Abstract

This study describes measurements of fast ice recorded on May 23, 2009, in Kongsfjorden (translated as 'Kongs Fjord'), an inlet on the west coast of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago. Seasonal fast ice is an important feature for Svalbard fjords, both in relation to their physical environment and also the local ecosystem, since it grows seaward from the coast and remains in place throughout the winter. Ice thickness, snow, ice properties, and wind speed were measured, while SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) data was observed simultaneously observed two times from ALOS-PALSAR (L-band). Measured ice thickness was about 25-35 cm while the thickness of ice floe broken from fast ice was measured as 10-15 cm. Average salinity was 1.9-2.0 ppt during the melting period. Polarimetric data was used to extract H/A/alpha-angle parameters of fast ice, ice floe, snow and glacier, which was classified into 18 classes based on these parameters. It was established that the area of fast ice represents surface scattering which indicates low and medium entropy surface scatters such as Bragg and random surfaces, while fast ice covered with snow belongs to a zone of low entropy surface scattering similar to snow-covered land surfaces. The results of this study will contribute to various interpretations of interrelationships between H/A/alpha parameters and the wave scattering Phenomenon of sea ice.

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