the Department of Ocean Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL.