An assessment of arctic sea ice concentration retrieval based on “HY-2” scanning radiometer data using field observations during CHINARE-2012 and other satellite instruments

Abstract

A retrieval algorithm of arctic sea ice concentration (SIC) based on the brightness temperature data of “HY-2” scanning microwave radiometer has been constructed. The tie points of the brightness temperature were selected based on the statistical analysis of a polarization gradient ratio and a spectral gradient ratio over open water (OW), first-year ice (FYI), and multiyear ice (MYI) in arctic. The thresholds from two weather filters were used to reduce atmospheric effects over the open ocean. SIC retrievals from the “HY-2” radiometer data for idealized OW, FYI, and MYI agreed well with theoretical values. The 2012 annual SIC was calculated and compared with two reference operational products from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) and the University of Bremen. The total ice-covered area yielded by the “HY-2” SIC was consistent with the results from the reference products. The assessment of SIC with the aerial photography from the fifth Chinese national arctic research expedition (CHINARE) and six synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images from the National Ice Service was carried out. The “HY-2” SIC product was 16% higher than the values derived from the aerial photography in the central arctic. The root-mean-square (RMS) values of SIC between “HY-2” and SAR were comparable with those between the reference products and SAR, varying from 8.57% to 12.34%. The “HY-2” SIC is a promising product that can be used for operational services.